https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/lsu-f ... e-program/


"Louisiana Tech AD Tommy McClelland said Thursday, Louisiana Tech wants no part of sharing a neighborhood with Louisiana-Lafayette.

“There is no conversation at Conference USA, nor is there any interest. I don’t know how direct I can be with that,” he said. “If I were in Lafayette’s position, I’d be figuring out a way to move up to a level like Conference USA, and so congratulations on that conversation."

Classy guy, glad he’s not our AD.

UL already moved up...when App joined the SunBelt. I’d like to go against La Tech in a bowl or out of conference game to slap them around some. They’d probably be afraid to play us like half the rest of their conference has already shown.

There is longstanding bad blood between those two institutions, but that doesn't excuse his idiotic statement.

Did their AD come from Stink? He sounds like one of those knuckle dragging, window lickers.

Just dumb, myopic pettiness where broad vision is needed. Every school in both conferences would benefit from realignment and all he can think about is a dumb rivalry. Plus he's stuck in 2010 if he thinks CUSA is a "move up" from the Sun Belt.

"move up to a level like Conference USA"

The same Conference USA that App is currently undefeated against?

S. Miss. beat App in 2014, missed two extra points and a FG to lose by one.

App State 6-1 against C-USA including 2-0 in bowl games. The one loss came the year we weren't even bowl eligible. I know other Sun Belt schools can't brag like that, but C-USA is not a big jump from Sun Belt. One could even argue a step down.

Saint3333 wrote: ↑

Fri May 29, 2020 9:23 am

S. Miss. beat App in 2014, missed two extra points and a FG to lose by one.

Damn kickers.

More lunacy from the folks over at Left Twix.

/\PP ST/\TE GRAD 09 wrote: ↑

Fri May 29, 2020 9:24 am

App State 6-1 against C-USA including 2-0 in bowl games. The one loss came the year we weren't even bowl eligible. I know other Sun Belt schools can't brag like that, but C-USA is not a big jump from Sun Belt. One could even argue a step down.

And we had to cancel Southern Miss's 2018 return game due to a hurricane. Considering they went 6-5 that year, including a loss to a pretty bad Charlotte team, and we were fresh off our close call at Penn State and a shellacking of Charlotte, I don't think it's unreasonable to think we might have ended up 7-1, all-time.

I know this a pretty small sample size, but I just ain't skeered of C-USA. And without a reshuffling of the conferences, I would consider it slightly less than a lateral move.

ULL would drag them in football right now. Which I'm sure their AD knows this and is talking trash from a safe distance knowing that it won't be settled on the field.

If I'm a LTU fan, this is exactly what I would want my AD saying so he's just doing what his donor base expects. There is no love lost between the LA schools and I think anyone in the know, including fans of the 2 conferences, realize LaTech has zero desire to share a conference with ULL and ULM.. On the other hand, what he says about no conversations happening about realignment might be true. However, it may also be true that the discussions are taking place and he's just not involved or unaware.

I imagine he also knows that CUSA is no longer a "level up" as the tv money is a wash and both conferences are 1 bid leagues for "the dance". Since the SBC has less mouths to feed and the conference has been finishing higher ranked, our members are making more from the CFP shares. Exposure wise, SBC games are all on the same platform unlike their jumbled tv deal. About the only perceived positive CUSA may have over the SBC is with their bowl set up since they do actually have a game against an A5 team.

With ESPN now getting 1st picks on SBC bowls, this might change the one positive CUSA has over the SBC. I'm not as enamored as some fans with playing a A5 in a bowl game, just for the sake of playing a A5. I'd much prefer having a good solid match-up regardless of conference affiliation.

this guy looks like the kind of guy that doesn't have time to do a risk analysis. CUSA is a more unsustainable model than the sunbelt. If common accord cannot be reached among the teams, and this becomes a war of attrition, its going to get ugly for everybody but CUSA will be losing more money faster. If this is how this guy acts in private, La Tech is running the risk of getting left out of any realignment as i can't imagine anybody likes working with him, and its not like La Tech brings anything special to the table.

its one thing for fans to trade barbs on social media, its another thing entirely for the AD to call out another school publicly and in such a prickish fashion. frankly surprised he made it this far up the ladder without being more politic.

I posted this on CSNBBS. I only have 2 other comments:
1. Being in a conference with UNCC would be nice for a lot of our fans to have another close game to go to and stadium to take over, but it benefits them way more than it benefits us.
2. Wow I appreciate Doug Gillin.

We also need to realize there is a difference between CUSA wanting to be in a conference with App State and with wanting to be in the Sunbelt. Take away us, ULLLLLLLL and Arkie and there ain't much left.

that guy is a tool though. I can't get excited about being in a conference with him.

That guy is a tool for sure. He may be saying what his alumni want him to say but he did not have to take a dig at them. I don't think La Tech is so superior to Louisiana that they can really look down on them. LSU looks down on La Tech even more than La Tech looks down on Louisiana and they don't like it. lol

With all that said the only way we can get respect is to win. We have to beat these teams and have a record like we do with CUSA right now. You know the old saying if you can't beat them, join them. Well, we keep beating them and CUSA or AAC will have to invite us to join because it would look bad if they don't.

Based on the article on CBS I would not be surprised if the 90-100 schools bolt from NCAA and ULL, ULM, and La Tech are in a league together because it makes too much sense not to be. Just like Charlotte is a step down from us competitively right now but it makes sense for the new look D1 to have ECU, App, Charlotte, ODU, etc in the same league. It may also be the only legit way to make all of it work if we all break away. I just hope we can get an invite to the AAC.

This from the team that recently had a 4th and goal from their own 7 due to an 87 yd loss on a bad snap.....I'd love to play them. Bring it on LT!

NavyApp wrote: ↑

Fri May 29, 2020 10:32 am

ULL would drag them in football right now. Which I'm sure their AD knows this and is talking trash from a safe distance knowing that it won't be settled on the field.

I'm not sure they would have dragged them in 2019 but I do think UL would have won. Tech had a pretty good team and was in the "others receiving votes" for a good piece of the season. I know that these two schools have a heated and ugly rivalry but I thought it was ULM that Tech usually threw under the bus in statements like this.

If only we could be so lucky to move up to a league that has their games on Tik Tok Live.