Tech trips shorter, spending less in C-USA

[Coach Bill Lewis]

The days of cross-country travel for Louisiana Tech athletics are over after the Bulldogs left the Western Athletic Conference in favor of the more regional Conference USA.

Student-athletes and fans rejoice about most games being in the same or adjacent time zone as opposed to the multiple time zone trips to the West Coast.

But does fewer miles traveled mean more dollars in the Tech athletics budget?

Yes and no, says Marie Gilbert, an associate athletics director and chief financial officer for Louisiana Tech.

Gilbert said the football team is making the same number of chartered flights (five), as they did in 2012, but the shorter distance of those flights amounts to an estimated 10 percent savings in football travel expenses.

(The trips) just arent to Hawaii and San Jose State, Gilbert said. Were still making three flights for conference games and then the two additional flights in non-conference (North Carolina State and Kansas).

Next year depending on the non-conference schedule, the (savings) might be even more.

The Bulldogs will fly to Florida International, UTEP and UTSA in conference play.

Other road or neutral games include Army (in Dallas) and Rice (Houston).

Techs mileage is significantly less in 2013 than its previous 12 years in the WAC.

The Bulldogs will travel 3,965 miles total in seven road games, averaging 566 miles per trip.

The 2012 Dogs averaged 774 miles per trip while the highest average trip came in 2008 1,616 miles per trip. That included a flight to Hawaii, which hosted Tech four times in the last 12 seasons.

For all sports, Gilbert estimates a total savings of about $150,000 for 2013-14 although cost estimates arent finalized for the coming season.

Read more: http://www.thenewsstar.com/article/20130805/SPORTS/308050026/Tech-trips-shorter-spending-less-C-USA?nclick_check=1

[SilverEagle]

So, since they seem to have gotten much better bang for their athletic bucks than we have in the last ten years (or more), I'm really looking forward to them getting an additional 150K to spend every year...............