Sept. 21, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA;Marshall Thundering Herd running back Ethan Payne (28) scores a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA Division I football game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium on Saturday.
The Marshall football team opted out of the playing Army in the Independence Bowl on Dec. 28 because of losing players in the transfer portal, according to multiple media reports on Saturday.
The Thundering Herd went 10-3 and defeated Louisiana 31-3 in the Sun Belt Conference championship game on Dec. 7. Head coach Charles Huff left the program one day later to accept the same position at Southern Miss, a fellow league member.
At least 29 Marshall players have entered the transfer portal since Dec. 8, according to 247Sports.
No. 19 Army, the American Athletic Conference champion, was 11-1 going into Saturday’s annual rivalry game against Navy, followed by the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La.
As no other six-win teams are available to replace Marshall, teams with five wins are eligible based on their Academic Progress Rate.
Thundering Herd associate head coach Telly Lockette was designated to lead the team in the bowl game, with the university hiring North Carolina State defensive coordinator Tony Gibson as the new head coach.
–Field Level Media
