Are ‘Dogs Belt bound?


May 2, 2004

Now that Conference USA’s appetite has been satisfied with Friday’s addition of Texas-El Paso, let the posturing begin.

The rumor mills are churning out product once again, and the most notable regional rumor has Louisiana Tech involved in a return to the Sun Belt Conference. The Bulldogs left the Sun Belt three years ago to seek supposedly bluer skies in the Western Athletic Conference.

It was a good idea at the time, considering that the WAC included nearby members Rice, SMU and Tulsa. But that group bolted for Conference USA in January, leaving an 870-mile trip to UTEP as Tech’s closest league rival.

Now that the Miners are gone, the Bulldogs have to travel to the Continental Divide, Las Cruces and New Mexico State to reach the nearest conference location.

Want some cities closer to Ruston than Las Cruces? Try Minneapolis ... Green Bay ... Detroit ... Pittsburgh ... Colorado Springs. Even Sioux Falls, South Dakota, requires less travel mileage.




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