Has Guice, Holtz and the former AD guided Tech to irrelevance?

CUSA is imploding. Holtz, Guice and Tommy Boy probably sealed our fate with their refusal to pursue football excellence. They were a happy with underwhelming results while others were striving to improve their situation.

Guice and Holtz have to go.

https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/co...ols-this-week/

Wonder where Tech would be today if Reneau had not fired Paul Miller and hired Jerry Stovall.

The single biggest FU in the history of Tech athletics.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by glm47

Wonder where Tech would be today if Reneau had not fired Paul Miller and hired Jerry Stovall.

The single biggest FU in the history of Tech athletics.

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That is a very good question. If I had to guess, Tech would already be in the AAC, have an indoor practice facility and have multiple conference championships in all sports.

I was a freshman that fateful day, and I will never forget the question my dad (who was working at the same bank as Stovall at the time) asked me that afternoon. He asked, “Why in the hell is Tech hiring that guy. You have messed up.”

https://media1.giphy.com/media/WpU6i...giphy.gif&ct=g

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Brad

That is a very good question. If I had to guess, Tech would already be in the AAC, have an indoor practice facility and have multiple conference championships in all sports.

I was a freshman that fateful day, and I will never forget the question my dad (who was working at the same bank as Stovall at the time) asked me that afternoon. He asked, “Why in the hell is Tech hiring that guy. You have messed up.”

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Tech would have been a charter member of the Metro Conference, which eventually became CUSA. I think you’re exactly right that Tech would already be in the AAC.

When it comes to leadership and vision, Tech hasn’t had any since FJ Taylor.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by glm47

Tech would have been a charter member of the Metro Conference, which eventually became CUSA. I think you’re exactly right that Tech would already be in the AAC.

When it comes to leadership and vision, Tech hasn’t had any since FJ Taylor.

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Unless we do have vision, but the vision is headed the other way.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by glm47

Wonder where Tech would be today if Reneau had not fired Paul Miller and hired Jerry Stovall.

The single biggest FU in the history of Tech athletics.

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Of course Reneau is also responsible for the destruction of Lady Techsters basketball, so it seems he double-dipped his wand of wrongdoing that lingers still. Thanks a lot jerk!

Lol like relevance matters. They picked Rice, UNT, and Charlotte. This whole thing was a market game, and Ruston isn't gonna add to a TV deal. If football pedigree had a role in this, either us or Marshall would've had an invite.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by glm47

Tech would have been a charter member of the Metro Conference, which eventually became CUSA.

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Let's not go quite that far. The Metro Conference was formed in 1975, just as Tech was joining Division I. But it is possible that Tech could have been lined up to join C-USA as a charter member.

Very likely that the Big West fiasco would not have included Tech, but even if it had Tech's results would have likely been much better and that could have set up the C-USA possibility.

And with Miller as AD, Jerry Loyd would likely not have been allowed to hang around as long as he did if he was ever promoted in the first place. Same with Jim Wooldridge.

Similar likely outcome in baseball after Gravy retired as the Mike Kane/Randy Davis era would have been far shorter if it ever happened at all.

And that doesn't even include fundraising. What would LTAC or whatever it would have been now be with Miller running the show through much of the 1990s.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by thewyldman

Lol like relevance matters. They picked Rice, UNT, and Charlotte. This whole thing was a market game, and Ruston isn't gonna add to a TV deal. If football pedigree had a role in this, either us or Marshall would've had an invite.

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Excuses, excuses, excuses ...

Our leadership has failed Tech.

How bad is it? Well, there is a strong likelihood that even the Sun Belt will shun Tech if it only takes two schools. CUSA will only have six teams left with the likes of UConn, UMass and NMSU being the replacement options. ... Yeah, that is real funny.

While there is a chance Tech would still be left without a seat at the table, our position would be a hell of a lot better if the head coach would have strived to win a conference championship game or two or opted to score a few more touchdowns instead of “playing it safe” and kicking field goals or taking the foot off the gas pedal in games. Also, how many times under his tenure have we lost critical late season games because of disastrous academic or disciplinary suspensions? Holtz has not taken care business on or off the field.

Or maybe, we would be in a better position if the former AD would have worked on increasing the fan base and footprint instead of actively working to get out of town as soon as he could? The irony is that if the Boy Wonder had focused on improving Tech, he would have received that desired call much sooner.

