La. Tech, Grambling to meet in Ruston in 2019
Louisiana Tech produced the second-largest crowd in Joe Aillet Stadium history in 2015 by bringing in Southern, an in-state program with a traveling fan base, for the home opener.
Now, Tech is tapping into Southern's rival, and the program had to travel just a few miles down the interstate to find a future nonconference home game that will likely feature another large crowd.
HBCUsports.com reported over the weekend Tech and Grambling will play Sept. 7, 2019 in Ruston, which marks just the second time the two will meet in program history. The previous meeting came in 2010 at Independence Stadium in Shreveport.
"That's a big thing. We're kind of two minutes from each other so it's very beneficial for both programs, for the economy and for the area," Grambling coach Broderick Fobbs said Monday on the Southwestern Athletic Conference teleconference. "It will definitely be a boom to this economy. It's big for the city of Grambling and for the city of Ruston and all other cities around close by. It's big for us. It's also big for them and it's one of those situations where it benefits both programs. It's a good deal."
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Talks between Tech and Grambling date back to last year. Since Fobbs took over the job in 2013, he's indicated a willingness and interest to play area teams like Tech. Earlier this summer, Fobbs said he was interested to play Grambling since, at the time, Tech had FCS openings in 2018 and 2019.
Tech will pay Grambling a $300,000 game guarantee, which is around what Tech has paid FCS teams and HBCUs to come to Ruston in the past. Tech paid Southern $350,000 in 2015, South Carolina State $325,000 this past September and is paying Northwestern State $275,000 for a 2017 game.
The 2015 game against Southern drew 27,905 fans to Joe Aillet Stadium.
Tech opens 2019 at Texas and plays at Bowling Green. Tech's fourth nonconference game is a home date with UMass as part of the home-and-home agreement from 2014. Tech plays at UMass this weekend.
"I hadn't been informed of that, but it's great. I said this before, I look at playing Southern, Lafayette, and I know Monroe's right down the road and Grambling is right here," Tech coach Skip Holtz said Monday. "I think those are great games for our players. I think they're great games for our fan base. I think they're great games for our state. I think it's awesome. I'd be excited to play that game."
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The 2019 date with Grambling will mark Tech's fifth home opener against an in-state FCS school since 2014.
Grambling is playing a similar game in 2017 when it opens the season at Tulane.
The proximity between Tech and Grambling makes the game attractive due to minimal travel expenses and the ability for Grambling fans to fill up Joe AIllet Stadium.
But one of the bigger reasons the game was agreed upon is Fobbs' relationship with Tech athletic director Tommy McCelland that dates back to their time at McNeese State.
"The relationship with the athletic director had everything to do with it. He's always someone I spent a lot of time with," Fobbs said. "If we're not eating dinner together at his house or whatever the case may be, we spent a lot of time with each other. It's definitely one of those situations where, of course, he's trying to help our program and we're trying to help them. It's a good deal for both of us."
When asked if Tech and Grambling will continue the relationship in the future, Fobbs said, "We'll see how it goes."
"Anytime you get those types of deals with what's being offered, you have to jump at them," he said. "Hopefully in the future it continues to be a good relationship, a good situation for both programs and not just both programs but all other programs in the immediate area."