Before Blue Bloods became Louisiana Tech's largest student organization, it began with a simple question:
How do we help more students find their place?
A few years ago, leaders within the athletic department began gathering through Louisiana Tech's Student Engagement Team, a collaborative group of executive-level student leadership designed to strengthen communication and coordination between student organizations, campus departments, and athletic leadership.
Those conversations revealed a common challenge.
Students were looking for more opportunities to belong.
Not every student can serve as a student government officer, orientation leader, fraternity president, or organization chair. At the same time, the college experience has changed dramatically over the last decade, requiring universities to rethink how they connect students to campus life.
"We had to spend more time understanding what students actually wanted instead of assuming we already knew," said Kyle Kavanaugh, Senior Associate Athletics Director for External Affairs and Chief Brand Officer. "A lot has changed in the last 20 years since I was a student here. The Student Engagement Team gave us a chance to listen, learn, and identify gaps where students were looking for opportunities to connect."
Kavanaugh, who founded Blue Bloods last spring and serves as the organization's faculty advisor, points out that through all those initial conversations, one opportunity became clear:Â "There were students who wanted to be involved. They simply needed a place to start, and Blue Bloods became that place."
The organization was created to provide a low-barrier entry point into campus life—one that welcomed students regardless of major, background, leadership experience, or previous involvement.
Students didn't have to win an election, secure an appointment, or hold a title. They simply had to show up.
What followed became one of the most successful student engagement initiatives in recent Louisiana Tech history.
A Movement Begins
In its inaugural year, Blue Bloods quickly grew from an idea into a movement.
More than 1,130 students registered as members during the 2025-26 academic year. Those students and their amplified reach generated more than 5,400 unique event check-ins and over 21,000 combined attendances across Louisiana Tech athletic events.
The impact was significant:Â More than half of Louisiana Tech's on-campus enrolled student body attended at least one athletic event during the year.
Students packed football games, including over 3,000 at last year's Homecoming game, energized basketball and baseball atmospheres, supported Olympic sports, and helped create some of the strongest student crowds Louisiana Tech has seen in years.
The organization also grew rapidly online, adding more than 1,800 followers on Instagram and launching a TikTok presence that gained more than 400 followers during its first few months.
"What we've seen in year one is proof that students want to be part of something bigger than themselves," said Kavanaugh. "They want experiences. They want community. They want memories. Blue Bloods has become a vehicle for all three."
From the beginning, Blue Bloods was designed to be more than a student organization.
It was designed to create a shared identity rooted in loyalty, tradition, service, and belonging.
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More Than a Student Section
Blue Bloods was never designed to simply get students into games.
It was designed to create experiences because students were looking for a place to belong.
Through partnerships with the LA Tech Ticket Office and Paciolan, Blue Bloods launched a digital engagement platform featuring mobile membership passes, attendance tracking, rewards management, and the Loyal Blue Points system.
"Our partnership with Paciolan allowed us to rethink the student ticket journey from the ground up," said Assistant Athletics Director and Director of Ticket Operations Bret Guice. "By listening to student feedback over the years, we identified the digital access pass early in the process as the solution that could remove friction, simplify access, and create a better gameday experience for our students."
Throughout the year, members traveled on football road trips, attended conference tournaments, received postseason and bowl game tickets, participated in pregame tunnel runs and field access experiences, attended dinners with Athletics Director Ryan Ivey and a special Football Spring Game Suite experience with President Jim Henderson, interacted with coaches and student-athletes, enjoyed premium seating opportunities, and earned rewards through the newly launched Loyal Blue Points platform."
Throughout the year, members traveled on a football road trip, attended conference tournaments, received postseason and bowl game tickets, participated in pregame tunnel runs and field access experiences, enjoyed premium seating opportunities, attended dinners with Athletics Director Ryan Ivey, a special Spring Game suite experience President Jim Henderson, interacted with coaches and student-athletes, and earned rewards through the newly launched Loyal Blue Points platform. Â
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Paciolan's priority point system became the next key step in growing student engagement," said Guice. "By pairing the digital access pass with a rewards-based points structure, we were able to turn attendance into something students could track, compete over, and take pride in. Once students realized their scans mattered, the access pass became more than a ticket; it became part of the student experience."
For graduating senior Russell Kelly, the organization's first Loyal Blue Points champion, the impact was personal.
"I was always a huge Tech fan and rarely missed games, but Blue Bloods was able to elevate my experience as a student around Tech athletics," Kelly said. "I was no longer just cheering for a team I supported;Â I now felt like I was part of that team. Blue Bloods made me feel more connected with Tech itself, its teams, and our individual players. From El Paso to Huntsville to Ruston, I felt like I truly belonged. Blue Bloods helped me truly understand what 'Ever Loyal Be' really means."Â
The organization was led throughout its inaugural year by student president Holden Aultman and a dedicated student leadership team.
"Needing community on a college campus is very important, and Blue Bloods helps meet that need by uniting students around a common purpose, supporting Louisiana Tech," said Aultman. "Blue Bloods help build relationships between the students and athletes and create a culture where every student can feel engaged and connected by getting their return on investment through points, rewards, and experiences that were not possible before. Being able to offer a trip with the football team, dinner with the AD, free tickets to bowls and conference championships, access to coaches and athletes, it's just amazing to know that's something we can do now to reward students for their tremendous support."Â
Students built the culture.
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A Campus-Wide Platform
As Blue Bloods grew, its impact expanded beyond athletics.
Today, the organization works closely with the Student Government Association, Union Board, fraternity and sorority life, NPHC organizations, eSports, spirit organizations, and numerous student groups across campus.
