Conference USA revises league basketball schedule to Friday-Saturday format

RUSTON — The Conference USA Board of Directors approved an updated format for its men’s and women’s basketball scheduling that will move conference competition to Friday and Saturday, the league announced Thursday.

As previously released, C-USA will transition to an 18-game regular season conference schedule for the 2020-21 season that keeps student-athlete health and safety at the forefront. Schools will play two games per visit at four select C-USA campuses, and will host four teams for a two-game series. Teams will also have a home-and-home opportunity with a designated rival opponent.

C-USA also implemented a requirement of at least 21 hours in between tipoffs to provide appropriate rest periods.

Thus, Louisiana Tech will play both its men’s and women’s league games on Friday and Saturday with the lone exception of the home-and-home weekend against its travel partner Southern Miss. Those games will be played on Thursday and Saturday (see schedule below).

LA Tech also announced its home game times for basketball (game times could change due to TV). Both teams will play its weekday games at 6:30 p.m. and Conference USA Saturday games at 6 p.m. (with the lone exception being the Bulldogs Jan. 30 game vs. USM at 2 p.m.). The Bulldogs and Lady Techsters each have one non-conference weekend game that tips in the afternoon.

In addition to reducing the amount of travel, moving to this Friday-Saturday format will allow teams to play and efficiently complete their testing protocol each week.

Regular season conference play for both men’s and women’s basketball will begin on January 1 and the final week of the regular season may be utilized to reschedule any postponed games.

Season tickets are currently on sale through the LA Tech Ticket Office. Fans can call (318) 257-3631 or go online at LATechSports.com/tickets. The renewal deadline has been moved back to Dec. 1 to accommodate fans wanting to make their purchases before the seasons begin later this month.

Both the men’s and women’s basketball teams will host 15 games in the TAC. The Lady Techsters open their season on Nov. 25 at home versus McNeese State while the Bulldogs get started on Nov. 27 at home against UT Arlington in the Louisiana Tech Classic.

The Louisiana Tech Athletics Department will implement a number of new measures this basketball season in the Thomas Assembly Center.

As mandated by the C-USA Board of Directors, the seating capacity for both the Bulldogs and Lady Techsters for the 2020-21 basketball season will be limited to 15 percent that allows for 1,200 fans (TAC has a maximum capacity of 8,000).

All season ticket holders will be able to fit comfortably within this limited capacity. Fans will be socially-distanced amongst the lower bowl (red seats) and a handful of sections in the upper bowl (blue seats). Lower bowl seats can be guaranteed for any new season ticket holders wishing to sit there.