On the lighter side. How did the states of Sun Belt conference teams get their names ?

Arkansas

The term Arkansas means south wind and is derived from a name used by some Native Americans to describe the Quapaws, an early tribe in the area. The French Jesuits pronounced the tribe name Oo-gaq-pa, which the Algonquins pronounced Oo-ka-na-sa, and Marquette wrote Arkansoa; LaSalle wrote Arkensa; DeTonti, Arkancas; and LaHarpe, Arkansas. When the state was admitted to the Union in 1836, it was spelled Arkansas. The legislature of 1881 appointed a committee to ascertain the rightful pronunciation of the last syllable, and the result was a resolution declaring the pronunciation to be Ark-an-saw.

Alabama

Alabama means "tribal town" in the Creek Indian language and "plant cutters" in Choctaw. The French recorded the Alabama River as something like "where the Alabamians live". So whatever the correct etymology is the name stuck and Alabama is named for the Native Americans that lived there.

Florida

Florida is said to have been first seen by the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León on Palm Sunday, second of April 1513. Juan Ponce de León was on an expedition to find the undiscovered land that was chartered by Ferdinand II of Aragon after hearing rumours of far, distant, undiscovered islands in the far west. When Ponce de León first caught sight of modern day Florida, it is documented that he was taken aback by the verdant landscape that was awash with grass and rich vegetation. Along with this, being Easter, which in Spain used to be called “Pascua de Florida” which translates as “Feast of Flowers”, he decided to name his new found region after the event. And thus Florida received its name from the traditional Spanish name for Easter

Kentucky

Kentucky got its name from a Cherokee word meaning "Land Of Tomorrow" or "Meadowland"

Louisiana

Under French control from 1682-1763 and 1803-04, the area was named in honor of Louis XIV of France, by French explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle. La Salle had left Fort Crevecoeur with eighteen Native Americans and canoed down the Mississippi River in 1682. He named the entire area of the Mississippi basin "La Louisiane."

Tennessee

The state of Tennessee got it's name from an Indian Cherokee village called "Tanasi." Tanasi means big bend and was used to describe a river in Tennessee.

Texas

The state name originates from the Caddo Indian word "taysha" meaning "friends" or "allies".

'Texas' comes from the Caddo Indian tribe. The Spanish Conquistadors encountered the Caddo Indians around 1540 in the area of East Texas. The Caddos referred to the Spanish as "tayshas," which meant "friend" or "allies." The Spanish translation was "tejas." The Americans converted it to "Texas."

nice post MG61, very entertaining and informative. rep points to you sir.