Sun Belt and Conference USA List Louisiana Tech Twice, Leaving Bulldogs With 20 Scheduled Games

Conference USA and the Sun Belt each included Louisiana Tech on their published 2026 football schedules this week, producing a rare double-listing that leaves the Bulldogs with 20 scheduled games on paper.

“Conference USA and the Sun Belt both included Louisiana Tech on their 2026 football schedules announced this week, leaving the Bulldogs with 20 scheduled games”

ESPN

Conference USA’s 2026 schedule, released Thursday, named Louisiana Tech as a league member, and the Sun Belt’s schedule, released Friday, also included Louisiana Tech; the school itself issued a news release Friday announcing its 2026 schedule as a Sun Belt member.

ESPN

The dual listing stems from an ongoing legal dispute over Louisiana Tech’s attempt to accelerate its move from Conference USA to the Sun Belt, leaving the Bulldogs’ conference home for 2026 in legal limbo.

FBSchedules reports that Louisiana Tech, governed by the University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors, is embroiled in litigation over an early exit and that a hearing is scheduled for March 19; the outcome could force one conference to revise its slate.

FBSchedules

ESPN adds that school officials told Conference USA they planned to depart on July 1, 2026, but the parties could not agree on a departure date or a settlement fee, explaining the procedural snag.

The Sun Belt schedule lists Louisiana Tech among 14 members and includes a high-profile in-state nonconference matchup — Louisiana Tech at LSU.

“Conference USA and the Sun Belt both included Louisiana Tech on their 2026 football schedules announced this week, leaving the Bulldogs with 20 scheduled games”

ESPN

FBSchedules details the Sun Belt’s 13 returning members alongside Louisiana Tech and enumerates featured 2026 non-conference match-ups for the league, highlighting how Louisiana Tech’s inclusion affects the broader Sun Belt slate.

ESPN’s reporting that the school accepted an invitation to join the Sun Belt in July 2025 provides the administrative backdrop for why the Sun Belt placed the Bulldogs on its 2026 calendar.

Conference USA and the Sun Belt have precedent and contingency plans for schedule revisions if membership changes are finalized.

FBSchedules points to the 2022 example — Conference USA initially included Marshall, Old Dominion, and Southern Miss before revising the slate once their departures were finalized — suggesting leagues will prepare alternate plans depending on the March 19 hearing and any settlement.

FBSchedules

ESPN’s account that the parties could not agree on a departure date or settlement fee underscores why the two leagues released conflicting schedules rather than waiting for resolution.