Conference USA and Louisiana Tech have agreed on a settlement that will allow the Bulldogs to depart that league for the Sun Belt Conference this summer instead of having to wait another year.
Both Conference USA and Louisiana Tech, which has played football in C-USA the past 13 seasons, posted statements Monday. Neither provided any specific details of their agreement, such as the amount of exit fees, after an acrimonious situation that included a lawsuit.
“Conference USA is pleased to have reached a positive resolution with Louisiana Tech that fully acknowledges our governing documents,” the league said. “We look forward to continued success and impact in the national landscape, driven by the collective strength and shared vision of our 10 member institutions.”
Louisiana Tech, which last summer accepted an invitation to join the Sun Belt, said in its statement that the school had reached “a fair and equitable agreement” with C-USA.
“The move to the Sun Belt Conference in July is one that will benefit the health and well-being of our student athletes, the fiscal stability of our athletics department, and the economic vitality of our entire region,” the school statement said.
When Louisiana Tech announced its move to the Sun Belt, the school stated it would occur no later than July 1, 2027, but left little doubt that it preferred to make the move for 2026-27 academic year.
The University of Louisiana System, which includes Louisiana Tech, filed a lawsuit in March asking a judge to force Conference USA to allow Louisiana Tech to leave the league when the current academic year ends on June 30.
At that point, the league and the school had failed to agree on a financial settlement aimed at compensating the league for the Bulldogs’ departure.
Louisiana Tech officials have touted the logic of moving to the Sun Belt, which will include in-state rivals in Louisiana-Lafayette and Louisiana-Monroe, along with other programs in the Gulf South, including Southern Miss and South Alabama.
Conference USA and the Sun Belt both in March released conference football schedules that included Louisiana Tech. C-USA is also losing UTEP to the Mountain West Conference.
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
Only subscribers can view and post comments on articles.
Already a subscriber? Login Here
Join us at the San Mateo Performing Arts Center on May 1 and May 2 at 7:30 PM for a dynamic … Read moreMateo Motion XXII
Get ready for an exhilarating morning at the Third Annual Foster City 5k Fun Run on Saturday… Read moreFoster City 5k
Come support local artists and small business! Our 3rd annual Spring Studio Sale! Read moreSpring Studio Sale
AMERICAN ROSE SOCIETY Read moreAmerican Rose Society NCNH District Rose Show & Rose Sale
Join us for community fun at the San Mateo Senior Showcase at the San Mateo Senior Center lo… Read moreSan Mateo Senior Showcase
Join us May 9th for the District 4 Toastmasters 2026 Conference - Eras of YOU: Renewing Huma… Read moreDistrict 4 Annual Conference - Eras of YOU Renewing Human Resilience in the Generative AI Era
Thomas Morgan said:
CA Is Burning said:
CA Is Burning said:
LaurieHietter said:
LaurieHietter said:
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.