2023 Sun Belt Conference Football Championship Game

The 2023 Sun Belt Conference Football Championship Game was a college football game that was played on December 2, 2023 at Veterans Memorial Stadium on the campus of Troy University in Troy, Alabama. It was the fifth edition of the Sun Belt Conference Football Championship Game and determined the champion of the Sun Belt Conference for the [2023 NCAA Division I NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision|FBS football season|2023 season]. The game began at 4:00 p.m. EST on ESPN. The game featured the Troy Trojans, the West Division champions, and the Appalachian State Mountaineers, the East Division runner-up. Troy defeated App State 49–23. Sponsored by Hercules Tires, the game was officially named as the 2023 Hercules Tires Sun Belt Football Championship.

Teams

Troy Trojans

Troy clinched a spot in the championship game following its defeat of ULM on November 11. Troy secured hosting rights with its win over Southern Miss on November 25. Troy running back Kimani Vidal secured the championship game MVP award after becoming the first player ever to rush for 5 touchdowns in an FBS conference championship game.

Appalachian State Mountaineers

With the NCAA having denied a request by [2023 2023 James Madison Dukes football team|James Madison Dukes football team|James Madison] for a waiver from rules that prohibit teams transitioning from Division I FCS to FBS from appearing in conference championship games, the Trojans' opponent in the championship game was determined to be Appalachian State. App State secured the East Division spot after beating Georgia Southern and having James Madison defeat Coastal Carolina in the final week of college football regular season.