Who gets credit for Cane’s scaleback?
Since you asked, I think CenturyLink could play a much bigger role in sponsoring LA Tech athletics than it currently does. According to several lists, CenturyLink --with over $18 BILLION in annual revenues-- is Louisiana's largest company, and a Telecom behemoth located in nearby Monroe that employs more than 51,000 across 6 subsidiaries covering 37 states. The company's history has very deep roots in Louisiana (Oak Ridge, Marion & Monroe), and their CEO --Glen Post-- is a Louisiana native, a LA Tech grad and a distinguished alumni.
For the life of me, I've never understood why LA Tech hasn't worked out a significant sponsorship agreement with Willis-Knighten Hospitals. WK employs more than 6,800 in the Shreveport-Bossier area, and is the perfect kind of business that we see sponsoring other colleges, universities, and even high schools. Back in 2004, east Texans saw their local 14K seat high school football stadium in Tyler renamed CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium, when the local hospital organization purchased the stadium's naming rights for $1.92M. That agreement has already been renewed at least once, and possibly more. Other school districts --not to mention colleges and universities-- are doing it too. Why aren't we?
Seems to me the Willis-Knighten organization & LA Tech are a PERFECT match for a much bigger sponsorship agreement. Both would benefit. LA Tech has more alumni living in WK's primary sales market --Shreveport-Bossier-- than any where in the world. For WK, these are all potential customers! For Tech, it's a great way to partner with a quality sponsor in a market that we could experience significant gains in too.
Other possibilities: the GM assembly plant employs 2,300 workers in Shreveport, Foster Poultry Farms employs 1,800 in Farmerville and alll the casinos in S-B appear to be pretty big employers in north Louisiana. I could make a very long list of possibilities, but most of you guys already know these companies as well or better than I do. I'm just wondering why we aren't partnering --and I mean partnering in a BIG WAY-- with any of them.
What could we do with CL and WK that we don't already do? Genuine question, I'm not well versed in this area (not that that's ever stopped me from pontification).
Do I have to do all the thinking here?
....For starters, maybe LA Tech could sell the naming rights to Joe Aillet Stadium for $25 Million for the next 10-15 years? I believe you would agree that we could use the money.
A precedent has already been set. Back in 2011, UNT sold the naming rights to their football stadium to Apogee Telecom, Inc. for $20M for 20 years. Hell, I had never even heard of Apogee until they bought those naming rights. CenturyLink is a THOUSAND times the company that Apogee is.
https://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/n...ghts-deal.html
In addition to the naming rights, Tech should give these naming rights sponsors (or preferred sponsors) a minimum number of season tickets (500?) each season, for the sponsor to hand out to employees each year as incentives, as well as a reserve a preferred premium "Tailgate" spot for the company at every home game. This would be a great way for LA Tech to reach out to the community and add to its fan base by attracting people to the stadium who might never come to JAS otherwise.
Then do the same with the TAC in mens & women's basketball, and the Love shack in baseball.
Then there are shoe and apparrel contracts.
Here's just a few more ideas of how the university can make itself more attractive to the sponsors:
https://www.umbel.com/blog/sports/8-...lue-to-brands/
...speaking of shoe and apparel contracts. Instead of jetting up to Ole Miss to learn how to be an AD while looking the part, our AD should drive over to Grambling and visit with their AD about how to get a good deal with Adidas.
WKHS just went through a lot of turmoil- lots of people laid off last summer and many more were worried about their jobs. I think things are better, but they might not have $ to spend.
GM left Shreveport about 5 years ago
Another company we need to get involved is AEP - the ceo is a Tech grad https://www.aep.com/about/leadership....aspx?id=Akins
The new Walk-Ons in West Monroe is a reality. It opened Monday. Went there tonight.
As I scanned the big wall's photo mural the only hint of Ruston is former Neville/Ruston coach Chick Childress and Ruston native/former WM Coach Don Shows (plus Neville coach Charlie Brown).
Oh, GSU's Eddie Robinson and Doug Williams are on the mural but as far as Tech? Zilch.
Certainly this means they're coming to Ruston. OR, it means there were clueless in who to put up on the mural. Of course it had local LSU legends Booger McFarland, Whit Whitworth, Bradie James and Tommy Banks. . . . nlulm pitching ace Ben Sheets, and Stan Humphries, the nlulm stadium background and logo (but no image of nlulm's National Championship coach Pat Collins.) There are also some local high school pics including WM's Slade Bolden and a Ouachita softball player.
I don't know who advised them, but, personally, it's a disappointment to Tech (and the potential of its grads to spend money there). Not even a Bradshaw.
Hey, I even offered a series of photos of Tech's famous (and popular) walk-on, Hunter Lee, but I struck out.
PS-They DO have a Ruston/Tech connection . . . former Tech AD Jerry Stovall is depicted in his elessewe uni.
The fact Bert Jones is not up there makes me want to lean at the fact they're looking at Ruston as a site.
Last edited by Dawgpix; 08-29-2018 at 06:23 PM.
Louisiana Tech University
Flagship of the University of Louisiana System
Heck boycott the W. Monroe Walk-On's until Dawg pictures go up.