Ulm Ad Says "no" To Scheduling La. Tech In Any Sport

[MeanGreen61]

Post from the Sun Belt board.

ULM athletics director Bobby Staub plans to keep Louisiana Tech off future schedules

In response, ULM will carry the freeze in football relations to other sports.

In a prepared statement, ULM athletics director Bobby Staub commented on the decision: "In light of recent events, we have decided to go in a different direction with our scheduling."

ULM will not consider scheduling any games or contests with Louisiana Tech not currently under contract. Planned meetings between the two schools in baseball, softball, cross country and track and field are unlikely to be renewed.

ULM and Tech are under a six-year contract for men’s basketball and a one-year contract for volleyball. Both contracts start next season.

LOOK for continuing coverage of this story in Friday's online and print editions of The News-Star

By Matthew Hamilton • mhamilton@monroe.gannett.com • June 26, 2008

Thread - La. Tech's reaction

http://www.latechbbb.com/forum/showthread.php?t=53547

Edited June 27, 2008 by MeanGreen61

[FirefightnRick]

Whoa! ULM just keeps earning my respect in each and every way.

Rick

[LoveMG]

stupid on both schools part. they need to be in the same conference as this is a true rivalry. think ut would ever not want to play the aggies in any sport?

[Travis]

i am happy that ulm did this. if la tech goes public about being an arrogant ass then ulm should tell 'em to shove it.

[ADLER]

Those kind of insults are appropriate message board fodder, but when it becomes university doctrine promoted by the football coach and Athletic Director, then it becomes an issue.

I am proud of ULM for showing a little pride in themselves. The Latex have been giving ULM the George Mcfly treatment for an awful long time and it's about time that the Warthawgs reacted.

I am not a big fan of ULM, but if their AD asks the other Belt programs not to schedule Tech than I would hope we would support them. The only way North Texas should play Tech is if we get a 2 for 1 series with the 2 games in Denton. ULL should do the same thing with with 2 in Lafayette for every 1 in Ruston.

[Arkstfan]

stupid on both schools part. they need to be in the same conference as this is a true rivalry. think ut would ever not want to play the aggies in any sport?

So if TCU's AD said TCU doesn't compete with UNT for players and talked about the inferiority of UNT academics while explaining why you don't play in football you would be happy to schedule in track, volleyball and men's and women's basketball?

[badgerwolf]

I am proud of ULM for showing a little pride in themselves . . . if their AD asks the other Belt programs not to schedule Tech than I would hope we would support them.

It would be the right thing to do, IMHO!!!

[UNTflyer]

I agree, we must unite with our brothers and sisters in the Sun Belt and stand up to the tyranny of... the WAC.

[Arkstfan]

I agree, we must unite with our brothers and sisters in the Sun Belt and stand up to the tyranny of... the WAC.

It's not tyranny of the WAC. It's about one school with an immature athletic director who acted like a message board loud-mouth rather than a professional.

[MeanGreen61]

Additional article. Tech track coach flabergasted !

Derek Dooley's comments cause ULM to drop Louisiana Tech

Games under contract will be played

The news came as a shock to Louisiana Tech track coach Gary Stanley.

ULM would not be coming to Tech's cross country invitational on Sept. 13. Moreover, Tech was no longer invited to run at the Warhawk Invitational on Sept. 20.

"Stunned, flabbergasted — I don't know how else to put it," Stanley said. "I was told, 'this goes back to what your AD said.'"

That 'AD' is Louisiana Tech athletics director and football coach Derek Dooley, who dismissed the idea of playing ULM in football at a recent booster meeting in Bastrop. Located 30 miles apart, ULM and Tech haven't played on the gridiron since 2000.

ULM's response to Dooley's stance appears to be all or nothing. The football freeze is carrying over to other sports.

In a prepared statement, ULM athletics director Bobby Staub commented on the decision: "In light of recent events, we have decided to go in a different direction with our scheduling."

ULM and Louisiana Tech recently signed a six-year contract for men's basketball and a one-year contract for volleyball. ULM intends to honor those agreements.

But ULM evidently will not consider scheduling games or contests with Louisiana Tech that are not currently under contract. Annual meetings between the two schools in baseball, softball, cross country and track and field are apparent casualties of the deteriorating relationship between the universities.

Louisiana Tech and ULM met twice on the baseball diamond in 2008. The universities also played each other once in women's basketball, once in tennis and a total of 10 times in softball.

ULM supporter Scott McDonald, a former baseball player at the school, applauded the move.

"I believe that's an appropriate reaction to Dooley's remarks, which I found to be very offensive to anyone associated with the Warhawk family," McDonald said.

But Stanley strongly disapproved of the decision, saying the rescheduling would cost his program "thousands of dollars."

"Just from a budgetary standpoint I don't understand it," Stanley said. "Everyone nowadays is complaining about the cost of travel. So why choose to go out of your way to prove a point?

"For my 26 years at Tech, we've gone over to their meet and they've come over to ours — every year. It just doesn't make sense to me; it's cutting off your nose to spite your face. Maybe we ought to re-examine this whole situation. That's my hope."