As for our esteemed leader, it would have been nice if he had been more of a Tech visionary instead of a political hack. Guice became complacent and failed to address the slow creeping malaise that was taking hold of the football program. He also needs to be called out for his role in the lunacy in the conference office by sticking with the inept commissioner. At the end of the day, if Tech is left out, the blame falls squarely on his shoulders.

You can “lol” all you want, but there is a real danger that the light we see isn’t from the alternate reality that you sunshine pumpers live in. That light is the oncoming conference realignment train about to hit the Tech car stuck in neutral on the tracks.

I think we have been checkmated. And there is no seat at the table. AAC does not want us. SBC won’t have us. MWC does not want our travel. I think CUSA is toast.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Brad

You can “lol” all you want, but there is real danger that light we see isn’t from the alternate reality that you sunshine pumpers live in. That light is the oncoming conference realignment train about to hit the Tech car stuck in neutral on the tracks.

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So if CUSA gets down to 6 teams, can Holtz finally win it or nah?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ChuckK3

You're correct that NOBODY in the current or future AAC looks like "ECU" anymore. They're fortunate to have been invited when they were.

As to the second statement, you know, burning bridges kinda comes with that territory. 2 Decades ago, La Tech tried to do something that nobody else in the crowded state of Louisiana wanted to do...be the break out school. When you make the decision to be the one to try to break out of the pack, you're going to tick a bunch of people off...that's as old as humanity itself.

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It’s ironic that the first thing the Lafayette trolls want to do is come to the Tech boards or reply to Tech people on Twitter. Something happens in college sports…let’s all go see what Tech people are saying. This just shows you the inferiority these people have.

They are always looking up.

We had ulm on the football schedule last year and THEY opted out! Wasn't us, they cancelled. Oh, they used the virus excuse, but we all know the real reason. And hell, we sucked last year (and suck pretty bad this year too). That was their big chance!

As for the stupid 2008 Indy Bowl crapola...LOL! Missy Setters et al at the Indy Bowl hate Tech. You actually think we wield any influence with them screwballs!? You are more delusional than the average Lafayette fan if you do...and that is saying something.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GEAUX UL

lol, no. You didn't just try to be a "breakout school." You tried to screw over everyone along the way. You guys literally tried to sabotage the Sun Belt on your way out. You actively worked to keep UL out of the Independence Bowl in 2008. You literally refused to play in the Independence Bowl and sat at home instead of playing ULM. You still refuse to schedule us or ULM in football. 2 years ago AD went on a ridiculous rant about how crappy the SBC was compared to C-USA. I could go on, but you get the point.

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We played you 5 years ago. We scheduled ULM last year to placehold before they cancelled on us. Those reasons sound petty from your end.

I don’t understand why market matters. If the market is full of people who couldn’t care less about a team, how does the giant market help? They don’t go to games, they don’t watch on tv, they don’t buy merch, and since they haven’t for decades they probably won’t start.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GEAUX UL

lol, no. You didn't just try to be a "breakout school." You tried to screw over everyone along the way. You guys literally tried to sabotage the Sun Belt on your way out. You actively worked to keep UL out of the Independence Bowl in 2008. You literally refused to play in the Independence Bowl and sat at home instead of playing ULM. You still refuse to schedule us or ULM in football. 2 years ago AD went on a ridiculous rant about how crappy the SBC was compared to C-USA. I could go on, but you get the point.

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Sure are a lot of "YOUs" in there. I assure you when it comes time for Tech to discuss who to screw, sabotage, or schedule, they don't call ME.

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Originally Posted by ChuckK3

Sure are a lot of "YOUs" in there. I assure you when it comes time for Tech to discuss who to screw, sabotage, or schedule, they don't call ME.

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Message board posters…even the infamous Jay Walker, won’t be making any of these calls.

Did you notice a theme in GeauxULL’s post? All those dudes are gone.

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Originally Posted by johnnylightnin

Message board posters…even the infamous Jay Walker, won’t be making any of these calls.

Did you notice a theme in GeauxULL’s post? All those dudes are gone.

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Not only that, but he is wrong about the circumstances of those events.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GEAUX UL

If you see me looking up, it's only because I'm rolling my eyes at the things I'm reading here. .

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OK, but -- WHY are you here?

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Originally Posted by Champ967

OK, but -- WHY are you here?

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What’s more confusing is why anyone would spell Go like a Cajun while cheering for Louisville.

