The 2025–26 athletic year marked the end of an era at Louisiana Tech, as the Bulldogs closed the book on their time in Conference USA before departing for the Sun Belt. Across the major sports of football, basketball (men’s and women’s), and baseball, Tech had won just a single conference championship since joining the league in 2013. This was the final chance to add to a trophy case whose shelves have stood fairly bare in recent years (with the exception of the shelf labeled “Bowl Games”).
To break it all down, after a brief summary of the seasons, we at gtpdd will provide our thoughts on what we long ago decided were the two most important questions in sports – did Tech go? and did Tech die?
Football
8-5 Record, 5-3 in CUSA, Independence Bowl victory
The 2025 Louisiana Tech football season was inarguably a step in the right direction. For the first time in the four year Sonny Cumbie era, the Bulldogs were able to compete in the Independence Bowl without outside help (in a roundabout fashion) from Southern Miss. Including the bowl game victory, Tech finished the season at 8-5, the most wins in six seasons.
Much of the optimism and pessimism going into the season revolved around the coordinators. The architect of the best offense in Bulldog history, Tony Franklin, was lulled out of retirement to resume his role leading the Tech offense. But along with a new offensive coordinator, Cumbie had to bring in a new defensive coordinator, as 2024 DC Jeremiah Johnson left for Kansas State. Luke Olsen was brought in from Jacksonville State, in a move that many were less than excited about.
The early season seemed to quell any fears about the defense. After shutting out FCS Southeastern 24-0 in the season opener, the Bulldogs allowed only 10 first half points to LSU in a game that would end 23-7. Tech then followed with a three game winning streak over New Mexico State, Southern Miss, and UTEP.
A humiliating 35-7 loss to a second-year-in-CUSA Kennesaw State broke the win streak. But, with the benefit of hindsight, the Owls going on to win the CUSA Championship makes the loss a bit more tolerable. But the OT loss to Western Kentucky in the next game only added more disappointment.
The Bulldogs responded with a Halloween night demolition of Sam Houston 55–14, racking up 646 total yards and 425 rushing yards in the process. But the next week was Delaware, where Tech squandered a two possession lead in the final 60 seconds to define the low point of the season.
A surprising win over Liberty followed, and the regular season was capped off in a road win over Missouri State. The win in the Independence Bowl allowed the Bulldogs to end the year on a three-game winning streak, even if it’s yet to be determined if tasers provide a coaching-performance-enhancing edge.
DID NOT GO
DID NOT DIE
DID NOT GO
DID NOT DIE
WENT
DID NOT DIE
DID NOT GO
DID NOT DIE
DID NOT GO
DID NOT DIE
WENT
DID NOT DIE
Men's Basketball
20-14 Record, 11-9 in CUSA, CUSA Championship Game Loss
The Dunkin’ Dogs entered the season with modest expectations. Tech was picked to finish fifth in the Conference USA preseason poll, and only junior guard Kaden Cooper was named to the preseason All-Conference USA team.Â
The campaign opened roughly with a 27-point loss at Nevada in Reno, a trend that would continue in other road out-of-conference games. The Bulldogs lost to #207 Indiana State, #234 Georgia Southern, and #210 Tulane on the road, but took care of business against similarly ranked teams at the TAC.
Conference play began with a 75-63 win over UTEP, but Tech immediately hit a wall and dropped three straight, including a 37-point blowout loss at Middle Tennessee, a 5-point loss at WKU, and a rare home loss to Liberty. The Bulldogs steadied themselves with a pair of nail-biters at home, rallying past Delaware 70–68 in overtime and then stunning Middle Tennessee 59–58 on a DJ Dudley game-winning 3-pointer (which, by the way, was the only made 3-pointer made by the Bulldogs all game).
The middle of the schedule was a grind of alternating results. After the heroics against the Blue Raiders, the Bulldogs went 4-4 over their next eight games, including a 79-78 double overtime victory over Missouri State followed two days later by a 13-point loss to FIU in Miami.
Wins and losses alternated down the stretch, but Tech won their final two contests on the road, including a road win over future #1 seed Liberty in Lynchburg. That was enough to put the Bulldogs in the #4 seed for the CUSA tournament.
In Huntsville, Bates carried Louisiana Tech on a run to the championship game, leading the Bulldogs past Middle Tennessee 80–69 into the semifinals and then a 69–66 win over Missouri State. The dream run ended one win short, however, as the Bulldogs fell to Kennesaw State 60–71 in the title game, closing the season and extending the NCAA Tournament drought to 35 years.
