Louisiana Tech Football Caught in Scheduling Limbo Amid Departure from Conference USA

The school is listed on schedules for both the Sun Belt and Conference USA as legal dispute continues.

Mar. 16, 2026 at 4:38am

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Louisiana Tech's football team is currently listed on the schedules of both the Sun Belt Conference and Conference USA for the 2026 season, as the school's acrimonious departure from Conference USA continues to drag on. Louisiana Tech announced last July that it would be joining the Sun Belt, but the two conferences have failed to agree on a financial settlement, leading to a lawsuit filed by the University of Louisiana System to force Conference USA to allow the Bulldogs to leave the league by June 30.

Why it matters

This scheduling conflict highlights the messy nature of Louisiana Tech's departure from Conference USA, which has become a contentious legal battle. The situation raises questions about the stability of college sports conferences and the challenges schools can face when trying to switch leagues.

The details

Last July, the Sun Belt Conference extended membership to Louisiana Tech, which the school accepted, citing the logic of joining a conference that includes in-state rivals and other programs in the Gulf South region. However, Conference USA also released a full conference slate this week that includes Louisiana Tech matchups, despite the school's stated intention to leave the league no later than July 1, 2027, with a preference to do so by the 2026-27 academic year. The University of Louisiana System has now 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.

  • Last July, the Sun Belt extended membership to Louisiana Tech.
  • This week, Conference USA released a full conference slate that includes Louisiana Tech matchups.
  • The University of Louisiana System filed a lawsuit last week asking a judge to force Conference USA to allow Louisiana Tech to leave the league by June 30.

The players

Louisiana Tech

A university in Ruston, Louisiana that has been a member of Conference USA since 2014.

Sun Belt Conference

An NCAA Division I collegiate athletic conference that includes schools in the southern United States.

Conference USA

An NCAA Division I collegiate athletic conference that includes schools primarily in the southern United States.

University of Louisiana System

The public university system in the state of Louisiana that includes Louisiana Tech.

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What’s next

A judge will decide whether to force Conference USA to allow Louisiana Tech to leave the league by the end of the current academic year.

The takeaway

This scheduling conflict highlights the complex and contentious nature of conference realignment in college sports, where schools and leagues can become entangled in legal battles over departure terms and timelines. The situation underscores the need for clear, mutually agreed-upon protocols to govern such transitions in the future.