Conference USA’s Lawsuit Against Louisiana Tech Centers on Disputed Document Date, Financial Dispute

Conference USA filed suit against the University of Louisiana System earlier this month, alleging violations of Louisiana’s public records law in connection with Louisiana Tech’s July decision to depart for the Sun Belt Conference. The league seeks broader access to documents and has signaled potential claims over a June revenue distribution paid to Tech.

The complaint hinges on a letter dated May 27, 2025, from Louisiana Tech President Jim Henderson to the UL System Board of Supervisors. Posted publicly as part of the agenda for the board’s July 30 special meeting, the document references the university’s transition to the Sun Belt.

CUSA argues the May date indicates Louisiana Tech committed to leaving before providing formal notice on July 14—two weeks after the league’s June 27 full-member payout. Under conference bylaws, members notifying withdrawal after the fiscal-year distribution retain that year’s share (estimated at several million dollars per school) but forfeit the next two.

The timeline contradicts that reading:

• Texas State’s Pac-12 move became official June 30, creating the Sun Belt opening Tech filled.

• The Sun Belt invitation arrived in mid-July, followed immediately by Tech’s acceptance and announcement.

• Notice to CUSA came July 14, with UL System board approval July 30.

A May 27 letter addressing a Sun Belt move that did not yet exist defies logic. As reported by Matt Belinson in the Ruston Daily Leader, it seems it is simply a clerical error—likely intended as July 27—and not much else makes sense given the sequence of events. The letter’s content aligns only with developments after the invitation.

After an August public records request, Louisiana Tech supplied core documents, including the Sun Belt agreement. CUSA later found the letter, plus a publicly posted video and PowerPoint from the July 30 meeting, on the UL System site and claimed these were improperly withheld. The suit aims to force production of internal communications that could bolster a separate breach-of-contract action in Texas, where CUSA is headquartered.

For Conference USA, the litigation serves multiple purposes amid ongoing realignment pressures. The league has lost multiple established programs in recent years—most recently UTEP to the Mountain West in 2026—while adding recent FCS elevates like Delaware and Missouri State just this year to maintain membership levels. Retaining or clawing back revenue from departing schools helps offset dilution of per-school payouts as the conference rebuilds around newer members.

CUSA took similar action in 2022 against Marshall, Old Dominion, and Southern Miss after those schools announced their Sun Belt moves in October 2021 but then accelerated their exits to June 30, 2022—providing only roughly eight months of effective notice instead of the required minimum 14 months (and far less than the typical two full years). Those disputes ended in negotiated settlements. By contrast, Louisiana Tech’s July 14, 2025 notice for a July 1, 2026 departure provides a full twelve months—substantially more notice than the 2022 schools ever offered.

Louisiana Tech officials have rejected the allegations as baseless, maintaining full compliance with bylaws and state law.

The move to the Sun Belt is set for July 1, 2026, aligning the program with regional rivals and a more geographically sensible league. Tech remains a full Conference USA member through the 2025–26 athletic year.