JOURNAL SPORTS
As the world (of conference realignment) turns.
It could be its own soap opera.
Well, the latest turn – at least strongly speculated by ESPN.com’s Pete Thamel Sunday night – could directly impact Louisiana Tech University.
Thamel, one of the industry leaders in sports journalism covering college athletics, tweeted out the following on Sunday and
wrote a detailed story about the scenario
.
“The industry is bracing or a ripple of realignment, sources tell me/@bonaguraESPN,” Thamel said in his tweet. “Texas State is heavy favorite to join the Pac-12. Louisiana tech is the favorite to replace Texas State in Sun Belt. What’s next for Memphis? What’s CUSA ripple?”
Talk of Texas State joining the Pac 12 has been discussed for the past 12 months after the San Marcos-based school supposedly turned down an offer to the Mountain West.
So, are Thamel’s sources on target?
“We don’t take stances on rumors, particularly when those rumors are based in layers of speculation,” said Louisiana Tech President Jim Henderson on Monday morning. “We will always do what is in the best interest of Louisiana Tech and Louisiana Tech Athletics.”
Although nothing official has happened regarding the Pac-12 and Texas State, Thamel believes that invite is looming. Thamel also believes the Sun Belt has its eyes on either Louisiana Tech or Western Kentucky, although Tech’s geographical location gives it an edge.
“In the fall, when Texas State was flirting with other leagues, the Sun Belt had started to put together contingency plans,” wrote Thamel. “That included conversations, per sources, that established Louisiana Tech as the favorite over several other targets, including Western Kentucky, if Texas State were to leave. There would still need to be more discussion and presidential action before any addition.”
Many people, including Thamel, believe Tech has the inside track based on their geographical footprint with the impending vacancy coming from the West.
Louisiana Tech AD Ryan Ivey addressed the speculation indirectly on Monday.
“Conference realignment is always a thing,” said Ivey. “It never truly goes away. I’ve said since I first got (to Tech), our main responsibility is to be the very best we can be right here. And then in the event that there are potential opportunities, we have to evaluate them in the best interest of Louisiana Tech Athletics and obviously on behalf of the University. That’s about all I can say.”
So, have Tech officials had conversations with the Sun Belt recently?
“I have conversations daily with colleagues across multiple conferences to try to understand what is going on and to try to best position Louisiana Tech Athletics regarding the changing landscape of the industry,” said Ivey. ‘Sure, I have had conversations with people in the Sun Belt, but it has been about a ton of things. We are just trying to understand what other conferences are doing regarding the changing landscape of this industry.”
Although no definitive timelines have been publicly addressed by the Pac-12 (or the Sun Belt), the speculation is that the moves could happen very soon, even as early as the end of June.
“I think it’s probably sooner rather than later,” said Ivey. “I know there is speculation out there that it is just a matter of weeks as it relates to that. Who knows, but that is my understanding.
“We all know the Pac-12 must get to eight football playing members. We know that that is a requirement when it comes to FBS, so I think it all hinges on what they want to do. Whether that is doing something internally or trying to take other action as it relates to that requirement.”
If the moves occur before the end of June, there is a good chance that Tech – if offered and accepted an invitation to the Sun Belt – could be competing in the league as soon as the 2026-27 athletic season.
There would be a price to pay for the transition to the Sun Belt per CUSA bylaws which require a departing school to pay two years’ worth of revenue distributions plus the remaining years on the grant of rights signed by all league schools in 2023. The grant of rights runs through 2028.
The combined total would be an estimated $5.5 million if the move occurred in the summer of 2026.
Louisiana Tech was a member of the Sun Belt Conference from 1991 through 2001 when it departed to join the Western Athletic Conference for a dozen years. Tech joined Conference USA in 2013.