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Originally Posted by techman05

What’s more confusing is why anyone would spell Go like a Cajun while cheering for Louisville.

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Louisville is named for King Louis, so they have a lot of French up there I reckon

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Originally Posted by Blue Dawg

Louisville is named for King Louis, so they have a lot of French up there I reckon

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I’ve heard of French Canadian. French Kentuckian is new, but why not.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GEAUX UL

Yes, but only after a bunch of attempted backstabbings from your former AD. This is a post from our radio announcer Jay Walker on the Sun Belt board:



I'm not just making this stuff up.

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It's true that Dooley did that stuff. He has some blue blood tendencies. To me, there really isn't a separation in the G5 conferences at this point. They're all about the same.

This bed is bad stinky right now with the inept likes of Guice and Holtz in it. I can’t blame Woods, but I suspect because Guice hired him that he’ll probably end up being a failure too.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GEAUX UL

Given the big news that came out I was curious to see how different fan bases were reacting to the news and this was one of my stops.

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Balderdash. This was your only stop.

I have to ask: is image or wins more important for the decision makers in Ruston, donors and admins? When you are outside North Louisiana and you mention you’re a Tech grad, it’s always “you guys are good” or “you all have a good program”. But within the Ruston fly zone, there seems to be a self image problem, as if the decision makers need to hire the child of a famous coach to validate themselves. If they could only see Tech the way most of the other 49 states see Tech, they would hire good coaches.

We are Louisiana Tech and we dare you to schedule us for your homecoming. That’s the mentality I have associated Tech with.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rama Jama

I have to ask: is image or wins more important for the decision makers in Ruston, donors and admins? When you are outside North Louisiana and you mention you’re a Tech grad, it’s always “you guys are good” or “you all have a good program”. But within the Ruston fly zone, there seems to be a self image problem, as if the decision makers need to hire the child of a famous coach to validate themselves. If they could only see Tech the way most of the other 49 states see Tech, they would hire good coaches.

We are Louisiana Tech and we dare you to schedule us for your homecoming. That’s the mentality I have associated Tech with.

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You must reside in a parallel universe...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ChuckK3

Sure are a lot of "YOUs" in there. I assure you when it comes time for Tech to discuss who to screw, sabotage, or schedule, they don't call ME.

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None of his accusations are true. Look no further than USLs dishonest and unethical - documented - behavior. We'll be OK

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Originally Posted by techman05

I’ve heard of French Canadian. French Kentuckian is new, but why not.

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Like USL, he is a phony that lacks character

Quote:

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Originally Posted by boxerdog

It's true that Dooley did that stuff. He has some blue blood tendencies. To me, there really isn't a separation in the G5 conferences at this point. They're all about the same.

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What does Dooley have to do with 2 yrs ago as Go SWLa wrote?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by stodgdog

What does Dooley have to do with 2 yrs ago as Go SWLa wrote?

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I don't know, I was responding to a specific post.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dawg80

You must reside in a parallel universe...

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That was who we seemed to be at one point. At least I thought so. Not recently, though.

I used to approach every Saturday with the belief we could win, no matter how undermanned we appeared. And the product on the field was fun to watch.

Not anymore. I would not have been shocked at a loss to SELA or anyone else on the schedule. When we're up going into the fourth quarter, I brace myself for disappointment (which doesn't have the sting it once did).

Watch it, the baseball ticket fiasco will be the end for many.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gladzilla

Watch it, the baseball ticket fiasco will be the end for many.

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Yep, I’m waiting to see what sort of flim flam ticket screwing they throw at me this time. I’m just one more Tech swindle away from never supporting or attending anything again. I’ve been at it for 40+ years and I’m teetering on the edge of being done for good.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bone_afide_Dawg

Yep, I’m waiting to see what sort of flim flam ticket screwing they throw at me this time. I’m just one more Tech swindle away from never supporting or attending anything again. I’ve been at it for 40+ years and I’m teetering on the edge of being done for good.

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And the saddest thing is they truly don't care about destroying their loyal fan base, they don't care about trying to build loyal fans in the students and graduates either. They haven't for a long time. They just care about the handful of older big donors. Every time one of them passes away, they need us more, but it seems they work harder to piss us off and drive us away.

The simple truth of the matter is they don't care. They have no bigger ideas than what is in front of them. So they are always reactive, not proactive.

Dr. Wood has gone into a shell and has no clue what is going on.
Dr. Guice is "blindsided" by these moves.

