Nick BrombergSenior writerTue, April 21, 2026 at 1:45 PM UTC·1 min readLouisiana Tech and Conference USA have reached a settlement that allows the Bulldogs to leave the conference for the Sun Belt ahead of the 2026 college football season.

The school said last year that it would be heading to the Sun Belt no later than the 2027 season. However, Louisiana Tech and the league had been in a months-long legal fight over the school’s departure — and how much Louisiana Tech would pay to Conference USA to get the move finalized.

Per a statement from Louisiana Tech to Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger, the move to notify a federal court that the dispute had been settled “is a procedural filing to suspend deadlines. When parties reach a settlement in principle, it is customary and often required under local practice to notify the federal court so it can manage its docket. It does not reflect a finalized agreement or executed terms.”

According to a report from Front Office Sports a week ago, Louisiana Tech is set to pay over $8 million to Conference USA to leave the league this summer.

As negotiations were ongoing, both Conference USA and the Sun Belt included Louisiana Tech in its conference schedules for the 2026 season. That effectively meant the Bulldogs were double-booked for the upcoming season and added some urgency to the proceedings.

Louisiana Tech will be the 13th member of the Sun Belt and be a part of the league’s seven-team West Division. Conference USA, which has been overhauled in recent years thanks to the most recent round of conference realignment in college sports, will have 10 teams for the 2026 football season. The league had 12 teams in 2025, but UTEP is heading to the Mountain West for the 2026 season.