The Independence Bowl needs to find a replacement team.
Sources told Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger that Marshall has withdrawn from the game against Army because it has so many players in the transfer portal.
Marshall has notified officials that it is opting out of the Independence Bowl vs. Army, sources tell @YahooSports.
Absent of 6-6 teams, officials are working to determine a replacement thru a ranking of NCAA APR scores of 5-7 teams. Marshall has lost 25+ players in the portal.
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) December 14, 2024
Marshall won the Sun Belt title game a week ago to finish the season at 10-3. But it was the last game at the school for coach Charles Huff. He’s now the coach at Southern Miss after he was in the last year of a four-year deal with the Thundering Herd.
Huff’s departure led to many players transferring from the program. Players have the ability to freely enter the transfer portal after a coaching change. Marshall has already announced that NC State defensive coordinator Tony Gibson would be Huff’s successor.
There were no teams 6-6 or better who missed a bowl game. Teams that finished the season 5-7 are next in line based on their Academic Progress Rate. The team with the highest APR among 5-7 teams would have the choice of replacing Marshall.
However, getting called in to playing a bowl game on late notice isn’t easy, especially if a school’s winter break has already started.
Army isn’t an easy opponent to prepare for with its triple-option offense, either. The Black Knights are 11-1 after beating Tulane in the AAC title game and could finish 12-1 with a win over Navy on Saturday.