There is no greater vision than reaction.

Marshall will NOT be in a conference with UTEP ever again, so they are leaving. USM is taking a life raft. The C-USA titanic is sinking, and there is NOT a single visionary leader at the top. Just passive reactive ones.

You mean our new facilities and better academics couldn't bypass UTSA's crappy facilities and academics because we are small market? Yep. Nobody bothered to come up with a plan B, because nobody is leading the ship.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bone_afide_Dawg

Yep, I’m waiting to see what sort of flim flam ticket screwing they throw at me this time. I’m just one more Tech swindle away from never supporting or attending anything again. I’ve been at it for 40+ years and I’m teetering on the edge of being done for good.

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I am with you, I am a 4th generation graduate, so proud that I may have cried during my graduation. Screw with baseball tickets and I'll never attend another Louisiana Tech sporting event. I 100% expect to lose my seat or get moved thanks to a gold lot member who first time season ticket holder for baseball.

Well...we could park all other sports in the Southland Conference and have football go indy. It actually could work. Regardless of what happens, I am so glad we have Guice as prez because "he gets it." Just think how bad things would be if DR was still in charge...why, we might have ended up being abandoned again and left without a viable FBS conference. Whew! glad that won't happen...:icon_roll:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by revf

The simple truth of the matter is they don't care. They have no bigger ideas than what is in front of them. So they are always reactive, not proactive.

Dr. Wood has gone into a shell and has no clue what is going on.
Dr. Guice is "blindsided" by these moves.

There is no greater vision than reaction.

Marshall will NOT be in a conference with UTEP ever again, so they are leaving. USM is taking a life raft. The C-USA titanic is sinking, and there is NOT a single visionary leader at the top. Just passive reactive ones.

You mean our new facilities and better academics couldn't bypass UTSA's crappy facilities and academics because we are small market? Yep. Nobody bothered to come up with a plan B, because nobody is leading the ship.

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That's a really good post.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dawg80

Well...we could park all other sports in the Southland Conference and have football go indy. It actually could work. Regardless of what happens, I am so glad we have Guice as prez because "he gets it." Just think how bad things would be if DR was still in charge...why, we might have ended up being abandoned again and left without a viable FBS conference. Whew! glad that won't happen...:icon_roll:

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Actually, I don't think going "Indy" is the death nail it used to be. We could probably schedule an FCS like we always do, plus BYU, UMASS, Liberty, Army, NMSU, UCONN and CUSAer's UTEP, Marshall, MTSU, WKU, ODU & FIU. That's 13 games without trying.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by HogDawg

Actually, I don't think going "Indy" is the death nail it used to be. We could probably schedule an FCS like we always do, plus BYU, UMASS, Liberty, Army, NMSU, UCONN and CUSAer's UTEP, Marshall, MTSU, WKU, ODU & FIU. That's 13 games without trying.

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We might be required to play 2 money games again like in years past. But that won’t be tough to put together. Also, I can’t imagine that USM wouldn’t be open to keeping a series going.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by techman05

We might be required to play 2 money games again like in years past. But that won’t be tough to put together. Also, I can’t imagine that USM wouldn’t be open to keeping a series going.

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We'll play y'all.

How would our recruiting be impacted as an Independent?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SlickRick

We'll play y'all.

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Rick,

If they didn't want to play the Cajuns after beating us twice during the Hud era, they damn sure don't want a piece of UL now! They should probably hang onto those last victories for as long as they can, because those days are long gone!

I am one who couldn’t care less about playing in state schools. Not because I think we are above it, but because it does nothing for either side to garner national attention. Those games aren’t program builders. We are terrible at scheduling and it surprises me that our people haven’t scheduled games with ULL and ULM because it would take no effort. In most everything, they appear to take the easy route, except this one thing. I have no issues being in a conference with you guys if that is truly in our best interest. I don’t trust our leadership to know what it in our best interest and they will be content if we get invited to another conference by accident.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by HogDawg

Actually, I don't think going "Indy" is the death nail it used to be. We could probably schedule an FCS like we always do, plus BYU, UMASS, Liberty, Army, NMSU, UCONN and CUSAer's UTEP, Marshall, MTSU, WKU, ODU & FIU. That's 13 games without trying.

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I just don't think so, Mikey. When it comes to MBB and BsB, we have not chance in Hades of getting any favors. Oh, and football? What bowl slots are open to independents,
Are there any indepedents in G5?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ChuckK3

How would our recruiting be impacted as an Independent?