Rather than competing for student attention, organizations increasingly collaborate to create experiences that strengthen the overall student experience.
"One of the biggest shifts we've seen is communication," said Kavanaugh. "Student leaders know they can come to us if they need help promoting or hosting an event. Instead of competing for attention, we're building experiences together."
The platform has also allowed campus organizations to create point-earning opportunities through events such as Family Weekend, Tech Madness, Tech-R-Treat, RussVegas, Spring Fling, Fall Fling, Greek Life activities, and numerous student-led programs.
"We want to say yes as much as we can," said Deputy Athletics Director for Competitive Excellence Gerald Jordan. "Our facilities, our people, and our expertise are resources that can help elevate the student experience. When athletics and campus partners align around the same goal—creating meaningful experiences for students—everyone benefits."
The organization's impact has extended into the classroom as well.
During the 2026 spring quarter, Blue Bloods partnered with Louisiana Tech's Social Media Marketing program to launch the Blue Bloods Lab, an experiential learning initiative led by Kavanaugh and Professor Kyle Roberts, where students developed platform-specific content and engagement strategies while gaining real-world marketing experience.
"The Blue Bloods Lab allowed students to apply classroom concepts in a meaningful way," Roberts said. "They weren't just studying social media strategy. They were building campaigns, creating content, analyzing results, and contributing to something that was having a visible impact on campus. It was an amazing opportunity not only to teach the concepts of social media marketing but to watch in real time how to build and implement the strategy. We look forward to continuing this long-term partnership between the university and athletics at Louisiana Tech."
Athletics also partnered with the College of Business to create internships and independent study opportunities, allowing students to gain hands-on experience in collegiate athletics while helping promote events, support fan engagement efforts, and grow awareness of Blue Bloods across campus.
"It's another example of students helping build something bigger than themselves," Kavanaugh said. "We want students to see athletics as a place where they can learn, contribute, and develop professionally, while giving them some ownership over the process. From a recruiting perspective, Louisiana Tech University becomes the place to enroll if you are interested in a career working in athletics."
By connecting athletics, academics, student organizations, and campus life, Blue Bloods has become more than a student organization; it has become a platform for engagement, leadership, learning, and belonging.
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Building the Next Generation of Loyal Blue
While the first-year numbers are impressive, Tech's leaders believe the organization's greatest impact may still lie ahead.
Athletics leaders are currently exploring opportunities to connect the Blue Bloods experience with future alumni and donor engagement initiatives through Louisiana Tech Athletics Club (LTAC) membership and rewards programs.
The vision is simple: recognize the time, talent, and passion students invest during their college years and create a pathway that continues long after graduation.
"Most students aren't in a position to make major financial contributions while they're in school," said Senior Associate AD for Championship Resources and Chief Revenue Officer Wally Crittenden. "What they can contribute is their time, their energy, their passion, and their talent. That's incredibly valuable. Our goal is to recognize those contributions and create a pathway that allows students to continue their relationship with Louisiana Tech long after they graduate."
Vice President and Director of Athletics Ryan Ivey sees Blue Bloods as an investment in the future of Louisiana Tech.
"This isn't just about getting students into games," said Ivey. "It's about creating future alumni, future season ticket holders, future donors, and future advocates for Louisiana Tech. The relationships students build during their time on campus often last a lifetime, and Blue Bloods is helping create those connections every day. This is what Barking Louder is all about."
For Louisiana Tech President Jim Henderson, the impact extends even further.
"It would be difficult to overstate the impact of the Blue Bloods on the university environment," said Henderson. "The enthusiasm they bring to athletic events in support of the Bulldogs and Lady Techsters echoes across the Louisiana Tech campus and far beyond. The loyalty long associated with members of the Tech family is rooted in the undergraduate experience, an experience now directly enhanced by the spirit of the Blue Bloods."
The initiative has also drawn attention nationally, with Louisiana Tech sharing the Blue Bloods model and student engagement strategy at conferences and forums across the country.
"We've had the opportunity to showcase Blue Bloods at both PACnet and NACDA, and it's been exciting to see the level of interest from institutions across the country," Crittenden said. "Schools at every level across the country are all trying to solve many of the same challenges. Blue Bloods has become a great example of how athletics can catalyze belonging, connection, and future alumni engagement, and how technology solutions help us scale the experience while building meaningful relationships. We're proud that Louisiana Tech is helping lead that conversation at a national level."
What's Next
As Blue Bloods enters its second year, the focus shifts from launch to scale.
With a record-setting freshman class expected this fall, expanded orientation involvement, continued growth of experiential learning opportunities, and new campus partnerships, the organization is positioned to continue expanding its impact throughout the university community.
Blue Bloods will serve as an official sponsor of all four summer orientation sessions, introducing thousands of incoming students to the organization before classes even begin.
The first year proved the concept. The second year begins the process of building a lasting tradition.
Blue Bloods was built by students, strengthened by campus partners, supported by alumni and donors, and powered by a shared belief that every student deserves an opportunity to belong.
Blue Bloods wasn't created to fill seats.
It was created to build the next generation of Loyal Blue.Â
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Support Blue Bloods
Blue Bloods is made possible through the support of alumni, donors, campus partners, and organizations that believe in creating meaningful opportunities for Louisiana Tech students.
Gifts to the Blue Bloods fund through the Louisiana Tech Athletics Club (LTAC) help support student experiences, leadership development opportunities, rewards programming, travel experiences, and future growth opportunities for the organization.
To learn more about supporting Blue Bloods, contact the Louisiana Tech Athletics Club or VISIT HERE.
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