RUSTON, La. - Conference USA officials announced the league's 2016 slate as Louisiana Tech will open league play at Middle Tennessee on Sept. 24 and wrap up the season in Rivalry Week with the annual Rivalry in Dixie game at Southern Miss on Nov. 26.

The eight conference games add to Louisiana Tech's four non-conference contests previously announced to complete the Bulldogs' 2016 schedule.

Louisiana Tech opens the season on Sept. 3 at Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas, taking the field against a team from The Natural State for the second consecutive game. LA Tech ended the 2015 season with a dominating 48-27 win over Arkansas State in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl. This will only be the fourth meeting between the Bulldogs and Arkansas.

LA Tech's home opener comes the following week with a Sept. 10 match-up against South Carolina State at Joe Aillet Stadium in Ruston. The two Bulldog teams have met once before with Tech winning 38-3, in the 1982 Division I-AA Playoff Quarterfinal at Joe Aillet Stadium.

The Bulldogs then head west for the first of two games in Texas in 2016 with a Sept. 17 contest at Texas Tech. This will mark just the second meeting all-time between the two Techs but the first meeting in 77 years.

The league schedule for Louisiana Tech begins on Sept. 24 when the Bulldogs head to Middle Tennessee. The Bulldogs upended the Blue Raiders, 45-16, in Ruston last season and Tech leads the all-time series, 4-1.

Tech's conference home opener comes on Oct. 1 when Louisiana Tech hosts UTEP at Joe Aillet Stadium. LA Tech edged the Miners, 17-15, in the closest game of 2015 and the Bulldogs lead the all-time series over UTEP, 9-2-1, having won eight of the last nine contests.

Louisiana Tech remains at home the following week when Western Kentucky comes to town. The Hilltoppers edged the Bulldogs, 41-38, in Bowling Green, Kentucky last season as LA Tech holds a 3-2 all-time advantage in the series history over WKU.

The Bulldogs step out of league play for the final time on Oct. 15 with a game at UMass that will be played at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts, home of the New England Patriots and LA Tech alumnus Ryan Allen, a punter for New England.

After a trip to New England, Louisiana Tech will head south for an Oct. 22 game at FIU in Miami. The 2016 contest will mark the third meeting in four years between the two schools after Conference USA membership brought them together for the first time in 2013. Tech holds a 2-0 all-time advantage after a 27-17 win in Ruston last fall.

Louisiana Tech returns home on Oct. 29 to host Rice in the 10th meeting between the two schools. LA Tech won, 42-17, at Rice last season to take a 5-4 lead in the all-time series.

The Bulldogs then return to Texas with a Nov. 5 game at North Texas in Denton. LA Tech overran the Mean Green 56-13 in Ruston last season and the Bulldogs now hold an 8-6 all-time series advantage over North Texas.

Louisiana Tech's final home game of the 2016 regular season is slated for Nov. 12 when Tech will host UTSA. Last season's 34-31 victory that came on a game-winning field goal by Jonathan Barnes marked the first time in series history the visiting team has won and this fall's meeting marks the fifth consecutive year the two teams will face each other.

After the bye week finally arrives on Nov. 19, Louisiana Tech will wrap up the regular season on Rivalry Week with the annual "Rivalry in Dixie" game at Southern Miss on Nov. 26. In a series history that dates back to 1935, the Bulldogs are looking to avenge a loss to the Golden Eagles in 2015 that ended a two-game winning streak in the series.

Fans can purchase or renew their 2016 LA Tech season tickets now by calling the LA Tech Ticket Office at 318-257-3631 or by visiting LATechSports.com/16FBTix. Fans that purchase or renew by the close of business Friday will be entered to win seats in the Club Level of the Davison Athletics Complex while anyone purchasing or renewing next week will be entered to win an adidas gear package. Louisiana Tech is running weekly promotions through the end of March, all of which are listed at LATechSports.com/16FBTix.

The 2016 alignment features seven teams in the East Division and six teams in the West Division. Charlotte, FIU, Florida Atlantic, Marshall, Middle Tennessee, Old Dominion and WKU comprise the East Division, while Louisiana Tech, North Texas, Rice, Southern Miss, UTEP and UTSA make up the West Division.

Each school in the West Division will play every team in its division once for five games, while playing three cross-over opponents from the opposite division. Three schools in the East Division will play every team in its division once for six games, while playing two cross-over opponents from the opposite division. Four schools in the East Division will play five opponents in its division once for five games, while playing three cross-over opponents from the opposite division. The cross-division opponents, as well as the East Division non-plays are the same as last season, with the sites of the games being reversed. The 2016 schedule has 13 playing weeks, which provides for one open date for each team.

The 2016 schedule complies with C-USA scheduling policies as approved by the Board of Directors. In addition, the schedule provides the following:

• All teams start their Conference schedule with two games of one at-home and one away; and all teams finish their Conference schedule with two games of one at-home and one away;
• Nearly all teams' have two home games and two away games in the first half of the Conference schedule as well as the second half of the Conference schedule; and
• All primary and most secondary special date requests were accommodated.

It is important to note that all games are subject to date changes.

A schedule of televised games will be released at a later date. Conference USA's 12th annual Championship Game, pitting the champions of the East and West Divisions, is scheduled for Saturday, December 3.

For complete coverage of Bulldog Football, please follow Louisiana Tech on social media at @LATechFB (Twitter), /LATechFootball (Facebook) and @LATechFB (Instagram) or visit the official home of Louisiana Tech Athletics at LATechSports.com.