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I have thought about this a good deal lately. Some of our best players where here while we were independent.

An independent schedule may not be a bad thing at all….and the more I think about it, the more I like it. We would need a real tie in with the independence bowl to make it work.

Sure, it would sorta suck for the non-football sports but let’s be honest…we have not accomplished all that much in the WAC or CUSA with those programs.

Being independent in football keeps us out of a dying CUSA and a SBC that no one outside of the SBC relates to.

That said, right now, I’ll take SBC over what is left in CUSA and we should never be in a conference with UTEP again.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SicemDawgz

So if CUSA gets down to 6 teams, can Holtz finally win it or nah?

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Is UTEP still in CUSA? Asking for a friend.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by faninmonroe

I have thought about this a good deal lately. Some of our best players where here while we were independent.

An independent schedule may not be a bad thing at all….and the more I think about it, the more I like it. We would need a real tie in with the independence bowl to make it work.

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If Missy Setter is still a part of the I-Bowl committee, you might as well forget it. Besides, I thought Tech and the I-Bowl were not on good terms!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by shrevedawg

Is UTEP still in CUSA? Asking for a friend.

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Uhhhhh......Yes?

Never fear! Our visionary leaders have released the following statement.

Quote:

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Louisiana Tech University has a history of excellence in the classroom and on the field of play. We are confident that our University is positioned for future success both athletically and academically.

The success of our student-athletes and teams makes us proud, and the future holds more opportunities for continued success. Louisiana Tech has innovated and succeeded regardless of the national landscape and realignment.


Louisiana Tech is coming off its seventh straight bowl appearance, a run to the Final Four in the National Invitation Tournament, and a top 16 national seed in the NCAA Baseball Championships. We were one of just 12 programs in the country to play in the postseason in football, men's basketball, and baseball (one of only three non-Power 5 institutions).


Louisiana Tech has invested in excess of $100 million in our athletic facilities since the summer of 2013, including construction of new baseball, softball, and soccer facilities and more than $40 million in construction with the Davison Athletics Complex and Joe Aillet Stadium Press Box and Suites. In the very near future we will announce plans to begin construction on athletic facilities that will enhance our recruitment of top caliber student-athletes.


We boast famous alumni in Terry Bradshaw, Karl Malone, Willie Roaf, Teresa Weatherspoon, Fred Dean, Kim Mulkey, and Leon Barmore – the Who's Who of the most prestigious halls of fame in their respective sports. Our student-athletes have earned national championships in football and women's basketball, and we boast a nationally respected academic resume.


As we engage in discussions with our league partners and other nationally renowned universities around the country, we are confident that the future for Louisiana Tech is bright.

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Well, I say statement. It doesn't actually state anything.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Blue Dawg

Never fear! Our visionary leaders have released the following statement.



Well, I say statement. It doesn't actually state anything.

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Why lie to us fans, this university isn't positioned for anything except the gutter.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gladzilla

Why lie to us fans, this university isn't positioned for anything except the gutter.

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I honestly believe they are sincerely stating what they believe to be the truth.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Blue Dawg

Never fear! Our visionary leaders have released the following statement.



Well, I say statement. It doesn't actually state anything.

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Could be like UTEP and begin it with saying we are proud members of C-USA!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Blue Dawg

Never fear! Our visionary leaders have released the following statement.



Well, I say statement. It doesn't actually state anything.

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You are right. It doesn’t say anything. When reading it, I felt like I was reading an “About” page on a company website.

Looks like they basically acknowledged that they hope our past will make us attractive since we have no one on staff presently that can sell us.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Brad

You are right. It doesn’t say anything. When reading it, I felt like I was reading an “About” page on a company website.

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They are hoping to revitalize core engagement through the use of leveraged techniques

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Blue Dawg

Never fear! Our visionary leaders have released the following statement.



Well, I say statement. It doesn't actually state anything.

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Yeah it just makes you think that they are aware major realignments are taking place. But have no plan.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bulldog Tom

Yeah it just makes you think that they are aware major realignments are taking place.

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I'm not sure they are aware, haha

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Blue Dawg

I honestly believe they are sincerely stating what they believe to be the truth.

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Then they'll also buy my Ocean front property in Arizona.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Blue Dawg

Never fear! Our visionary leaders have released the following statement.



Well, I say statement. It doesn't actually state anything.