By Matthew Hamilton • mhamilton@monroe.gannett.com • June 27, 2008

Edited June 27, 2008 by MeanGreen61

[Eagle1855]

stupid on both schools part. they need to be in the same conference as this is a true rivalry. think ut would ever not want to play the aggies in any sport?

that's true. In college football there are many great rivalries. You've got your Ohio State-Michigan, your USC-UCLA, your UT-A&M, and then you've got La Tech-ULM.

Tragedy has befallen the state of Louisiana. Again.

[DeepGreen]

"Just from a budgetary standpoint I don't understand it," Stanley said. "Everyone nowadays is complaining about the cost of travel. So why choose to go out of your way to prove a point?

Because your dumb ass university has always wanted "seperation" in athletics. Well now you have it.

[ADLER]

In a way, each of us has an El Guapo to face. For some, shyness might be their El Guapo. For others, a lack of education might be their El Guapo. For ULM, El Guapo is a tiny little school located down the road in impoverished Lincoln Parish, Louisiana. But as sure as his name is Bobby Staub, the people of UL-Monroe can conquer their own personal El Guapo!

[Stan R]

great move by ULM. Make Tech sweat it out. This will probably get the Tech AD fired...

[badgerwolf]

Because your dumb ass university has always wanted "seperation" in athletics. Well now you have it.

The arrogance of Tech is hilarious; a couple posts from the Tech Board:

Fan #1: Dooley needs to do some back channel repair damage to end this drama. Maybe he could use the Cajuns athletic director. If this spirals out of control every team in hte Sun Belt may join the ULM boycott.

Response from Fan #2: Who else is in the Sun Belt?

[Quoner]

that's true. In college football there are many great rivalries. You've got your Ohio State-Michigan, your USC-UCLA, your UT-A&M, and then you've got La Tech-ULM.

Tragedy has befallen the state of Louisiana. Again.

Hurricane Dooley takes no prisoners

[TIgreen01]

Dang....I now wish that we would have done this to smu after they announced that they'd support LaTech over UNT for CUSA membership. ULM is my new second favorite college program!!

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

---Louisiana Monroe last year defeated Alabama and also FAU which won the SunBelt... La Tech did about nothing. If LaTech wants to trash La-Monroe... fine... La -Monroe should just ignore them and move on and let LaTech just rot. It the long run Monroe may be the more recognized school, LaTech is so isolated from the rest of its conference and nothing resembling a conference rival and no one cares about them (not in much a fan market either, the entire town of Ruston is smaller than the NT enrollment) . Tech's day in the sun is probably over. The town of Monroe is about triple the population of Ruston.

---Perhaps we should do the same to SMU which trashes us.

[Eagle1855]

---Perhaps we should do the same to SMU which trashes us.

At the risk of shooting myself in the head, does SMU really "trash" us? I mean besides fans talking trash (much in the same way as everywhere else in college football), I havent ever heard the administration take shots at us.

[Arkstfan]

At the risk of shooting myself in the head, does SMU really "trash" us? I mean besides fans talking trash (much in the same way as everywhere else in college football), I havent ever heard the administration take shots at us.

That's why ULM had to respond. Fan comments, even a few coach comments you pay little to no attention to. From the Athletic Director, you have no choice but respond.

[KAjunRaider]

That's why ULM had to respond. Fan comments, even a few coach comments you pay little to no attention to. From the Athletic Director, you have no choice but respond.

If the entire SBC boycotts LaTech, they will be in a world of hurt. Didn't Tech's baseball coach come from the Cajun program? I don't see them dissolving that series.

I wonder if it'll get ugly enough for the Louisiana State Legislature to step in?

I've heard a couple of "inside" stories about Dooley. He seems to not be very professional...... at all.

[greenjoe]

I have instructed my wife not to do any more shopping in Ruston.

I'm impressed with the position of Louisiana-Monroe. They've always been one of my favorite teams to beat, but on this, I'm all for them.

Go Warhawks (except Oct. 18)

Go Sun Belt

GO MEAN GREEN

[gangrene]

This is great! Where's that popcorn-eating smiley?

[VideoEagle]

I have instructed my wife not to do any more shopping in Ruston.

You're in luck as other towns have Wal-Mart was well. In fact, other towns might beat Ruston and have a Super Wal-Mart.

Edited June 27, 2008 by VideoEagle

[Stan R]

that's true. In college football there are many great rivalries. You've got your Ohio State-Michigan, your USC-UCLA, your UT-A&M, and then you've got La Tech-ULM.

Tragedy has befallen the state of Louisiana. Again.

I nominate this post to go in the GMG.com posting hall of fame. We need a Hall of Fame posts permanent folder to house gems like this. Otherwise, what will we hand down to our kids? How will we pass forward our heritage? Our legacy? How will I explain to my kids when they are grown that we have not saved the greatness of our first ballot witty ambiguously gay poster? Immortalize them, i say.