Arkansas State Posts Record-Breaking Finish in 2024-25 Bubas Cup Standings
Arkansas State Athletics achieved a historic milestone with a school-record 139.0 points, finishing second overall in the 2024–25 Vic Bubas Cup standings, the Sun Belt Conference announced Thursday. It marks the Red Wolves’ best finish in a full athletics year since 1999–2000 and continues a two-year upward trend for the program.
The Vic Bubas Cup, named after the Sun Belt Conference’s first commissioner, is awarded annually to the top overall athletics program in the league. Points are awarded based on regular-season or championship finishes across conference-sponsored sports.
After placing fourth in 2023–24 with 118.0 points, Arkansas State surged ahead this year with 139.0 points, trailing only Texas State, which captured the Cup with 152.5 points. A-State averaged 9.3 points per sport — second-highest in the conference — despite competing in fewer Bubas Cup-eligible sports than most of the league’s 14 institutions.
A Championship-Caliber Year
Arkansas State has firmly established itself as a dominant force in the Sun Belt, claiming 12 conference titles since 2022–23, the most of any member during that span. That total is three more than Texas State, and more than double what nine of the other 13 programs have achieved.
When including the women’s bowling team’s Conference USA championship, the Red Wolves have tallied 13 total conference titles over the past three years. Their postseason success has also been unmatched: A-State teams have made 25 postseason appearances since 2022–23 — the most over any three-year period in school history.
Highlights from the 2024–25 athletics year include:
Football played in its second consecutive bowl game.
Volleyball reached the Great 8 of the NIVC (National Invitational Volleyball Championship).
Women’s basketball earned its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance.
Men’s basketball competed in the NIT for the first time since 1991.
Women’s bowling appeared in its 17th straight NCAA Tournament.
The Vic Bubas Legacy
The Vic Bubas Cup is named in honor of Vic Bubas, who served as the Sun Belt’s first commissioner from 1976 to 1990. Bubas played a pivotal role in expanding the league’s membership and athletic offerings. Before his administrative career, Bubas was a legendary basketball coach at Duke, where he led the Blue Devils to three Final Fours. He was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007 and passed away in 2018 at the age of 91.
2024–25 Vic Bubas Cup Final Standings
Texas State – 152.5
Arkansas State – 139.0
Coastal Carolina – 124.0
Louisiana – 118.5
App State – 116.0
South Alabama – 115.5
Marshall – 111.5
Georgia Southern – 110.0
James Madison – 107.5
Troy – 106.5
Southern Miss – 95.5
Old Dominion – 83.5
Georgia State – 70.0
ULM – 64.5
With continued momentum and competitive excellence across multiple sports, Arkansas State is solidifying its place as one of the premier athletic programs in the Sun Belt Conference.