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Not long after Dooley’s 2010 departure Van De Velde was presented keys to the kingdom and he set about making his mark. Tech athletic directors, like ADs at most non-AQ, BCS schools, must pick their poison being as adept at raising funds as they are at managing a budget. Van De Velde’s vast experience at his Big 12 stops perhaps prepared him for not always being the most popular guy on campus. When you’re in control of the purse springs with limited resources, you can’t make everyone happy. Perhaps the need for money is why Van De Velde was criticized for putting so much effort into football and men’s basketball, the sports most likely to generate big revenue, while appearing to ignore lower profile sports. Most athletic directors come with at least one gift and Van De Velde’s biggest was ferreting the right coach. Whether they just fell in his lap, or he was savvy enough to deliver what was needed, Sonny Dykes and Mike White were the right hires at the right time for those two programs. The jury remains out on his two additional hires in football coach Skip Holtz and softball coach Mark Montgomery, although both seem solid in the early going. Van De Velde raised millions of dollars, enhanced facilities, upgraded ticket operations and reveled in the 71 percent graduation rate of student-athletes under his watch. He did it within the confines of a budget that would make most AQ athletic directors cringe. But Bruce Van De Velde’s tenure at Tech will forever be remembered for one fateful day in December when the Bulldog football team discovered there would be no postseason bowl game despite a 9-3 record. Although the decision to put an Independence Bowl offer on hold, while waiting on one from the Liberty Bowl, didn’t happen in a vacuum, the brunt of fan and media criticism fell squarely on his shoulders. Read more: http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20130701/SPORTS0203/307010011/Van-De-Velde-left-tainted-Tech-legacy

May 9, 2013 As we approach an exciting new era in Louisiana Tech Athletics with our entrance into Conference USA this July, I wanted to share with you some of the success and achievements of our student athletes, coaches and staff. Academics The student athletes representing Louisiana Tech have achieved remarkable success in the classroom. In two important benchmarks utilized by the NCAA, Louisiana Tech student athletes achieved the highest graduation success rate (80%) and academic progress rate in school history. The football program achieved a 79% GSR. A select few schools that achieve a 75% or greater GSR and compete in Division 1A football are recognized nationally for academic excellence by the American Football Coaches Association. This will be the second time Louisiana Tech will be recognized since 2008. Competitive Success Both the men's basketball and football program were ranked in the Top 25 during their recent seasons marking the first time since we joined the FBS (Division 1A) ranks in 1989 that the programs have been ranked nationally in the same season. The football team finished with a 9-3 record and men's basketball reeled off 18 consecutive wins en route to a WAC Championship and an overall record of 27-7. Coach Mike White was recognized as both conference and regional Coach of the Year. The women's tennis team under the leadership of first-year Head Coach Freddy Gomez achieved its greatest success in school history finishing with an overall record of 15-4 and the most conference wins (7) since LA Tech entered the Western Athletic Conference. Under first-year Head Coach Mark Montgomery the Lady Techster softball team currently has a record of 26-24 and is poised to make a run at a conference championship as the No. 3 seed in the conference tournament - the highest seed in school history. LA Tech hosts the WAC Softball Tournament in Ruston starting Wednesday (call 318-257-3631 for ticket information). Head Track and Field Coach Gary Stanley women's teams have won 13 WAC Championships in the last seven-plus years. With a talented group of individuals, the team will be competing for another championship this week in Arlington, Texas at the Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Conference USA Louisiana Tech will officially become an active member of Conference USA on July 1. The opportunity to be associated with prestigious institutions with outstanding reputations in academics, research and athletics will greatly enhance the brand of Louisiana Tech and make all alumni and supporters of the University proud. Conference USA will allow Louisiana Tech teams to compete on a national stage with regional rivalries. Conference USA will operate with two divisions, an eastern and western division, reducing travel and thus making competition more accessible for fans and local media as well as reducing travel expenses. The Conference USA television package (FOX/CBS Sports/ESPN) will increase exposure and revenue for Louisiana Tech and enhance the brand and reputation of the institution. Eight of the Bulldog football games this fall will be televised live on television. This should help the University in its marketing efforts to attract quality students and build enrollment. Postseason opportunities will be greatly increased with six bowl agreements, compared to one with the WAC, and numerous NCAA post season opportunities. Cotton Bowl/Texas State Fair On Saturday, September 28 at 2:30 p.m. Louisiana Tech will have a national stage to display its program when the Bulldogs kickoff against Army on national television (FOX) to open the State Fair of Texas in the historic Cotton Bowl. We hope all of our fans and alumni will attend the game as well as the State Fair, demonstrating to the nation the outstanding support Louisiana Tech receives from its fan base. Facilities Improvements in facilities for women's soccer, softball and baseball have taken place over the last several months. Lights were added to the women's soccer complex allowing the team to practice and compete in the evening in order to escape the heat of the day. The softball team will be hosting the WAC Tournament and the facility has recently added new grandstands and a press box. Phase 2 of the project will include new restrooms, concessions and a ticket office. The baseball program will move into a new and expanded locker room June 1. The facility will include a player's lounge, restrooms and showers, training room, meeting room and laundry facility. The architects for the end zone building are currently working with engineers and construction professionals, and we expect to have construction documents finalized by the end of the summer. The next phase would entail bidding the project out for construction and then breaking ground. We expect to launch a plan to pre-sell the premium seating contained in the end zone building in the fall. LTAC Membership Currently we are in the midst of our annual campaign to increase membership in the Louisiana Tech Athletic Club (LTAC). LTAC and ticket sales are the two primary revenue sources to fund athletics at LA Tech. We are pleased that LTAC membership is at an all-time high exceeding 1,500 members. Our goal this year is to surpass 2,000 members and with 90,000 alumni and many more friends we feel it is well within our capabilities. If every alumnus contributed $100 to LTAC it would generate $9 million in donations. If you are not participating we hope you will consider becoming a member of this important club. Finally we greatly appreciate the support and leadership of President Dan Reneau in moving Tech Athletics forward. We wish Dr. Reneau and Mrs. Linda much happiness in the years ahead. Go Bulldogs! Bruce Van De Velde Athletic Director http://www.latechsports.com/genrel/050913aaa.html

"I don't want to speak for the conference, but when Charlotte and Old Dominion are up and running with their football programs, there's a good chance for Southern Miss to shift to the west (division). "I'm excited about that relationship because the competition goes back decades. We also have a chance to develop new rivalries, like with North Texas." Van De Velde serves on the league's television committee, and he said Tech has an opportunity to bundle games not picked up C-USA's television partners (ESPN, CBS and Fox Sports). "Maybe there are one or two games that won't be picked up by (C-USA) partners, now the university has the opportunity to bundle and sell them," Van De Velde said. "We might take the leftover football games and put them with four or five basketball games and televise them statewide, like with Fox Sports New Orleans. "The WAC didn't give us that opportunity. Exposure is tremendous in recruiting and fundraising."

From East Carolina Pirate Radio and starts at the 11 minute mark: http://www.pirateradio930.com/pod/ftb/ftb051612.mp3