Louisiana Tech will become the second Conference USA program to move to a different league since Missouri State announced its departure from the Missouri Valley Conference to join CUSA a year ago.
Multiple national outlets, citing sources, reported Monday morning that the Sun Belt CEOs voted to invite Louisiana Tech as the league’s 14th member, which ESPN college football insider Pete Thamel first reported.
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The exact departure date is unclear, with 2026 being the earliest. La Tech’s departure from Conference USA is expected to cost at least $5 million. Multiple national reports say Conference USA is expected to stick with 10 schools for 2026.
Missouri State announced last May that it accepted an invitation to join Conference USA, and it became a full-time member on July 1.
Since then, UTEP has announced its departure for the Mountain West, which will become official in the 2026-27 season. Now, Louisiana Tech is on its way out.
Nov 23, 2024; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Louisiana Tech Bulldogs wide receiver Tru Edwards (16) prior to a game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images
Louisiana Tech is the closest Conference USA program to Springfield. The Ruston, Louisiana-based program went 5-8 on the football field last year, finished sixth in men’s basketball and fifth in women’s basketball. The Bulldogs tend to have a strong baseball program, which finished fifth in 2025.
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ESPN first reported the possibility of Louisiana Tech’s departure last month, following a series of conference realignment news that was expected to unfold throughout June. The report by Thamel and Kyle Bonagura noted that a potential replacement for the Bulldogs was FCS Tarleton State, if CUSA wished to expand from 10 members.
According to the Knight Foundation’s College Athletics Database, Louisiana Tech spent nearly $33.4 million on college athletics in fiscal year 2024. That compares to the $34.3 million in operating expenses Missouri State reported in the same year. The Missouri State administration has expressed its hopes of securing an athletics budget in the upper $30 million or lower $40 million range as it heads into Conference USA.
Tarleton State has been recognized as an up-and-coming program due to the significant resources it has invested in athletics in recent years. Located in Stephenville, Texas, the Texans moved to the FCS beginning in the 2020-21 season after competing in Division II. They are a member of the Western Athletic Conference and the United Athletic Conference (football).
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Louisiana Tech to Sun Belt: Will Conference USA add more teams?
