RUSTON, La.— Louisiana Tech’s campus is already sporting Sun Belt Conference logos as the Bulldogs prepare to officially join the league July 1, a move university officials say is already paying dividends for athletics.
“Think about what we have. You think about the history of the brand. We feel like we've had a lot of success over the years. ... Being in the Sun Belt again allows us to really grow that brand and really strengthen it moving forward,” Athletics Director Ryan Ivey said.
Ivey said season-ticket sales for football have surged and the Bulldogs will play six Saturday home games for the first time since 2017 — a schedule change he and head coach Sonny Cumbie say will boost community engagement.
“The city of Ruston and North Louisiana thrive on Saturday game days,” Cumbie said. “... It's a great opportunity for people to come together on Friday in Ruston and go to restaurants and stay in hotels and just frequent all the places that they remember when they went to school here.”
Ivey pointed to a favorable October slate — including matchups with Army, UL-Lafayette, Southern Miss and Northwestern State — that keeps the team close to home in Lincoln or Ouachita Parishes for the month. He said renewing regional rivalries has been a key factor driving ticket demand.
“There’s a little bit of old-fashioned hate with those two, right? I mean, that's part of what makes it fun. But we can hate somebody on Saturday and love them again on Sunday,” Ivey said.
Lady Techsters coach Brooke Stoehr said the move also matters to student-athletes who remember the history and rivalries with other Sun Belt schools.
“For me as a student athlete, it goes back to my first three years having a lot of history with those schools that are still in the Sun Belt. So I think it's just exciting for our student athletes and exciting for our fans,” Stoehr said.
The Tiger great is set to join the Mizzou Athletics Hall of Fame, becoming the first inductee announced for the Class of 2026. Bolton heard the news from Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, his current boss.
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