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NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Louisiana Tech’s football team finds itself listed on the schedules for both the Sun Belt and Conference USA, as the Bulldogs’ contentious exit from Conference USA continues to unfold.
Last July, Louisiana Tech accepted an invitation to join the Sun Belt Conference, drawn by the appeal of aligning with in-state competitors like Louisiana-Lafayette and Louisiana-Monroe, as well as other Gulf South teams such as Southern Miss and South Alabama.
These teams are all featured in the 2026 football schedule released by Louisiana Tech last Friday.
However, Conference USA also unveiled its schedule this week, which includes Louisiana Tech games against Middle Tennessee, Florida International, Missouri State, Liberty, Kennesaw State, and Jacksonville State.
When Louisiana Tech declared its intention to join the Sun Belt, the institution indicated the transition would be completed by July 1, 2027, though it clearly aimed for the switch to occur in the 2026-27 academic year.
Since then, Tech and Conference USA have failed to agree on a financial settlement aimed at compensating the league for the Bulldogs’ departure.
Last week, the University of Louisiana System, which includes Louisiana Tech, filed a lawsuit asking a judge to force Conference USA to allow Louisiana Tech to leave the league when the current academic year ends on June 30.
Despite Louisiana Tech’s “good faith efforts to resolve this matter amicably over a period of eight months … CUSA has declined to engage in meaningful resolution and has instead placed Louisiana Tech on its 2026-27 athletic schedule in disregard of Tech’s explicit and repeated written notice that it would not participate in Conference USA competition beginning July 1, 2026,” the lawsuit states.
Louisiana Tech has been a Conference USA member since 2014.