Conference realignment has played a major role on college sports over the past several seasons as teams have moved from their traditional homes to new leagues. As the SEC and Big Ten picked up major brands, the Big 12, Pac 12, and ACC have been left to pick at the Group of 5 schools to try and rebuild their leagues.
At the Group of 5 level, one of the expected moves this offseason was for Louisiana Tech to leave Conference USA for the Sun Belt starting next season. The issue became that Louisiana Tech wanted to leave earlier than the league rules allow as they require 14 months notice.
The disagreement had become petty in recent months with both the Sun Belt and Conference USA giving the Bulldogs conference schedules.
Conference USA finally inks settlement to send Louisiana Tech to the Sun Belt
On Monday Night, Louisiana Tech and Conference USA finally reached an agreement allowing the Bulldogs to join the Sun Belt before the start of next season. In a statement, Conference USA announced the resolution while acknowledging that the deal meets its league's governing documents.
"Conference USA is pleased to have reached a positive resolution with Louisiana Tech that fully acknowledges our governing documents, 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."Conference USA statement
The details of the resolution were not disclosed, but Louisiana Tech likely had to compensate Conference USA in order to pull off the transition.
The deal will now allow Louisiana Tech to join the league ahead of the fall, allowing them to start their time in the Sun Belt. Conference realignment had hurt the Sun Belt with teams leaving, which means getting Louisiana Tech into the league will allow them to move forward with a full league schedule.
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