Sept. 6, 2010

RUSTON, La. -

2010-11 Schedule

Louisiana Tech will play nine teams from Louisiana and Texas including a season opening game at the University of Texas as part of the 2010-11 men's basketball schedule which was released Monday.

Tech will travel to Austin to take on the Longhorns at the Frank Erwin Center on Nov. 10 at a time yet to be determined. Texas leads the all-time series 2-0 with the last meeting taking place in 2002.

"I am honored to play at the University of Texas against a premiere program and to participate in a game that represents such a great cause," said head coach Kerry Rupp.

The game against Texas is a part of the 2010 Coaches vs. Cancer Classic, but no matter the outcome in the game, Texas will join Pittsburgh, Maryland and Illinois in the championship rounds in New York City. The Longhorns were 24-10 last season and spent two weeks atop both Top 25 polls in mid-January. The Big 12 Conference member advanced to its 12th-straight NCAA Tournament and has been to five Sweet Sixteen's over the last nine years.

Louisiana Tech faces Austin College in its home opener on Nov. 13 before hosting Conference USA opponent Houston on Nov. 17.

They then continue play in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic in Irvine, Calf., one of the four subregional sites. There, Tech will play Seattle University on Nov. 19, Navy on Nov. 20 and UC Irvine on Nov. 21. The Bulldogs faced Seattle in Alaska during the 2008-09 season as part of the Great Alaska Shootout. This will be the first ever meeting for Tech against Navy and UC Irvine.

On Nov. 27, Tech makes a return trip to UALR after beating the Trojans 86-66 at the Thomas Assembly Center last season.

C-USA member SMU visits the TAC for the first time in six seasons on Dec. 1. Then on Dec. 4, Louisiana-Monroe makes a return trip to Ruston. Last season, Tech beat the Warhawks in Monroe, 76-73 and leads the all-time series 48-36.

"Playing two outstanding C-USA programs, along with 9 of our 15 non conference games against Texas and Louisiana schools is fulfilling one of the goals we set as a program and that is to play as many games regionally as possible," Rupp said.

Tech then faces Northwestern State for the second consecutive season on Dec. 7 and McNeese State for the seventh-straight season on Dec. 11. The games start a three-game road swing that concludes at Houston Baptist on Dec. 14.

For the first time since the Bulldog's sweet sixteen season of 1984-85, Tech will face Texas-Arlington on Dec. 18 in Ruston. Then on Dec. 21, Tech heads to Iowa City, Iowa to face the Iowa Hawkeyes for the third-ever meeting between the two schools and the first since 2001.

The Bulldogs open Western Athletic Conference play on Dec. 29 at Boise State before heading to Idaho to play the Vandals on New Year's Eve. A Jan. 6 meeting with Fresno State starts Tech's longest homestand of the season as they then hosts San Jose State on Jan. 13 and Hawai'i on Jan. 15.

In the midst of the WAC schedule, Tech will head to North Dakota to face the Fighting Sioux for the second time ever and the first since 1967. On Feb. 19, the Bulldogs will host one of ESPNU's annual BracketBuster games. Tech has won its past five BracketBuster contests including last season's 70-67 win at Northeastern.

The 2011 WAC Tournament will take place in Las Vegas, Nev. March 9-12.

Visit coachesvscancer.com for more information on the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic. For the entire schedule and all things Louisiana Tech, visit latechsports.com.