Sources: Marshall opts out of Independence Bowl vs. Army due to lack of players

On December 15, 2024By Littum

Marshall will not play in the Independence Bowl against Army. (Ian Johnson/Getty Images)

The Independence Bowl must find a replacement team.

Sources told Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger that Marshall has pulled out of the game against Army because it has so many players on the transfer portal.

Marshall has notified officials that it is opting out of the Independence Bowl vs. Army, sources say @YahooSports.

Absent 6-6 teams, officials are working to find a replacement through a ranking of the NCAA APR scores of 5-7 teams. Marshall has lost 25+ players on the portal.

— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) 14 December 2024

Marshall won the Sun Belt title game a week ago and finished the season 10-3. But it was the last game at the school for coach Charles Huff. He is now the coach at Southern Miss after being in the final year of a four-year deal with the Thundering Herd.

Huff’s departure led to many players transferring from the program. Players have the option of freely entering the transfer portal after a change of coach. Marshall has already announced that NC State defensive coordinator Tony Gibson would be Huff’s successor.

There were no teams 6-6 or better that 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 to replace Marshall.

However, it is not easy to be called to play a bowling game at late notice, especially if a school’s winter break has already started.

Army is also not an easy opponent to prepare for with its triple options. 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.