An agreement has been reached between Louisiana Tech and Conference USA that allows Tech to leave Conference USA and join the Sun Belt this summer. Terms of the out-of-court settlement have not been released, but Matt Belinson of the Ruston Leader says Louisiana Tech most likely had to pay a hefty exit fee.
“Front Office Sports, a couple of weeks ago, they’re a reputable, they know what they’re doing; they were able to report that Louisiana Tech’s buyout figure was over $8 million,” Belinson said.
Even though the move to the Sun Belt will cost the university a pretty penny, Belinson believes it’s one that will end up favoring Louisiana Tech when all is said and done.
“I think, in the long run, when you just talk about the regionality and the money saved on travel, Louisiana Tech expects to save between $1 million and $1.5 million annually in travel expenses. And so, when you’re looking at all those factors, I think Louisiana Tech definitely made the move that was right for them,” Belinson explained.
Not only will Louisiana Tech save money by traveling far less than they had to, but Belinson says the move will also favor the athletes.
“They’re going to travel 22,000 fewer miles; an average of 66 hours of time per athlete that they’re saving as far as the stress of just getting on a plane and traveling late nights, early mornings, and just hotels and all that sort of stuff,” Belinson said.
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