The Sun Belt Conference’s CEOs voted to extend an invitation to Conference USA’s Louisiana Tech Monday morning, according to ESPN. Louisiana Tech is set to replace Texas State, which is departing for the Pac-12 in 2026, as the Sun Belt’s 14th member.
ESPN also notes that Louisiana Tech will accept a buyout that is at least $5 million to exit Conference USA. The earliest Louisiana Tech can leave is 2026, which aligns with the latest wave of conference realignment.
It will be a homecoming of sorts for Louisiana Tech, which was a full member of the Sun Belt from 1991-2001, though the football program remained independent for a majority of the 1990s following its transition from the NCAA Division I-AA level. The Bulldogs were in the Big West Conference from 1993-95.
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Louisiana Tech has competed in Conference USA since 2013. Though the Bulldogs never won a Conference USA championship, they did claim the West Division crown twice under former coach Skip Holtz, and shared the top spot with UAB in 2019.
Coach Sonny Cumbie led Louisiana Tech to the Independence Bowl last season for the Bulldogs’ first postseason appearance since 2020.
The men’s basketball program won two straight C-USA regular season titles from 2014-15 and earned a bid to the National Invitation Tournament with coach Mike White leading the charge.
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