By MALCOLM BUTLER, Lincoln Parish Journal
RUSTON — It’s officially official.
Louisiana Tech is headed back to the Sun Belt Conference.
University President Jim Henderson and VP/AD Ryan Ivey both confirmed the worst kept secret in north Louisiana Tuesday with a noon press release making the announcement.
After months of speculation that turned more realistic with the departure of Texas State to the Pac-12 in early July, the Sun Belt extended the invitation Monday morning. Tech said it was all in with Tuesday’s press release.
A press conference is today at 3 p.m. in the Davison Athletics Complex that will include Henderson, Ivey and Sun Belt Conference commissioner Keith Gill. The public is invited to attend.
“Through all the uncertainty surrounding college athletics, we are pleased that Louisiana Tech has found its rightful home as a member of the Sun Belt Conference,” Ivey said in the press release. “The opportunity for more fan engagement, reduced travel burden, and the renewal of storied rivalries will allow our student-athletes to pursue excellence in sport and in the classroom.
“Our coaches, student-athletes, alumni, and fans share in our excitement for the future of Bulldogs and Lady Techsters athletics. We appreciate Commissioner Keith Gill and the board for their confidence in our athletics department and look forward to elevating the conference through competition.”
This marks Tech’s second appearance in the Sun Belt after the Bulldogs and Lady Techsters called the league home from 1991 through 2001, when it made the move to the Western Athletic Conference.
“We are thrilled to welcome Louisiana Tech University to the Sun Belt,” said Gill. “Geographically situated within the current Sun Belt footprint, the addition of Louisiana Tech reunites a number of long-standing regional rivalries under the conference banner.
“I am grateful to President Dr. Jim Henderson and Athletic Director Ryan Ivey for their leadership during this process. I’d also like to thank the CEOs and athletic directors of our Sun Belt member institutions for their continued commitment to the premier FBS non-autonomy conference in the country. The Sun Belt Conference is rising and our best days are ahead.”
Although Tech is scheduled to join the 14-team league July 1, 2027, a precedent has been set in recent years of team’s departing for their new home sooner than expected. Old Dominion, Southern Miss, and Marshall all announced in October of 2021 their plan to leave CUSA and nine months later joined they Sun Belt on July 1, 2022.
With UTEP departing CUSA for the Mountain West on July 1, 2026, and Missouri State and Delaware recently joining on July 1, 2025 … the league will sit at an uneven number of 11 schools in 2026-27.
Regardless of when Tech joins the league, University officials expressed a deep sense of excitement.
“The storied legacy of our Bulldogs and Lady Techsters, long an integral part of the Louisiana Tech experience, will be advanced with this move,” Henderson said. “The invitation from the Sun Belt Conference affirms the quality of our athletics programs. Joining the conference will guarantee regular competition with regional rivals, new and old, creating a more logistically sound experience for our student-athletes, coaches, and fans.”
Tech will join App State, Arkansas State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, James Madison, Louisiana-Lafayette, ULM, Marshall, Old Dominion, South Alabama, Southern Miss, and Troy in the 14-team league.
Contact Malcolm at lpjnewsla@gmail.com