La. Tech AD on Tim Brando: Quotes

[MelRock]

Tech's AD is suppose to be on Tim Brando show at 10:47

[jllanclos]

"We were told by Heart of Dallas and Liberty that there was a lot of interest in La. Tech."

"Independence Bowl invited late last week. They called wanting a decision. I told them I'd get back to them. We thought these other bowls (New Year's Day) was a special opportunity and the logical next step for our program."

I-Bowl called back during OU-TCU game and said they needed a decision by the end of the game.

We felt we had built up political capital. In '08, we were there for the I-Bowl when they needed us. Coach Dooley turned down an opportunity to go to Houston.

"I felt that Ohio would have been available to them on Sunday."

ULM:

"That wasn't a factor. The opportunity to play against a Big Ten team is more appealing.

Bowls disingenuous when they said they were considering you?

"I think the Liberty Bowl was, yes. They had told us and the WAC commissioner that they were definately going to take us."

[VObserver]

"We were told by Heart of Dallas and Liberty that there was a lot of interest in La. Tech."

"Independence Bowl invited late last week. They called wanting a decision. I told them I'd get back to them. We thought these other bowls (New Year's Day) was a special opportunity and the logical next step for our program."

I-Bowl called back during OU-TCU game and said they needed a decision by the end of the game.

We felt we had built up political capital. In '08, we were there for the I-Bowl when they needed us. Coach Dooley turned down an opportunity to go to Houston.

"I felt that Ohio would have been available to them on Sunday."

ULM:

"That wasn't a factor. The opportunity to play against a Big Ten team is more appealing.

Bowls disingenuous when they said they were considering you?

"I think the Liberty Bowl was, yes. They had told us and the WAC commissioner that they were definately going to take us."

I call BS. On several counts.. Not only did they not HELP the Indy in 2008, they screwed the bowl out of a ton of ticket revenue by refusing to play UL or ASU. Not only was playing ULM a factor in their decision, it was THE overriding factor. The Liberty bowl was NEVER going to take a 9-3 Tech team over a 9-3 ASU [Ended up taking neither, but it was never going to be Tech, regardless].

[GoneGolfin]

Listening to Van de Velde, it is now confirmed through a Louisiana Tech official that the Independence Bowl did want a Louisiana Tech vs. ULM matchup, a matchup that Tech fans are desperately claiming was not desirable by the Independence Bowl. Van de Velde clearly articulated that it came down to the Independence Bowl choosing not to wait for whatever MAC team(s) were there in the end ... and wanted an answer from Tech.

I was disappointed that Brando did not challenge Van de Velde on his assertion that Ohio would have been there in the end and that the Indy Bowl could have waited. Had the Indy Bowl not locked up Ohio on Sunday when they did, they might have been stuck with a 6-6 Central Michigan team or some other less desirable MAC team. The Independence Bowl did what they had to do.

Brian

[jllanclos]

Here's the segment if you want to hear it for yourself:

BleedTechBlue.com ‏@BleedTechBlue
#LATech AD Bruce Van De Velde was on the @TimBrando show here is the segment: http://btb.me/TEUSfz

[jllanclos]

I was disappointed that Brando did not challenge Van de Velde on his assertion that Ohio would have been there in the end and that the Indy Bowl could have waited. Had the Indy Bowl not locked up, they might have been stuck with a 6-6 Central Michigan team or some other less desirable MAC team. The Independence Bowl did what they had to do.

Brian

It wasn't a given that a MAC team would be available, either. The LCPB gave up their first choice of MAC teams, so that a 7th MAC team could get in (through at-large bids). Had this not happened, the only remaining team would have been MT.

Not everyone has a Ruston education. We all saw it in broad daylight. Nice try, though.

[awadelewis]

The thing that people haven't picked on from the comments by Tech's AD is that they've just shot to Hades any sort of credibility Tech might have had with the Shreveport business community. Seems to contradict all the noise that came from their admins saying they're part of the Shreveport community. I'd expect that saying "We don't think you're good enough for us" will come back to bite them the next time they try to play the "Give us LSU-HSC Shreveport and LSU-S so we can have a medical school" card.

[moorecajun]

I call BS. On several counts.. Not only did they not HELP the Indy in 2008, they screwed the bowl out of a ton of ticket revenue by refusing to play UL or ASU. Not only was playing ULM a factor in their decision, it was THE overriding factor. The Liberty bowl was NEVER going to take a 9-3 Tech team over a 9-3 ASU [Ended up taking neither, but it was never going to be Tech, regardless].

You are right, total BS on all of it!

I will start the over/under on how many days from their decision (Saturday) till Van Helsing has to resign; I say 7 days (this Saturday) is the bet and I go UNDER!

The winner gets free beer on Friday at the concert in New Orleans! For one hour, not all day!

[moorecajun]

It wasn't a given that a MAC team would be available, either. The LCPB gave up their first choice of MAC teams, so that a 7th MAC team could get in (through at-large bids). Had this not happened, the only remaining team would have been MT.

Not everyone has a Ruston education. We all saw it in broad daylight. Nice try, though.

yeah, a Ruston education is hard to equal!

[moorecajun]

The thing that people haven't picked on from the comments by Tech's AD is that they've just shot to Hades any sort of credibility Tech might have had with the Shreveport business community. Seems to contradict all the noise that came from their admins saying they're part of the Shreveport community. I'd expect that saying "We don't think you're good enough for us" will come back to bite them the next time they try to play the "Give us LSU-HSC Shreveport and LSU-S so we can have a medical school" card.

They (Shreveport) will remember this for a long time!

[GoneGolfin]

It wasn't a given that a MAC team would be available, either. The LCPB gave up their first choice of MAC teams, so that a 7th MAC team could get in (through at-large bids). Had this not happened, the only remaining team would have been MT.

Not everyone has a Ruston education. We all saw it in broad daylight. Nice try, though.

Spot on ... and is one of the reasons why it was likely a Sun Belt team was going to be left out. That is, on Sunday the Independence Bowl had their second spot open. But one spot was already occupied by a Sun Belt team. The Indy Bowl needed to ensure that they were not stuck with a choice of Western Kentucky or Middle Tennessee. That would have been a disaster. I wish Brando would have offered this in defense of the Indy Bowl.

Brian

[jllanclos]

Not only that, but he's on record nationally saying the Liberty Bowl was disengenuous (his word, not mine). Basically said they strung him and Wac commish along the whole time.

So, to sum up:

They're going to go wherever the hell CUSA tells them from now on.

They have almost no chance of getting an at-large bid in any bowl in the next 10 years, unless the bowl has no other options.

I'd say these interviews were a bad idea, bro.