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Within this historical advertisement is something else that Tech repeatedly fails at, their list of famous alums is short some of their professional hall of famers. It’s hard to legitimately make good on your history when you snub some of the people who are responsible for it. When as an institution you don’t know the full truth of where you came from there’s no hope of knowing where you’re going.

We have enough prominent alumni and HoFers that we can stop listing them individually

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Blue Dawg

Never fear! Our visionary leaders have released the following statement.



Well, I say statement. It doesn't actually state anything.

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The statement contains many truths.

The question is whether they are able to leverage these facts into something positive for the University and the alumni.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by techman05

We have enough prominent alumni and HoFers that we can stop listing them individually

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If you don’t like the athlete angle for promoting athletics then maybe you’d be on board for listing our deep pocket donors. Tech has to do something to somehow reinvigorate their ever diminishing product.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bone_afide_Dawg

If you don’t like the athlete angle for promoting athletics then maybe you’d be on board for listing our deep pocket donors. Tech has to do something to somehow reinvigorate their ever diminishing product.

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JMHO, but it screams small time. That’s probably how our “leadership” sees us anyway, but it’s not what I want portrayed of my school. No one needs reminding that Terry and Karl went to school here. At least I don’t think so.

Meaningless word salad. Same thing they did in reply to the baseball ticket lies, which BTW, they are near the October 31 deadline to "walk it back" again.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PawDawg

Meaningless word salad. Same thing they did in reply to the baseball ticket lies, which BTW, they are near the October 31 deadline to "walk it back" again.

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Do I have a right to be mad at the "Money come lately" people that will take my seat?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gladzilla

Do I have a right to be mad at the "Money come lately" people that will take my seat?

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I don’t think so. I doubt they ask for your specific seat. You have every right to be upset with people who change the rules in the middle of the game.

I don't know that you have the right to be mad at those people. They may not even be aware that someone has those seats or has for years. All Tech is probably telling them is this section is available take your pic.

However, if We as an athletic department are taking seats away from folks well then the admin should go F' themselves immediately. If the money come lately people think because they have more of it that their green is better than your green... well then we are failing on multiple levels.

You do have the right to be mad at "those people" if they have used influence to get the rules changed in the middle of the game.

But even that wouldn't excuse athletic department staff from actually changing the rules.

Dr. Eric Wood interview on The Company at 4:30 today.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by FriscoDawg

Dr. Eric Wood interview on The Company at 4:30 today.

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Think he will say anything other than "We have a great future ahead of us. We are working on it. We have reached out to UMess, UConn, Liberty, JMU.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by revf

Think he will say anything other than "We have a great future ahead of us. We are working on it. We have reached out to UMess, UConn, Liberty, JMU.

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What could he say that would make you feel better?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by FriscoDawg

Dr. Eric Wood interview on The Company at 4:30 today.

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I’m not expecting anything other than wishful thinking jibber jabber at this point. What we’re seeing here lately is more damage control than anything else. While the athletic department crumbles, Tech needs its fans to pitch in with their umbrellas

Quote:

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Originally Posted by johnnylightnin

What could he say that would make you feel better?

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Speaking just for myself, I'd like total transparency about how all of this went down. Were we completely blindsided? I don't even care if the conversation is super uncomfortable. This is historic as a "left behind" story.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ChuckK3

Speaking just for myself, I'd like total transparency about how all of this went down. Were we completely blindsided? I don't even care if the conversation is super uncomfortable. This is historic as a "left behind" story.

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Yes. As it is, we're back to our normal situation of no one knowing exactly what happened except for the fact that we're locked outside again, wondering why this keeps happening.

Yep, be honest, if we F'ed up say so. Let me vent my anger and move on. At least I will know it truly was a "you" instead of "me " when our relationship ended :laugh:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by FriscoDawg

Dr. Eric Wood interview on The Company at 4:30 today.

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Coning on now.


If he had his toe the conference realignment waters he would have already given a statement.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DallasDog

Yep, be honest, if we F'ed up say so. Let me vent my anger and move on. At least I will know it truly was a "you" instead of "me " when our relationship ended :laugh:

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Sure, but if he says we weren't blindsided, is anybody gonna accept that? Will anybody accept that we were prepared and had a good case, but they decided on markets?

I think you know the answer.

