AAC Football: Top 5 expansion candidates for the conference
By Zach Bigalke
Like Southern Miss, landing Louisiana Tech would merely be a matter of calling up the Bulldogs. The league already has a presence in Louisiana, with New Orleans represented by Tulane. But another conference member on the northern side of the state would help triangulate the recruiting presence in the talent-rich region encompassing east Texas, Arkansas, and northern Louisiana.
The Bulldogs only joined Conference USA five years ago after the collapse of the WAC. Their last season in the defunct conference saw Louisiana Tech open the year 9-1. Louisiana Tech’s only defeat heading into the last couple weeks of the year was a 59-57 thriller against Heisman winner Johnny Manziel and recently realigned SEC power Texas A&M.
But losses to Utah State and San Jose State turned the Bulldogs from a BCS Buster into a team sitting home during bowl season. Since moving over to C-USA, Louisiana Tech had a 4-8 blip in its first year after the realignment. After that, they racked up three straight 9-4 seasons and claimed two C-USA West crowns.
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Skip Holtz has turned the Bulldogs into a perennial postseason participant. With a leap to the AAC, he would get a boost in competition and a second chance in the league where he faltered as South Florida’s head coach.