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How Skip Holtz and his coaching staff have attacked and been effective with the transfer portal this offseason has been unprecedented, even by their recruiting standards. Since the 2019 squad shut out Miami, 14-0, in the Independence Bowl in Shreveport to conclude the season five months ago, Louisiana Tech has added five transfers, four of those from FBS programs. The other transfer was an FCS quarterback Luke Anthony from Abilene Christian that signed on Signing Day back in February. Tech has made some big splashes on the transfer market, not only from a team needs standpoint, but also in talent as well. The departure of three-year starter J'Mar Smith left a void at quarterback and Anthony, a two-star recruit, will provide competition at the position once camp opens up in Ruston. read more: https://www.thenewsstar.com/story/sports/college/louisiana-tech/2020/05/22/louisiana-tech-transfers-football-recruiting-rankings-numbers/3110287001/

read more: http://www.dailynebraskan.com/sports/bova-ncaa-should-repair-unfair-transfer-system/article_7d01e178-b181-11e8-bd0b-77beb168f939.html

http://www.thenewsstar.com/story/sports/.../88287106/ Higgins, a senior, was arrested for DWI and speeding.

Skip Holtz sat at his designated Conference USA Media Day table last year in Dallas for what amounted to be a standard, ho-hum business trip. Holtz, entering his second season as Louisiana Tech’s head coach at the time, was hardly the focus. Sure, he did a local TV segment where he playfully interviewed running back Kenneth Dixon and linebacker Tony Johnson, but other than that, not much attention was thrown the Bulldogs’ way. Coming off a 4-8 season at the time, there wasn’t a particular reason for a spotlight. Plus, C-USA coaches predicted Tech to finish fourth in the West. They did advise Tech could be a team on the rise, but no one thought the Bulldogs’ season would play out as it did. This time around, Tech is now the team to beat in the West and is a program that will likely draw plenty of air time Wednesday at media day with Florida transfer quarterback Jeff Driskel along for the ride. “We felt like we had some pieces that we had a chance to be pretty good (last year) but … You had a lot of question marks and a lot of unknowns,” Holtz said Monday. “The difference between this year and last year? The players are much more comfortable with what we’re doing." Tech (9-5) flew under the radar last year before winning the C-USA West Division championship and nearly upending Marshall for the conference title. The success from 2014, coupled with several key returners on offense and defense, has the Bulldogs as the favorites to repeat. “Just because you have a lot of guys returning doesn’t mean you’re going to be good,” Holtz said. “I really like where the culture of those guys are and the mindset of our football team is and the guys that have played a lot are being leaders. People aren’t sitting back and resting on ‘Hey, we won a bowl game.’” read more: http://www.thenewsstar.com/story/sports/college/louisiana-tech/2015/07/21/year-tech-transforms-unknown-usa-favorite/30493195/

Offensive OutlookSokol threw for 3,436 yards and 30 touchdowns as the field general for offensive coordinator Tony Peterson. Replacing Sokol is former Florida quarterback Jeff Driskel who transferred to Louisiana Tech to play his final season of college football after a disappointing career with the Gators. Driskel was a former top recruit who struggled with turnovers and staying healthy during his time in Gainesville, but the chance for a happy ending exists in this system that should be a welcome sight for Driskel after his offensive coaching staff at Florida was in a constant state of flux. Playing in a system that made Sokol so effective should allow for Driskel’s natural athleticism to shine and give him the chance he didn’t have at Florida to make plays. Granted, turnovers are his Achilles heel and his propensity to throw an ill-advised pass and penchant for the fumble will have to be monitored by Holtz and Peterson to make sure Driskel doesn’t put the team in a hole. Helping Driskel out on the offense is running back Kenneth Dixon who returns after rushing for a team-high 1,299 yards and 22 touchdowns. The 5-10, 212-pound rising senior had six, 100-yard games and six games with multiple rushing touchdowns as a junior. read more: http://saturdayblitz.com/2015/06/04/louisiana-tech-bulldogs-football-2015-season-preview/