So Dr Wood said: We never applied to the AAC because he (Dr Wood) knew they were going for major metro markets. I don't know if that was a conversation he had with Aresco or what, but he also said that schools don't "apply" for an opening per se, they're invited (I thought schools applied for openings similarly to the way you'd apply for an opening at a business. Apparently that's not how it goes). And that as of TODAY, there are 8 remaining schools in CUSA and they are all working together, but at the end of the day, every school, including Louisiana Tech has to do what is best for them.

That last comment was a little cryptic, but i was reading that to say, it's not over, and we may have some additional defectors...

At this point, I personally think we need to be joined at the hip with USM...wherever they go, I want to be. Wins/losses do NOT matter in this game. They are us, we are them...

We know that market size was a huge factor. That factor was never going to be overcome without a substantially larger budget (probably at least $10 million more) than Tech currently has.

My biggest gripe is that after the WAC invitation Reneau declared victory and put things on cruise control. So Tech was not close to being in a position for any C-USA invitation when C-USA pulled schools from the WAC for 2005. All the work that was done between then and the C-USA invitation barely got Tech over the line for that invitation. Had a big push been made between 1999 and 2003, it still might not have gotten Tech into C-USA then. But the work done from 2004 on would have started from a much stronger position if the push had started in or before 1999.

During its time in C-USA, Tech's budget has only increased 22.5% from 2013-2014 to 2019-2020 ($23.5 million). That just isn't good enough. Tech could have gotten some consideration (still might not have been enough) with a budget of $30+ million. Serious consideration was never happening this time around.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by johnnylightnin

Sure, but if he says we weren't blindsided, is anybody gonna accept that? Will anybody accept that we were prepared and had a good case, but they decided on markets?

I think you know the answer.

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I would as long as he laid out what we actually did, instead of just the usual we tried hard without details.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dawgpix

I just don't think so, Mikey. When it comes to MBB and BsB, we have not chance in Hades of getting any favors. Oh, and football? What bowl slots are open to independents,
Are there any indepedents in G5?

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LOL! Welcome to the bed your atheltic administration has made, Twinkletoes. ;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by techman05

Looks like they basically acknowledged that they hope our past will make us attractive since we have no one on staff presently that can sell us.

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LA Tech's leadership is in denial. They think because Tech has always been a model citizen and a winner in CUSA that this will count for something. It doesn't. You gotta find out what the customer (the AAC) really wants, and craft your response to show how LA Tech can excel at providing THAT.

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Originally Posted by ChuckK3

Speaking just for myself, I'd like total transparency about how all of this went down. Were we completely blindsided? I don't even care if the conversation is super uncomfortable. This is historic as a "left behind" story.

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And to my knowledge, we still haven't heard a single word from our "Vice President, and DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS" about any of this. ( I saw the radio interview discussed above, but Wood wasn't really grilled about what the AAC is looking for, and what Tech's shortcomings were.)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by HogDawg

LA Tech's leadership is in denial. They think because Tech has always been a model citizen and a winner in CUSA that this will count for something. It doesn't. You gotta find out what the customer (the AAC) really wants, and craft your response to show how LA Tech can excel at providing THAT.

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If all they want is a metro area, we can’t provide that.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by HogDawg

And to my knowledge, we still haven't heard a single word from our "Vice President, and DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS" about any of this.

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He was on this afternoon with Sean Fox on 97.7

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Originally Posted by Tech52

If all they want is a metro area, we can’t provide that.

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It ain't DFW, but do we include all of the Shreveport-Bossier, Monroe, ElDorado and north Louisiana markets? I think Tech's TV ratings are actually better than all 6 of the teams just invited to the AAC. Again, I don't know exactly what they are looking for because nobody has told us.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by johnnylightnin

He was on this afternoon with Sean Fox on 97.7

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I saw that he said LA Tech never applied for membership. Kinda hard to be considered if you don't apply.

For those of us who couldn't attend, what did we learn from Wood today? What's the plan going forward?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by HogDawg

I saw that he said LA Tech never applied for membership. Kinda hard to be considered if you don't apply.

For those of us who couldn't attend, what did we learn from Wood today? What's the plan going forward?

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Chuck summarized a few posts back.

No application doesn’t mean no communication. The application is something the conference invites the schools they’ve already selected to submit.

Yeah don’t get too hung up on the not applying bit guys. This isn’t like applying for a job or college. The applications are more of a formality that goes along with an invitation.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by johnnylightnin

Chuck summarized a few posts back.

