Marshall Opts Out of Independence Bowl After Losing 29 Players to CFB Transfer Portal

Marshall's 2024 football season has reportedly come to an unceremonious end.

Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports reported that the school notified officials of its decision to opt out of the Independence Bowl. The Thundering Herd were set to play Army in that game on Dec. 28.

The decision was made due to the program having lost 29 players to the transfer portal thus far. The officials will now look to add a new participant based on the NCAA APR scores of programs that went 5-7.

Some schools who will be up for consideration due to high APR scores include Cincinnati, Wisconsin, Air Force and Auburn.

The mass exodus comes after head coach Charles Huff left to take the same position at Southern Miss. He led Marshall to a 10-3 record this season and the team won the Sun Belt Conference.

Marshall hired Tony Gibson as Huff's replacement, and he is reportedly recruiting former Marshall players who are in the transfer portal. Some notable players who have entered are quarterbacks Braylon Braxton, Stone Earle, and Cole Pennington, as well as top rusher A.J. Turner.

The game would have featured two conference champions who clinched 10-win seasons but instead Army will take on a program that would not have traditionally made a bowl game due to its record.