September 7, 2005

"Tulane Tech": Green Wave moving to La Tech

Tulane is officially moving all of it's football players and coaches to the Ruston, LA campus of Louisiana Tech. The Green Wave will play most, if not all, of their games in Shreveport's Independence Bowl Stadium. While it's not a 100% done, signed & sealed deal to play every game in Shreveport, Head Coach Chris Scelfo said, "We’ve got it done."

Tulane's football team will be housed at Caruthers Dorm, which has about 300 rooms. The former student dorm had been closed down and was scheduled for demolition - the bulldozers were ready, Oakes said. Until Hurricane Katrina. The school repaired the building's air conditioning system and took in evacuees from the hurricane.

"It's not plush, but it's livable," Oakes said. The athletic director said Scelfo was happy with the accommodations on his visit to the campus Monday.

The Thomas Assembly Center, the school's basketball arena, which houses all of Louisiana Tech's athletic department's personnel (except for football), has two big banquet rooms and the Hall of Fame room. One side of the Waggoner Room will be used as the locker room for Tulane's football team while the other side will be used for equipment and storage. Dressing rooms in the arena will be used as shower facilities for the players.

The Hall of Fame room will be used for the coaches' offices.

Tulane will use the two weight rooms, the one inside the Thomas Assembly Center and the Karl Malone weight room at the football fieldhouse. The training room inside the Thomas Assembly Center also will be turned over to Tulane.

There are two practices facilities Tulane will use. The main practice field at the Jim Mize Track and Field Complex has two fields. Across the street, a field that is used for soccer, also will be available for Tulane when Tech is using the main practice field.

“What Louisiana Tech’s doing for us,” Scelfo said, “is unbelievable.”

Tulane had considered moving the team and playing home games in several locales, including Florida State, and Mobile's Ladd-Pebbles Stadium.

“If we’re able to create some kind of a venue for our own fans, that’s a priority. There’s a possibility (games won’t be in the same stadium). For all of our programs to operate, now that our traditional ways of generating revenue and support are stripped away, I’ve got to come up with the next best ways to generate revenue and support.”

The other Tulane sports will be spread across four Texas campuses:

- Tulane's volleyball, soccer, men’s basketball and women’s swimming & diving teams will be at Texas A&M in College Station
- Tulane’s women’s basketball team and baseball team will be at Texas Tech in Lubbock
- Tulane’s men’s and women’s tennis teams will compete and attend classes at Rice in Houston
- Tulane's men’s and women’s golf teams will compete and attend classes at SMU in Dallas