An Ant Can't, Can It? Can Tech?

Louisiana Tech is like the ant with the rubber tree plant. It has high hopes: high apple pie in the sky hopes. The ant knocked over the plant, so maybe Tech’s football team can overcome Shreveport’s overwhelming apathy when it comes to any college football other than LSU.

Tech, which has plans to play Texas A&M in Independence Stadium in 2009, has struck a deal to bring Clemson to town in 2008. This really is fantastic news for north Louisiana sports fans. Just be sure to check those dates again LSU’s home schedule. I did. They’ll be at Auburn when Clemson plays in Shreveport. That’s good. Maybe local people will actually show up. It’s telling, though that Tech Athletic Director Jim Oakes said, “Clemson travels very well and I wouldn't be surprised to see 10,000 of their fans at the game." He’s counting on a big crowd from the opponent.

In 1999, Texas A&M played Louisiana Tech in Shreveport in early September. The announced attendance was in excess of 40,000. It’s hard to say that the 50,000 seat stadium was 80% full for that game. It was obvious, however, that the majority of the fans there were Aggies. There was even a full-fledged A&M “yell practice” in festival Plaza in downtown Shreveport the night before the game. The event was treated almost like a bowl game for A&M.

Oakes took a little breathing space before brining quality opponents back to Shreveport. He would never admit it, but the 2003 game against the Miami Hurricanes was a disappointment. The Canes were a national championship contender. Shreveport product Brock Berlin was making his first start after transferring from Florida. Really now, can you get any bigger than Miami? Still, the stadium wasn’t even close to being filled. The announced crown was 43,000 and change. When tech defeated Oklahoma State in Shreveport in 2002, the stadium was approximately half full, with an announced attendance in excess of 31,000.

Every one of those games should have been a sell-out. Many of tech’s fickle fans are dead-set against any game being played in Shreveport. I’m not sure it’s a principle thing about playing on campus, either. I think a lot of people who reside, say east of Minden just don’t want to make the drive. Maybe they’re afraid of the stadium’s geography. Maybe they just don’t care enough.

I hope Oakes is right. I hope 10,000 or more Clemson fans roll into town. Everyone benefits if they do. I admire Oakes and the school’s administration for continuing the effort to elevate the program and to include Shreveport in the process.

There are tiny college towns all across America which hosts tens, even hundreds of thousands of visitors on five or six Autumn Saturdays. Shreveport, certainly larger than Ruston, can handle it. But, the town has to believe. The city has to embrace these games as events. The casual fan (and, yes, even the odd LSU fan) must accept Louisiana Tech.

Oakes continues to stab at giving Shreveport a home-town team it can support. A big-time program, if greeted with big-time attendance, will come back. Success will breed success, and then maybe we’re onto something.

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