There was big news out of Conference USA today that could have a significant impact on the race for the West Division title. Louisiana Tech landed Mickey Johnson, a big 310-pound defensive tackle who will be eligible immediately after leaving LSU. The Bulldogs have become a prime landing spot for transfers the last couple of years. Iowa transfer quarterback Cody Sokol and Illinois transfer defensive end Houston Bates played huge roles in the Bulldogs’ big 2014 season that included a Heart of Dallas Bowl win over Illinois. There is no telling if Johnson will have a similar impact, but he sure looks good on paper. He was a four-star recruit out of high school. Read more: http://meangreenblog.dentonrc.com/2015/04/big-transfer-news-out-of-c-usa-patricks-miami-hof-speech.html/

It’s nice to be ranked,” Tech coach Skip Holtz said. “I think you can kind of look of who’s in the top three or four and who’s in the bottom three or four, but whether you’re one or two or two or three, some of that is more for the fan base to get excited about the recruiting process.” Rivals.com has Louisiana Tech ranked the highest of the major recruiting sites at No. 74 overall and second in Conference USA by a slim margin behind Florida Atlantic, which already has 26 commitments. Tech has 22 commitments and will look to add a few more to get up to 25. 247sports.com has Tech at No. 80 and third in C-USA behind Florida Atlantic and Marshall. Scout.com has Tech at No. 89 and fourth behind Florida Atlantic, Marshall and Western Kentucky. In terms of statewide rankings, Tech is as high as No. 2 behind LSU on Rivals.com. Scout.com has Tech 10 spots behind UL Lafayette while 247sports.com has the Bulldogs three spots behind the Cajuns. “We’ve done very well in the state,” Holtz said. “A lot of the targets that we’ve had that we’ve been able to go on I feel really good about.” Read more: http://www.thenewsstar.com/story/sports/college/louisiana-tech/2015/02/03/tech-end-top-ranked-class-usa/22812719/

Face Illinois at noon in HOD on ESPN. Would be a nice win for the conference.

Rice looks good. Also UTEP up 17-7 in 3rd over FIU.

The game against Army at Fair park Cotton bowl today is delayed due to terrible weather. Next week it will be sunny and 75 for Texas OU. Life isn't fair.

IRVING, TEXAS — Louisiana Tech defensive end IK Enemkpali enjoyed conducting mock interviews with opposing players at Conference USA media day. If new Tech coach Skip Holtz wants to see his Bulldogs on the same film as 2013 opponents, he will need to confiscate the interview footage. With the move to Conference USA, Tech will play 10 new opponents that weren’t on the 2012 schedule, which leaves the coaching staff without much study material over the summer. “It creates a lot of unknowns because we can’t go back to last year and say, ‘Oh they have that one running back or one defensive end,’” Holtz said during media day. “Our players won’t be familiar with our opponents, so it’s like starting all over again. “We try to (study) our first few opponents (over the summer), and that starts with North Carolina State, which has a new coaching staff.” Tech’s two familiar opponents are Rice (’Dogs won 56-37) and UTSA (51-27 win). But the Bulldogs might not even recognize the Owls, who won their last five games (including a bowl) and expected to be near the top of Conference USA. Opponents won’t know much about the Bulldogs either with 31 missing seniors and a new coaching staff. “We don’t know how we’re going to measure up,” Holtz said. “... We’ve talked with players and seniors about it, and we don’t know how we’re going to stand up and how it relates from a win-loss standpoint. “We don’t know how good we’re going to be, but let’s just make sure that we’re as good as we can be.” Read more: http://www.thenewsstar.com/article/20130729/SPORTS/307290020/C-USA-fresh-start-Tech

McNeese State athletic director Tommy McClelland could be named the new athletic director at Louisiana Tech on Tuesday, according to media reports. Although McClelland's hiring hasn't been officially confirmed by school officials, it appears he will succeed Bruce Van De Velde, who was recently re-assigned within the university. The media report came from Patrick Netherton, the voice of NSU sports and a member of the Tim Brando Show. McClelland holds both a Bachelors and a Masters degree from Northwestern State where he was a football and track standout. The native of Basile, La., served as a graduate assistant at Northwestern State in athletics and also worked at the Southland Conference office as an administrative intern, assisting with championship events Read more: http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20130715/SPORTS0203/130715014/McNeese-provide-new-La-Tech-AD

