By Malcolm Butler
Louisiana Tech and ULM made a joint announcement mid-morning Wednesday that the two schools had signed a contract to play a home-and-home in football in 2030 and 2031.
Yes. That’s still a few years down the road. But for the fans of both programs that have been wanting what was once a yearly showdown to resume, at least it’s on the books.
The two schools haven’t met on the gridiron since Tech won 42-19 at Malone Stadium in 2000. Luke McCown was a true freshman for the Bulldogs to put that into perspective for Tech fans.
Tech and ULM were scheduled to play at Independence Stadium in 2020, a Covid19 game that was signed during fall camp in August of 2020 after the SEC announced its decision to play league-only games — thus leaving both teams with open dates.
However, ULM canceled the game the week of citing a Covid 19 outbreak within its program — thus extending the drought.
So come 2030 … three decades after the last meeting … the two are set to square off again.
So what do fans of both sides think about the announcement?
“I think a renewal of the series will be good for both schools,” said longtime Tech fans and former professor Gary Stokley. “It should generate a lot of interest. But if one program dominates the series the other side will lose interest as we have seen in the past. The initial games should actually make money for each school.
“The only thing we don’t know is what will the state of college football be in eight to nine years for both programs. The changing of conferences, NIL issues, Portal rules more than likely will change. Conference affiliations may as well. So the future may change whether or not the two schools could play one another or not.”
Stokley makes some good points.
Longtime Bulldog fans Dwayne Woodard says his feelings have changed about the two schools playing over the past few years.
“I’m glad they are renewing the series, and I’m glad the first game is in Ruston,” said Woodard. “I just wish it was sooner. My thoughts about the renewal have drastically changed in the last decade or so. I think it’s good for the region and good for both fan bases.”
Local sports talk show host and Tech alum Sean Fox also believes the two schools should be playing in football.
“I think it’s long overdue that these two teams are squaring off again,” said Fox. “I know there has been some bad blood thru the years but time heals all wounds. In an era of big TV contracts and conference realignment where we have teams playing across the country from each other, we have lost what made college athletics and that’s regional rivalries, bragging rights with co-workers, friends, and even family.”
While ULM dominated the series in the 1980s — possibly the golden era in what was then NLU Indians football, including a Division I-AA national title –the Bulldogs owned the series down the stretch prior to it stopping. Tech won the final eight meetings and leads the all-time series 30-13.
However, ULM fan and former Oak Grove mayor Adam Holland believes the two programs should play. He said the game between the two programs led him to his Warhawk fandom back in the day.
However, not everybody is in favor of the decision to play.
“I don’t see any upside for Tech in playing a program next door,” said longtime Tech supporter Justin Hinckley. “Tech has been playing on a wider footprint for decades now, and I see this as taking a step back to a time for which no one has any interest. At least I don’t.”
The two sides are set to meet on Sept. 21, 2030 at Joe Aillet Stadium in Ruston and again on Sept. 13, 2031 at Malone Stadium in Monroe.
One thing is for certain. There will be a lot of feelings and emotions surrounding the Bulldogs and the Warhawks playing on the gridiron again.
