# Louisiana regent suggests Tech, ULL, ULM drop to lower football tier **URL:** \ **Category:** Cajuns\ **Created:** [October 1, 2026, 3:30am UTC](https://cajunthreds.discourse.group/t/louisiana-regent-suggests-tech-ull-ulm-drop-to-lower-football-tier/2639 "2026-10-01T03:30:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RaginCajun77](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/cajunthreds.discourse.group/ragincajun77/32/523_2.png) [@RaginCajun77](https://cajunthreds.discourse.group/u/RaginCajun77)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2026, 3:30am UTC](https://cajunthreds.discourse.group/t/louisiana-regent-suggests-tech-ull-ulm-drop-to-lower-football-tier/2639/1 "2026-10-01T03:30:20Z")
# Louisiana regent suggests Tech, ULL, ULM drop to lower football tier **Greg Hilburn** Shreveport Times Sept. 30, 2026, 8:50 a.m. CT - A Louisiana Board of Regents member suggested three universities drop to a lower tier of Division I football due to financial losses. - Louisiana Tech, ULL, and ULM are facing athletic department deficits totaling tens of millions of dollars. - Other regents and the University of Louisiana System President agree that the current level of spending is unsustainable. - The university system has hired a firm to evaluate the athletic programs and recommend a path toward sustainability. A member of Louisiana’s top higher education governing board has suggested Louisiana Tech, ULL and ULM drop down to the lower tier of Division I football as the schools’ athletic departments post staggering losses year after year. Louisiana Board of Regents member Wilbert Pryor, a Shreveport attorney, said Tech, the University of Louisiana-Lafayette and the University of Louisiana-Monroe should take a slice of “humble pie” during the board’s Sept. 22 budget hearings for the University of Louisiana System schools. Tech, ULL and ULM play in the top tier of Division I, called the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), the same level as LSU. Pryor said the schools belong in Division I’s second tier, called the Football Bowl Subdivision (FCS), along with other University of Louisiana System schools Grambling State, McNeese State, Nichols State, Northwestern State and Southeastern. “Schools that are trying to play Division I … that just a sinking hole trying to play Division I ball,” Pryor said during the hearing. “I don’t think much of the public would know the difference if they all play the same level, and it seems like they have to have a self-realization and put a humble cap on. They have to have a humble pie.” Pryor pointed to deficits totaling 10s of millions of dollars at Tech, ULL and ULM — “$20 million at Lafayette, $17 million at Tech, $10 million at ULM,” he said. “The duties of the coach at Tech are the same at Nicholls, but one is getting paid $250,000 (Nicholls) and another is $1 million (Tech),” Pryor said. Other regents also said the current deficit spending on athletics at the schools can’t continue. “The numbers speak for themselves,” said regent David Aubrey, president of AT&T Louisiana. “It’s just not sustainable.” “With no changes made it’s only going to hurt worse going forward,” said regent Dallas L. Hixson, a partner for Hixson Automotive Group in Alexandria. The regents questioned University of Louisiana System President Rick Gallot, who agreed some action must be taken to reduce costs. “I can tell you that there will be some really hard decisions our board will be called upon to make,” Gallot said during the hearing. Gallot said the system has contracted with the firm Deloitte to evaluate the programs and develop a sustainability path. Deloitte’s report is due to be presented to the University of Louisiana System board by the end of this year. “As we approach what I know are going to be difficult decisions, we will have data supported recommendations that we will make to the board to determine what the future looks like for athletics,” Gallot said. “We’re not going to shy away from them; we’re not going to run from them.” Gallot told USA Today Network he will wait for the Deloitte report before forming his recommendations to the board. **Who will lead Louisiana Tech? [Louisiana Tech University President Jim Henderson retiring](https://www.thenewsstar.com/story/news/2026/09/25/louisiana-tech-president-jim-henderson-is-retiring-and-cites-health-concerns/91939278007/)** “I have an opinion, but ultimately it has to be based on data,” Gallot said in an interview with USA Today Network. “I think there is a sustainability path, but we have to have the will to do it.” “When 2027 starts we’ve got decisions to make,” Gallot said. _Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1_ > **[Louisiana regent suggests Tech, ULL, ULM drop to lower football tier](https://www.thenewsstar.com/story/news/2026/09/30/regents-say-louisiana-tech-and-university-of-louisiana-and-ulm-should-drop-to-fcs-football-division/92011705007/)** > > University of Louisiana System President Rick Gallot says board will have 'hard decisions' to make about football at Louisiana Tech, ULL and ULM. ---
**Author:** ![Hudsheen\_fired](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecd19e/32.png) [@Hudsheen\_fired](https://cajunthreds.discourse.group/u/Hudsheen_fired)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2026, 11:06am UTC](https://cajunthreds.discourse.group/t/louisiana-regent-suggests-tech-ull-ulm-drop-to-lower-football-tier/2639/2 "2026-10-01T11:06:54Z")
Funny that this drops right after LSU announced that its athletics was in the hole. ---
**Author:** ![RaginCajun77](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/cajunthreds.discourse.group/ragincajun77/32/523_2.png) [@RaginCajun77](https://cajunthreds.discourse.group/u/RaginCajun77)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2026, 12:28pm UTC](https://cajunthreds.discourse.group/t/louisiana-regent-suggests-tech-ull-ulm-drop-to-lower-football-tier/2639/3 "2026-10-01T12:28:50Z")
This is prime Louisiana. Protect LSU at all costs, screw every other University. ---
