by Malcolm Butler
Let the hate begin.
Louisiana Tech AD Ryan Ivey addressed exactly that on Wednesday when University officials joined Sun Belt Conference officials to formally announce Tech’s membership back into the league.
Ivey addressed a room filled with Tech fans, administrators, student athletes and coaches about the University’s decision to depart Conference USA for “sunnier” pastures.
“The opportunity to rejoin the Sun Belt allows for a full circle moment for the institution and the athletics department,” said Ivey, referring to Tech’s membership in the Sun Belt Conference from 19991 through 2001. “It’s a time for growth.”
As well as a time for hate … at least on the playing fields.
“Think of college athletics today and where it is, and it’s because of the fandom that has been created over the last 30 or 40 years,” said Ivey. “A lot of that has to do with the regional rivalries or what I like to call, just good ole fashion hate.
“(Hate) is okay on the (playing fields). We may love each other on Sundays, but on Saturday’s, we hate each other. That’s what makes college athletics great.”
When Tech eventually joins the Sun Belt – whether that’s in 2026 or 2027 – it will regain instant old school rivalries with ULM, UL-Lafayette and Southern Miss. Older Tech faithful grew up hating the then-NLU Indians (now ULM) and USL Ragin Cajuns (now ULL) and Southern Miss Golden Eagles.
However, Tech hasn’t been a league mate with ULM since 1986-87 or with ULL since 2000-2001. That will change soon.
And with it will come plenty of trash talk between certain fan bases.
“I felt (the move) was inevitable,” said longtime Tech fan Dwayne Woodard. “I am excited although my hate has toned down from what it was 25 years ago. It’s more of a disdain now, especially for the group down south. It’s hard to throw dirt on that group 30 miles to the east of us. They have so many more problems other than sports. The games will be nice, and it will be nice to have those types of crowds.
“I do not like the group down in Lafayette. They are hemorrhaging debt … I don’t like them. Never have. Never will. I have never disliked (ULM) like I do (UL-Lafayette). I like playing them in every sport, but I sure dislike them.”
Spoken like a true, passionate Bulldog fan.
The Bulldogs and Lady Techsters have played the Warhawks in most sports over the past few decades, but the two schools haven’t met on the gridiron since 2000. However, the lack of a football rivalry hasn’t toned down the hate from ULM fans, according to long-time Warhawk booster Adam Holland.
In fact, for some it may have intensified.
“It’s great to see the prodigal school in Ruston come home,” said Holland. “On the East End of I-20 things are just as heated as they have ever been if not more after the 2012 No Bowl fiasco.
“It’s going be a packed house with a heck of a barn burner atmosphere when the two finally line-up on the Grid Iron to see which end of I-20 is dominant rather than keyboard warriors battling it out on message boards.”
Spoken like a true, passionate Warhawk fan.
Tech’s decision to leave the Sun Belt in 2001 coupled with some perceived elitist-type comments over the last few decades have not sat well with certain fan bases from some current SBC schools.
Many felt Tech would never receive an invitation to rejoin the Sun Belt because of hard feelings. However, unlike fan bases mixing it up on social media, cooler heads from league presidents and ADs prevailed during the process.
“They were easy conversations,” said Ivey, referring to his talks with his counterparts at ULM, ULL and Southern Miss. “When you think about the vision and strategic direction that the Sun Belt Conference has … they knew that (we were a great fit). At the end of the day, you try to set emotion aside. That’s hard in college athletics, especially for fans. Fan is short for fanatics for a reason.
“But at the end of the day, it made the most sense to the presidents, the administrators, and the Sun Belt Conference staff. We hit on all the data points (for membership). And when you look at the data points, that’s what is going to help you be successful. With my conversations with my colleagues, that’s what we tried to stay focused on.”
Keith Gill, who began his tenure as the SBC commissioner in 2019, echoed Ivey’s sentiment when it came time to make the right decision. He admitted his neutrality helped in leading the discussions amongst the other 13 members.
“This (decision) came down to fit,” said Gill, who said he came to Tech with the Vanderbilt women’s basketball team for the 2000 NCAA Tournament. “Certainly, we heard about all the slights from the fans. I am very familiar with the history (between LA Tech and the Sun Belt and its member institutions). But at the end of the day, it came down to what makes the most sense.
“We need to replace a team in the west. We have a (school) that has had all of this success, they have a great fan base, it looks like the rest of our schools. Tech is really, really good at the sports we want to be good in. Does it make sense? It did.
“We heard (about the past) and we got calls into our office about it, but from my perspective, I think about it from ‘Who is going to help the Sun Belt get better?’ If we use an emotional filter, we won’t make the right decision. So, for me it was a simple, straight-line focus. What makes the most sense. And Louisiana Tech does.”
The 13 current Sun Belt Conference schools include App State, Arkansas State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, James Madison, Louisiana-Lafayette, ULM, Marshall, Old Dominion, South Alabama, Southern Miss, and Troy.
Tech has been a league member previously with seven of the 13, excluding App State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, James Madison, and Troy.
During their previous membership in the Sun Belt, Louisiana Tech teams captured a total of 21 league titles, despite never participating in football (the SBC didn’t sponsor football until 2001).
Tech President Jim Henderson believes the University’s future athletic home will provide a great opportunity to add to that total.
“We do have a history here, so we are all known entities,” said Henderson. “I think that strengthens this partnership and lays the foundation for us to elevate the Sun Belt to be the premier G6 conference in America. I think in many ways it already is.
“I think adding Louisiana Tech to it only helps elevate it, and the long-term potential is anyone’s guess, but it’s high.”
As is the tension between certain fan bases.
Let the hate begin!
