Aug. 19, 2010
RUSTON - Less than 18 hours after Nevada and Fresno State surprised the Western Athletic Conference by announcing their intentions to join the Mountain West Conference, Louisiana Tech officials pledged to continue to move the University's athletic program forward with their eyes on the future.
Following a day of speculation, rumor and ultimately surprising moves by two of its current league partners, LA Tech President Dr. Dan Reneau said that the University is confident in its ability to be a strong member of the Western Athletic Conference.
"The landscape of college athletics is constantly changing," said Tech President Dr. Dan Reneau. "Moving forward, I am confident that Louisiana Tech will continue to position itself for future growth and athletic excellence."
Tech Athletics Director Bruce Van De Velde said that it will continue to position itself for the future, including on-going plans for the $20 million dollar Quest for Excellence capital campaign which has already raised more than half of the necessary funds for the 90,000-plus square foot facility which will be built in the south end-zone of Joe Aillet Stadium.
"Louisiana Tech has never been defined by its association with any one or two schools," Van De Velde said. "We have positioned ourselves to be a strong and proud member of any conference, and we will focus our vision on the present and the future. Conference realignment will continue to evolve. However, our fans and alumni should be reassured that the University and athletic department are doing everything to continue the momentum and progress that we've established over the past few years."
Fresno State and Nevada's announcement Wednesday night surprised the entire league. Early in the day, media outlets began to report that current Mountain West member BYU was positioning itself to announce that it would be going Independent in football and joining the WAC in all other sports.
However, BYU's decision has been put in jeopardy by the decision of Nevada and Fresno State.
"In the past the WAC has shown an incredible resiliency in these types of transitions, and the six remaining schools will continue that trend as we look towards the future," said WAC Commissioner Karl Benson during a 90-minute media teleconference Thursday at lunchtime.
Van De Velde said that many of the unanswered questions surrounding the recent moves would hopefully be answered or at least clarified in the coming weeks as the league office and remaining six school's presidents and athletic directors meet to discuss the future of the WAC and its members.