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

Louisiana Tech will launch one of the most important weeks in school history Monday when it welcomes a new president, a new athletic conference and kicks off a country-wide search for a new athletic director. Itll be a largely subdued celebration in Ruston today when Dr. Les Guice officially takes over the universitys reins from longtime president Dr. Dan Reneau. Tech also officially joins Conference USA today in a move supporters hope will continue moving its sports programs forward. I dont know if this is the biggest week in school history, but it certainly is a big week for me, Guice said. In addition to the moves in athletics, we also are completing our budget and planning for the coming year. Joining the new football league has been anticipated since the WAC began losing members midway through Techs decade-long membership in the far-flung league. The WAC was heralded as the best thing since peaches in Ruston when Tech joined it in 2001, because it afforded separation from its Sun Belt brethren, while affording some regional rivalries. The same could be said of C-USA. I think its great because you can travel to San Antonio or Dallas for games, and it will save (Tech) money, said Shreveporter Cynthia (Aillet) Pettiette. Hopefully it will increase the fan base. I dont know if I see any downs about it at this point. C-USA officials welcomed Tech with a full page ad in todays Times, saying Were Proud to Play with La. Tech. Logos of the 16 league members for 2013-14 were included in the ad, along with the slogan C-USA, A History of Greats Whos Next. Read more: http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20130701/SPORTS0203/307010010/La-Tech-officially-joins-C-USA?nclick_check=1

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."

Dear Bulldog Nation, As you are aware, the Louisiana Tech football team with a 9-3 record was not selected to participate in a bowl game this season. All of us are tremendously disappointed for the team, especially the 32 seniors, who will not receive an opportunity to represent the school one more time on the football field. I hope this letter will help you understand the timeline as well as provide accurate information regarding the bowl selection process. We entered this season knowing that the WAC had just one bowl agreement and the champion of the conference would participate in that designated bowl. Since we were not conference champions, we were in the at-large pool looking for a bowl that might have an opening. This is one of the reasons it was so important for us to receive an invitation to Conference USA for next season. Conference USA has contracts with fi ve bowl games. Working closely with both the commissioners of the WAC and CUSA, we were told by the Heart of Dallas Bowl and Liberty Bowl there was interest in having Louisiana Tech play in these games. The possibility of an offer from both bowls was strong, but hinged on the Big 12 getting two teams into the BCS, which meant, for the most part, that Oklahoma and Kansas State needed to win and Kent State needed to lose. On Thursday, November 29th we signed a written agreement with the Liberty Bowl that we would play in their game if no Big 12 Conference school was available. The Independence Bowl, which had issued an invitation to Louisiana Tech on Thursday, called Saturday morning and said they needed a decision before the end of the Oklahoma game. I told them I needed to confer with our head coach and president before making a commitment. At no time did anyone turn the bowl invitation down, we simply asked for more time. Collectively, we decided the chance to play on New Year’s Day in the Heart of Dallas Bowl, if we were traded from the Liberty Bowl to the Heart of Dallas Bowl or in the Liberty Bowl, was a special opportunity for our program and a logical next step since we had played in the Independence Bowl and Poinsettia Bowl in recent years. We decided to ask the Independence Bowl to give us the day, Saturday, to see how the games played out so we could have all the information we needed to make the best possible decision for the university and program. This was communicated to the Independence Bowl Saturday morning. I spoke with the Liberty Bowl later Saturday morning and told them we were being asked to make a decision by the Independence Bowl and I needed to know their decision. They told me and WAC Commissioner Jeff Hurd that the Liberty Bowl would invite LA Tech to the Liberty Bowl regardless if a Big 12 school was available. The Independence Bowl called back Saturday afternoon and told LA Tech they had moved on to an agreement with the Mid-American Conference. Kent State had lost their game Friday night and on Saturday both OU and KSU won their games. We felt there was a strong chance the Big 12 would have two teams in the BCS thereby placing us in the Liberty Bowl or the Heart of Dallas Bowl game. On Sunday, NIU was moved up to 15th in the BCS, knocking OU out of the BCS Sugar Bowl and pushing all the Big 12 teams down a notch and fi lling up the Heart of Dallas Bowl with a representative from the Big 12. Iowa State, a member of the Big 12, was left without a contracted bowl game, entered the at-large pool and was taken by the Liberty Bowl, eliminating that spot for Louisiana Tech. This occurred despite the Liberty Bowl committing to both LA Tech and the Commissioner of the WAC on Saturday they would select LA Tech. We felt every step of the way we were doing what is in the best interest of the program and student athletes. No one is pleased with the outcome but at least now you are accurately informed of what transpired. Sincerely, Bruce Van De Velde Athletic Director http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/latc...etter2.pdf

