RUSTON, La. – Just two days after the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) announced that it was cancelling all competitions for the fall, Louisiana Tech announced Wednesday that it has signed a contract with Southland Conference foe Houston Baptist.

The home game against the Huskies, a Football Championship Series opponent, is set for Saturday, Sept. 19, at Joe Aillet Stadium. It will replace the previously scheduled game against SWAC foe Prairie View A&M, a contest that was canceled with the SWAC's announcement Monday.

The game against Houston Baptist will mark the first ever match-up between the two football programs. Game time will be announced in the near future.

With the addition of the contest, Louisiana Tech keeps its five-game home slate intact for the upcoming year. Skip Holtz and Co. recorded a 10-3 record in 2019, the first 10-win season since 1984.  One of those victories was a 14-0 shutout over Miami (Fla.) in the 2019 Walk On's Independence Bowl.  The program has now won six bowl games in six consecutive years (2014-19), the longest active streak in the nation.

Season tickets are on sale through the Tech Ticket Office. The University has announced a ticket assurance plan for football season ticket holders in preparation for the 2020 season at Joe Aillet Stadium. 

In the event that any of the home football games are canceled as a result of the public health threat of COVID-19, season ticket holders will have the following options:

• Credit towards the 2021 home season (features six games, including a non-conference contest against SMU)
• Apply season ticket purchase to the Louisiana Tech Athletic Club (LTAC) as a donation for this year (100 percent tax deduction)
• Full refund on games that are impacted

At this time, LA Tech officials have not made a decision on any limited seating (i.e 50% capacity in Joe Aillet Stadium) but will look to make those determinations in the coming weeks as more information becomes available.

A payment plan option is available where fans can purchase or renew their season tickets using monthly payment plans through September. To take advantage of a payment plan or if there are any questions/concerns regarding 2020 Football season tickets, contact Director of Ticketing Sara Powell Harper at spharper@latech.edu or (318) 257-3631.

Renewals for the DAC can be made at www.latechalumni.org/DAC.  Limited seats are available for the 2020 season.  Those interested can contact Associate AD for Development Alan Savage at asavage@latechalumni.org or (318) 497-7987.

Louisiana Tech will move to mobile ticketing for the 2020-21 athletic seasons in order to increase flow through the gates, provide contactless points of entry, and improve health and safety for all fans at Bulldog and Lady Techster home games. 

The transition to mobile ticketing provides a contactless entry, which is the fastest and healthiest way to enter a stadium. Fans simply need to download tickets to their phone and have their barcode scanned upon entry. Mobile ticketing eliminates the risk of misplacing paper tickets and alleviates the wait to purchase at the box office.

Fans will be able to access both single game and season tickets through the Louisiana Tech Athletics app, am.ticketmaster.com/latech, or their email. Ticket purchases will take place online, and fans can immediately transfer their tickets to friends and family. There is also a print-at-home option for fans without a smartphone through their online account and email.

The transition to mobile ticketing requires fans to have up-to-date email addresses associated with their ticket accounts. Fans are encouraged to log in to their accounts at am.ticketmaster.com/latech in order to update their information. They can also call 318-257-3631 or email techtickets@latech.edu.

Additional information about how to access mobile tickets, including a step-by-step guide, will be available at latechsports.com/mobile-ticketing. The Louisiana Tech Athletic Department will also continue to collect FAQs and create instructional videos to provide a smooth transition into mobile ticketing.

Louisiana Tech is also partnering with DigitalSeat to upgrade its game programs as well as other interactive gameday elements. Programs will also be available online or through scanning QR codes, which will be located on every seat in Joe Aillet Stadium and the Thomas Assembly Center.

The option to scan a QR code will immediately connect fans to the program, regardless of their cell service or WiFi connectivity within Joe Aillet Stadium or the Thomas Assembly Center. New programs will include additional features like access to live statistics and special in-game offers.