No application doesn’t mean no communication. The application is something the conference invites the schools they’ve already selected to submit.

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I know for a fact that Wood couldn't get Aresco to return his phone calls the Week of the SMU game, after he (Wood) was finally advised to reach out. I reported that to you guys myself. here on BB&B.

That would be a god question for Dr. Wood: Did you ever speak DIRECTLY with Aresco about this? He probably didn't.

So, nobody knows "the plan" going forward? I saw Chuck's summary. I'm just asking you to tell me something that Wood said that we didn't already know?

https://youtu.be/HblPucwN-m0

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Originally Posted by thewyldman

Yeah don’t get too hung up on the not applying bit guys. This isn’t like applying for a job or college. The applications are more of a formality that goes along with an invitation.

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....says a guy with so much experience at this. :laugh:


But APPARENTLY, nobody has thought to ask Wood if he talked directly to Aresco about LA Tech's application for membership? Kinda hard to get invited to ANYTHING without communication between the 2 parties.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bone_afide_Dawg

https://youtu.be/HblPucwN-m0

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LOL!!! :laugh:

Now, THAT I believe......:laugh:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by HogDawg

It ain't DFW, but do we include all of the Shreveport-Bossier, Monroe, ElDorado and north Louisiana markets? I think Tech's TV ratings are actually better than all 6 of the teams just invited to the AAC. Again, I don't know exactly what they are looking for because nobody has told us.

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I certainly would. Eldorado, Magnolia, anywhere right above the border to either side of Union County. Minden, Shreveport, Even throw in West Monroe/Monroe. With Baton Rouge and Fayetteville at the far ends North/South of Arkansas and Louisiana, we kind of have a sweet spot to take hold of.

And while I believe that is our bubble, with great potential to take that bubble over, I don’t think these conference leaders are willing to buy that. They just want the quick and easy DFW, Charlotte, Birmingham.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by HogDawg

I saw that he said LA Tech never applied for membership. Kinda hard to be considered if you don't apply.

For those of us who couldn't attend, what did we learn from Wood today? What's the plan going forward?

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HD, you don't just get to apply for membership. You have to be invited to apply for membership. All invitations to apply were accepted and all applications were approved.

All Guice and Wood could do was call and make Tech's case. No market size with a way too small budget was never going to be enough. If Tech's budget was $35 million there would have at least been a case to present, but even that might not have been enough.

Just need to be ready to be next up when Memphis gets the call. Getting the budget to near $30 million in the next 2-3 years is critical.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by FriscoDawg

HD, you don't just get to apply for membership. You have to be invited to apply for membership. All invitations to apply were accepted and all applications were approved.

All Guice and Wood could do was call and make Tech's case. No market size with a way too small budget was never going to be enough. If Tech's budget was $35 million there would have at least been a case to present, but even that might not have been enough.

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Blah, Blah, Blah. Yeah, we see what that "you don't just apply" theory got us. :laugh:

Beg my pardon FD, but with an attitude like yours, I wouldn't want to partner with Tech either. It's no wonder Aresco went into hiding when Tech called. :laugh:

This kind of business is about relationships, FD. Relationships have to be cultivated, and nurtured. They also take time. This comes down to the fact that NO ONE at LA Tech ever bothered to establish or cultivate a relationship with AAC Commissioner Mike Aresco, or any of his AAC associates, until it was too late. I GUARANTEE you that UNT AD Wren Baker didn't make THAT stupid mistake. Not only was Baker cultivating these valuable relationships long before the last two weeks, but Baker & UNT were also proactively co-sponsoring events such as last season's NIT Tournament, partnering with the Dallas Cowboys, and more. and despite sharing the same market as SMU, UNT received an invite to the AAC.

As for the $35M budget problem, that one's easy. Just enact a $300 per Qtr Student Athletic Fee --like each and every one of our other peer institutions-- and we'll have a 35M athletic budget overnight. Such a fee would add roughly $10 million to our $25 Million athletic budget overnight. $25 + $10 = $35M.

LA Tech needs to quit being the "nice guy, losers" when it comes to all this stuff. Sell around your shortcomings. Emphasize your strengths. My God, Louisiana Tech has more strengths, better name recognition and a better athletic program than all 6 of the schools we just lost too. That means somebody is not doing a good enough job.

Tech could have sent in the best application of all time. It would have been ignored. Being the loudest voice in the room is not the way to foster goodwill for a possible future invitation to apply either.