Louisiana Tech Bulldog Basketball releases 2017-18 schedule

RUSTON – Louisiana Tech head coach Eric Konkol announced on Thursday the 2017-18 Bulldog Basketball schedule which is highlighted by 16 home games and two neutral site tournaments in Cancun, Mexico and New Orleans.

For the first time since 1978, LA Tech will open the regular season with three straight home games, starting with the season opener against UT Tyler on Nov. 10.

“We are excited about opportunities in our non-conference schedule to compete against strong competition in outstanding venues as we prepare for Conference USA play,” Konkol said. “We will challenge ourselves against quality opponents at home, away and on neutral sites while playing in a pair of two-day tournaments. Strength, balance and variety was important to us in our non-conference schedule and we are pleased with the end result.”

The Bulldogs will then host Southeast Missouri State on Nov. 13 and Montana State on Nov. 18 as part of the 2017 Cancun Challenge.

The team will next head to Mexico and face off against George Mason on Nov. 21 at the all-inclusive Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya. As part of the Riviera Division, the Bulldogs will then play against either Fresno State or Evansville the following day. Both games will be nationally televised on the CBS Sports Network.

The first true road game for LA Tech comes on Nov. 29 at Alabama. It will mark the third straight year the Bulldogs will go on the road and face a team from the SEC.

The ‘Dogs return home for four straight games inside the Thomas Assembly Center against Miles College, Stephen F. Austin, Jackson State and Louisiana-Lafayette.

The other marquee non-conference game comes on Dec. 16 at Texas. Non-conference play then concludes on Dec. 21-22 with the Bulldogs playing in the New Orleans Shootout against Alabama State and Liberty/Fort Wayne.

For a fourth straight year, the Bulldogs will play an 18-game Conference USA schedule, starting on Dec. 28 in Bowling Green, Kentucky against the Hilltoppers. They will play everybody once and five teams (UTEP, UTSA, Southern Miss, Middle Tennessee and UAB) twice in a home/away series.

The one-time opponents will include road games at WKU, Marshall, Florida Atlantic and FIU while the home games will be versus North Texas, Rice, Charlotte and Old Dominion.

The regular season concludes on March 3 at Southern Miss.

The 2018 C-USA Tournament will be hosted at the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas on March 7-10.

Fans can purchase or renew their season tickets for the upcoming season by calling the LA Tech Ticket Office at 318-257-3631 or by going online at LATechSports.com/tickets. The renewal deadline is set for Oct. 2.

Season ticket holders are entitled to renewing the same seats as long as they are renewed by the deadline. In addition, by renewing or purchasing season tickets online, the processing fee will be waived.

For all the latest in Bulldog Basketball, follow them on Twitter (@LATechHoops), Instagram (@LATechHoops) and Facebook (LATechMBB) or visit the official website at LATechSports.com.