Louisiana Tech will be invited to join the Sun Belt Conference as soon as 2026, according to a report Monday by ESPN.

ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Monday morning that the conference’s CEOs voted to add the Bulldogs as the league’s 14th member. Louisiana Tech would replace Texas State, which will depart after the 2025-26 athletic year to join the Pac-12.

Louisiana Tech was a member of the Sun Belt Conference from 1991-2001, before the league began playing a full championship schedule in football. The Bulldogs were in the WAC from 2001-13 and have been in Conference USA the last decade-plus.

Louisiana Tech would slot smoothly into the Sun Belt West, a spot Texas State had filled since the conference split into divisions. Ruston, La. is also considered an easier travel destination for most conference rivals than other schools mentioned as possible additions, including Western Kentucky and East Carolina.