DID NOT GO
DID NOT DIE
WENT
DIED
DID NOT GO
DID NOT DIE
DID NOT GO
DID NOT DIE
WENT
DIED
DID NOT GO
DIED
Women's Basketball
26-7 Record, 17-1 in CUSA, CUSA Championship Game Loss
The Lady Techsters opened the season by stumbling out of the gate. The opening 12-point loss at Arkansas was excusable, but the 12-point defeat at ULM was very much not.Â
The team found its footing back home with a staggering 121-34 demolition of Louisiana Christian in the home opener, followed by wins over Arkansas Pine Bluff and Stephen F Austin. #15 Baylor and #5 LSU were too tall of tests for the Techsters, but the team took care of business agains the rest of the out of conference slate.Â
Conference play began with a heartbreaker, as the Lady Techsters lost a nailbiter to Sam Houston, 67-64, to open conference play at 0-1. But that defeat must have lit a fuse: Tech responded with a road win at Delaware and a statement performance on national TV at Liberty, where Paris Bradley’s career-high 31 points led the Lady Techsters past the Lady Flames, 86-72.
The Lady Techsters tore through the rest of conference play. Of the next ten games, only two games were decided by less than 10 points. Both were against Missouri State, and both were Techster victories.
Things weren’t quite as breezy down the final stretch, where the Techsters won three of their last five matches by four or fewer points. But, regardless, the win streak continued and carried over in the CUSA Tournament.
In Huntsville, Tech cruised past Delaware 72-43 in the quarterfinals and rode second-quarter defense past Liberty 61-48 to reach the title game. The championship, though, ended in disappointment, as the Lady Techsters’ offense stalled in a 43-38 loss to Missouri State. The team that had played the Techsters the closest across both their matches in the regular season denied Tech the automatic bid to March Madness.
The Techsters did compete in the WBIT instead, but the postseason ended quickly: at Rice, a second-half comeback fell short in Houston, 66-61.
WENT
DID NOT DIE
WENT
DIED
WENT
DIED
WENT
DID NOT DIE
WENT
DIED
WENT
DIED
Baseball
33-25 Record, 19-11 in CUSA, 0-2 in CUSA Postseason Play
The Diamond Dogs opened their season blazing hot, sweeping a four-game home set against Houston Christian to secure a 4-0 start, capped by an 11-0 run-rule shutout in the series finale. A midweek 8-3 home loss to McNeese handed Tech its first defeat, but the Bulldogs bounced right back at the Grind City Classic in Memphis, blanking Ohio State 6-0 and sweeping the event with a win over host Memphis. A win over Northwestern State pushed them to 8-1, but the Bulldogs were quickly humbled by #12 Southern Miss in a sweep at JC Love Field. Then a two-game midweek series against Arkansas State provided two more lopsided losses.
Tech steadied itself by taking its first road series of the year, dropping the opener at South Alabama before winning the next two to clinch the series in Mobile. After a home midweek loss to Lamar, the Diamond Dogs opened Conference USA play in dominant fashion, first blanking Delaware 5-0 and then going on to complete the series sweep over the Blue Hens. The Bulldogs then walked off Central Arkansas 5-4 and traveled to New Mexico State, where Tech took the series opener but dropped the final two games, including the Sunday rubber match.
The season’s low point came over a brutal stretch in late March, as a midweek blowout loss at LSU was followed by a home sweep at the hands of Jacksonville State and a lopsided midweek loss to ULM. But then the Bulldogs started to find their groove again. They took two of three at FIU, then reeled off a long winning streak. A shutout at Northwestern State, a sweep of Middle Tennessee built on late run production, and a win over Little Rock extended the run, which reached eight games with the series-opening victory at Kennesaw State.
Tech closed the regular season strong despite some midweek losses to in-state foes McNeese and ULM. The Bulldogs won the road series at Kennesaw State, then swept Missouri State at home, capping it with a seven-run ninth to walk off the Bears 9-8 in the Sunday game. After dropping a series at Dallas Baptist, they took two of three at Liberty, and closed the regular season by winning (but not sweeping) the Sam Houston series. The lone loss to the Bearkats clinched the No. 5 seed in the CUSA tournament.
The postseason ended in frustration. In Kennesaw, the Diamond Dogs saw a late comeback fall short in a 13-14 loss to Sam Houston in the tournament opener, and were eliminated even before their 6-0 loss to Liberty on Friday.
DID NOT GO
DID NOT DIE
DID NOT GO
DIED
DID NOT GO
DID NOT DIE
DID NOT GO
DID NOT DIE
DID NOT GO
DIED
DID NOT GO
DIED
But what do you think? Let us know on Twitter @gotechplsdntdie and give us your thoughts!