**Author:** ![zeppelincajun](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/cajunthreds.discourse.group/zeppelincajun/32/229_2.png) [@zeppelincajun](https://cajunthreds.discourse.group/u/zeppelincajun)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2026, 12:47pm UTC](https://cajunthreds.discourse.group/t/louisiana-regent-suggests-tech-ull-ulm-drop-to-lower-football-tier/2639/4 "2026-10-01T12:47:09Z")
Anyone care to guess where Ole Wilbert went to law school? ---
**Author:** ![RaginRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@RaginRed](https://cajunthreds.discourse.group/u/RaginRed)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2026, 1:44pm UTC](https://cajunthreds.discourse.group/t/louisiana-regent-suggests-tech-ull-ulm-drop-to-lower-football-tier/2639/5 "2026-10-01T13:44:23Z")
How do we let the enemy from 2 SEC schools into the University of Louisiana Systems board of regents? This was misguided or strategic. This is a conflict of interest and never should have been allowed. ---
**Author:** ![RedTails](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/cajunthreds.discourse.group/redtails/32/60_2.png) [@RedTails](https://cajunthreds.discourse.group/u/RedTails)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2026, 2:57pm UTC](https://cajunthreds.discourse.group/t/louisiana-regent-suggests-tech-ull-ulm-drop-to-lower-football-tier/2639/6 "2026-10-01T14:57:22Z")
I could be wrong, but Board of Regents sit above all university systems in the state. The UL System has their own Board of Supervisors. But UL System rolls up to Board of Regents as a governing structure. ---
**Author:** ![RaginScotsman](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/cajunthreds.discourse.group/raginscotsman/32/145_2.png) [@RaginScotsman](https://cajunthreds.discourse.group/u/RaginScotsman)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2026, 7:16pm UTC](https://cajunthreds.discourse.group/t/louisiana-regent-suggests-tech-ull-ulm-drop-to-lower-football-tier/2639/7 "2026-10-01T19:16:35Z")
I believe that’s right. The BOR cannot make a decision for any school to drop down. Just blindly suggest it. That kind of move would come from the UL System. ---
**Author:** ![Cajun90](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Cajun90](https://cajunthreds.discourse.group/u/Cajun90)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2026, 10:48pm UTC](https://cajunthreds.discourse.group/t/louisiana-regent-suggests-tech-ull-ulm-drop-to-lower-football-tier/2639/8 "2026-10-01T22:48:48Z")
Word is Deloitte will recommend the schools drop down to FCS. And don’t think for one second that our new President will buck them on it. ---
**Author:** ![UL\_Cajuns](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/cajunthreds.discourse.group/ul_cajuns/32/110_2.png) [@UL\_Cajuns](https://cajunthreds.discourse.group/u/UL_Cajuns)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2026, 10:50pm UTC](https://cajunthreds.discourse.group/t/louisiana-regent-suggests-tech-ull-ulm-drop-to-lower-football-tier/2639/9 "2026-10-01T22:50:38Z")
We are not dropping to FCS and never will. Now we may be forced to a G6 division by the P2, but some of the ACC and BIG 12 will be joining us. It seems like it is inevitable that it happens, which I am fine with. Let the P2 do their thing. Tired of the P2 ruining college football. As long as we can still be in the same running for baseball, basketball and softball then let it happen. Let those 30-40 teams do their thing and leave us the F alone! ---
**Author:** ![RaginCajun1976](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/cajunthreds.discourse.group/ragincajun1976/32/58_2.png) [@RaginCajun1976](https://cajunthreds.discourse.group/u/RaginCajun1976)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 12:52am UTC](https://cajunthreds.discourse.group/t/louisiana-regent-suggests-tech-ull-ulm-drop-to-lower-football-tier/2639/10 "2026-10-02T00:52:15Z")
Home many of the members of the Board of Regents are in the pockets of LSWho??? Hopefully not that many. ---
**Author:** ![RedTails](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/cajunthreds.discourse.group/redtails/32/60_2.png) [@RedTails](https://cajunthreds.discourse.group/u/RedTails)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 1:06am UTC](https://cajunthreds.discourse.group/t/louisiana-regent-suggests-tech-ull-ulm-drop-to-lower-football-tier/2639/11 "2026-10-02T01:06:32Z")
Funny how in the age of AI and under the guise of finding efficiencies, the UL System/BoR couldn’t perform their own audit. They spent $150,000 for outsiders to come in and copy/paste into ChatGPT. [University of Louisiana System | Meet the UL System Staff](https://ulsystem.edu/leadership/meet-the-ul-system-staff) Look at the staff. ULS has 8 auditors on their own audit team. [Regents Staff - Louisiana Board of Regents](https://www.laregents.edu/staff/) Look at BoR staff. 4 in-house higher ed auditors. What are we paying our own auditors for? ---
**Author:** ![RCajunRunner](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/cajunthreds.discourse.group/rcajunrunner/32/39_2.png) [@RCajunRunner](https://cajunthreds.discourse.group/u/RCajunRunner)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 3:45pm UTC](https://cajunthreds.discourse.group/t/louisiana-regent-suggests-tech-ull-ulm-drop-to-lower-football-tier/2639/12 "2026-10-02T15:45:04Z")
> [@RaginScotsman](#): > > The BOR cannot make a decision for any school to drop down. Just blindly suggest it. That kind of move would come from the UL System. But if the Governor and majority of the Legislature are on board with the suggestion, and the schools refuse, or the UL System refuses, they can make life very difficult for those “rebel” schools. Don’t underestimate the dictatorial nature of Louisiana politics. We still have a statute of Dictator Long in front the Capitol.