North Louisiana's oldest football feud is back on the schedule — and for the first time in over two decades, it actually counts in the standings.
Bush’s Picks
LTULM
LTULM
OverUnder
Best BetLouisiana Tech
Louisiana Tech comes in off its best season under Sonny Cumbie and brings the more proven defense into this rivalry renewal, which is enough to lean Bulldogs on the moneyline over a UL Monroe team still chasing its first winning season since 2012. The Warhawks have shown they can play well in bursts, but the way last season fell apart down the stretch is the bigger red flag. Back Louisiana Tech to get the job done on the road.
Louisiana Tech
+Coming off 8-win season, best under Cumbie
+Defense projected among Sun Belt's best
+Historic series edge, 29-14 all-time
−Passing attack still inconsistent under Cumbie
−First year adjusting to tougher Sun Belt slate
−Overall projected just 6-6 in league debut
UL Monroe
+Started 3-1 in 2025 before fading
+Flemmings anchors defense with 80 tackles
+Vincent gets continuity into year 3
−Offense stalled over final 8 games last year
−No winning season since 2012
−Worst-case outlook is 4 wins or fewer
Louisiana Tech and UL Monroe sit just 35 miles apart down I-20, and this fall both schools call the Sun Belt West home for the first time. Bulldogs QB Jaden Miller returns for his junior year running a Sonny Cumbie offense that's still searching for consistency through the air, while Warhawks QB Aidan Armenta enters year 2 of his own development curve after a rocky finish to 2025. Neither team's passing game has been the story of the offseason — both programs are counting on defense and the run to carry them into conference play.
Cumbie is in his 5th year in Ruston and just came off his best season yet, an 8-win campaign that finally validated the buildup. Bryant Vincent, entering year 3 in Monroe, needs to show his program can sustain a hot start — ULM opened 3-1 last fall before the offense went quiet down the stretch. Expect the market to treat Louisiana Tech as the favorite here given the recent trajectory gap between the two programs.
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LT Louisiana Tech
ULM UL Monroe
The rivalry itself carries real weight. Louisiana Tech holds a 29-14 edge in the all-time series, winning 20 of the first 25 meetings before the series went dormant in 2000 as Tech moved on to bigger conferences. Realignment has now done what nostalgia couldn't — put the in-state rivals back on the same schedule every year, this time with actual Sun Belt West standings on the line.
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
Oct 9?vs Louisiana—
Oct 2?vs Army—
Sep 19?@ Baylor—
Sep 12?@ LSU—
Sep 5?vs Northwestern State—
UL Monroe Warhawks
Oct 2?@ South Alabama—
Sep 25?vs Florida Atlantic—
Sep 19?vs SE Louisiana—
Sep 12?@ UAB—
Sep 5?@ Mississippi State—
Recent form.
Vincent's calling card in Monroe so far has been fast starts that fade, and this roster will be tested on whether that pattern finally breaks. Linebacker Noah Flemmings, who piled up 80 tackles, 3.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss last season, gives the Warhawks a legitimate defensive anchor if the offense can just stay competitive into November. On the other sideline, Louisiana Tech's defense is supposed to be its calling card too — Cumbie's group is expected to be among the Sun Belt's best up front, which could make this one a slog for both offenses.
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
(0)
Fully healthy — no injuries on ESPN's report
UL Monroe Warhawks
(0)
Fully healthy — no injuries on ESPN's report
Injury report — info via ESPN.
Both rosters are still months from fall camp battles being settled, so treat any specific injury or depth-chart news between now and kickoff as fluid. What's not fluid is the stakes: it's the first real installment of this rivalry in a generation, and it doubles as an early measuring stick in a wide-open Sun Belt West.