Merry Christmas, Quinton Patton. And Colby Cameron. And Ryan Allen. Even though you proved you were some of the best in the country at your positions, you will be idle for the next five weeks while roughly 7,000 other college football players complete their 2012 seasons — some their careers — in a bowl game. The aforementioned Louisiana Tech Bulldogs and their teammates were robbed of one final opportunity to gather together and proudly wear red and blue — a priceless gift for a college athlete no matter their future. The Bulldogs were jilted by an administration that, this week, may have lost a game of tic-tac-toe if given the first three moves. The combination of arrogance, poor judgment and a dose of bad luck left the 9-3 Bulldogs, the nation’s No. 1 offense, home for the holidays. Despite one of the best seasons in school history, Tech is one of two of the 72 bowl-eligible teams that won’t play again. Three weeks ago, Louisiana Tech controlled its BCS destiny but lost its final two games. This week, Tech again controlled its destiny but gambled with it. All the wonderful attention the Bulldogs garnered over 12 games was soured by an unthinkable mistake. Ironically, a BCS buster, Northern Illinois, was Louisiana Tech’s undoing. The Huskies’ inclusion in the Orange Bowl set off a chain of events that caught the Bulldogs with their pants down. Read more: http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20121203/SPORTS0405/121203002/Roy-Lang-III-Tech-gets-busted

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

Their Internet feed went down and they don't seem happy about it: http://www.latechbbb.com/forum/showthread.php?104779-Broadcast-for-Today-s-Announcement

Moving to C-USA is a chance for Louisiana Tech athletics to take another step forward. But sometimes a school's handling of a situation can make it take a step backwards when it's trying to move ahead. Read more: http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20120503/SPORTS0407/205030317/Jimmy-Watson-Louisiana-Tech-s-C-USA-secret-out-bag

Louisiana Tech has called a noon Friday news conference to "make a historic announcement about the future of La. Tech athletics.'' The school will announce its acceptance of membership into Conference USA at that time. Read more: http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20120502/SPORTS0203/120502020/La-Tech-announce-C-USA-membership-Friday?odyssey=nav%7Chead

http://www.latechbbb.com/forum/showthread.php?104586-TECH-s-big-announcement

The WAC could be in its final year as a football conference. The Salt Lake Tribune is reporting Utah State is headed to the Mountain West as is San Jose State to replace Boise State and San Diego State, who are leaving for the Big East after this season. The report also said Louisiana Tech is going to Conference USA joining Texas-San Antonio, which is voting on the move to C-USA this week. UTSA joins the WAC this season, but was one of the additions back in Nov. 2010. The move leaves Idaho, New Mexico State and Texas State as the remaining football-playing schools in the conference. Boise State, Denver and Seattle are non-football members. Texas State also could be on its way out if the Sun Belt loses a school to Conference USA and the Sun Belt adds the Bobcats to keep a foot in Texas. Sun Belt commissioner Karl Benson told Vandal Nation: "I don't expect Texas State will be without a place to play football." If all of the reported teams leave, the WAC will be in an almost impossible position. It's already tried to court several teams from the FCS ranks and has consistently been turned down. Last summer, Big Sky commissioner Doug Fullerton said his conference was a better option than the WAC and the way the conference has fallen apart, he wasn't wrong. Read more: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-saturday/wac-life-support-remaining-members-weigh-options-194742091.html