Good if it does happen then Tech really can use Shreveport/Bossier as it's media market when it comes to CUSA
Good if it does happen then Tech really can use Shreveport/Bossier as it's media market when it comes to CUSA
Things got pretty close in the early 90's to all of this happening. From what little I hear, there could be something to it. LSU is just like everyone else...trying to save some money and part of that is focusing its resources. With money so tight the empire is too far-flung.
The LSU Ag farms at Calhoun and Homer could be in the mix as well. Forestry is the focus of Calhoun and is an easy fit for Tech. Homer is a great asset with slightly more than 3 sections of some of the prettiest pasture land in the state. The focus had been dairy but now its beef cattle, some timber and starting recently, some poultry research there. The proximity of these two facilities to Tech helps the situation greatly.
Tech is held in pretty high regards in Baton Rouge. This could turn into something pretty special for us.
I'm for us getting the med school and LSUS, but not for how much LSU could marginalize us if they wanted to. Being in the same boat as LSU has some disadvantages.
Earlier this year there was tension between LSU-BR and the LSU System with regards to the group of Baton Rouge business leaders who made a proposal to Jindal to help the main campus with budget cuts. I think the LSU big wigs and politicians only really care about their main campus in Baton Rouge, not satellite campuses and hospitals. If ditching those institutions means the main campus in Baton Rouge gets more funding, then it will probably pass.
I think LSU's angle on this is to divest 100% of the expense but retain 5 to 10% of the funding as "inherent administrative overhead". So net/net they end up with more money in their pocket with less of a headache.
If will certainly help it to pass if it can make it to the floor.
I think this move would be excellent, but keep in mind that the LSU system does not allow the tranfer of general funds to athletics. So a big question would be where would Tech funding from athletics come from? One of LSU claims to fame is that they don't use a dime of state funds to run their athletic programs.
What would happen, if anything, to LSU-S' sport's teams? How would this affect funding from the state level?
Except that history tells us that there is no "trickle down" economy in Louisiana higher ed, and most especially not in the lsu system (see, again, UNO, for example).
Despite what our Pilots brethren want to believe, there is no regard for schools outside of BR that bear the "lsu" monicker.