Photos by Lance Sutehall, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.29
Thomas Assembly Center Stadium Blvd Ruston, LA 71272
Year Opened: 1982
Capacity: 8,000
Bulldogs On The AtTAC
The small community of Ruston, Louisiana is home to Louisiana Tech University, an institution with over 12,000 students enrolled as of Fall 2024. Their athletic teams, known as the Bulldogs, compete in Conference USA (C-USA). The men’s basketball team has made five NCAA Tournament appearances but has not made the big dance since 1991.
Food & Beverage 3
The concourse has three concession stands (only two were open during my visit). The stands offer hot dogs ($4), burgers ($7), popcorn ($4), smoked sausage ($4), peanuts ($3), nachos ($5), Cajun links ($4), chips ($2), pickles ($2), and candy ($3). Pepsi is the soft drink provider with regular cups ($4) or souvenir cups ($6) as drink options. Alcohol is also sold at the stands with domestic beers ($5) and imported beers ($7) for sale.
Atmosphere 4
The main entrance of the Thomas Assembly Center has a statue of Leon Barmore, the head coach of the Lady Techsters, the women’s team from 1977-2022. He led the Lady Techsters to three national championships and the program is considered to be the original women’s basketball dynasty. Upon entering the concourse there are displays for the Lady Techsters’ dynasty as well as one for the men’s program. Karl Malone also has one of his given that he is arguably the most notable alumnus of the program. The ceiling of the concourse has banners honoring notable alumni of both basketball programs.
After entering the seating bowl there are many banners commemorating the successes of both basketball programs as well as several retired jerseys. The seating bowl is all chairback seating with the seating bowl split into the lower bowl with red seats and the upper level seats being blue. The seats are arranged in a circle and the rows are steep enough that there are not many bad seats in the house (except for seats immediately behind the press area).
During the starting lineups players come out from behind a curtain with a smoke machine going off. Cheerleaders perform various routines during breaks in game action with some breaks having a LED light show.
Neighborhood 3
Lincoln Parish (where Ruston is located) is also home to Grambling State University and is, therefore, one of the smallest county-equivalents in the United States to have two Division One institutions. Grambling State is located five miles West of the Louisiana Tech campus.
Dining options in Ruston include Griff’s Hamburgers, The Dawg House Sports Grill, and Bad Wolf BBQ. Hotel chains for lodging near Louisiana Tech include Super 8, Sleep Inn, and Hampton Inn.
Fans 3
The town of Ruston rallies around its Louisiana Tech Bulldogs athletic teams and basketball is no exception. Games will have decent crowds even for midweek clashes with inferior non-conference opponents.
Access 4
The campus of Louisiana Tech is near Exit 84 on Interstate 20, from there head South on Cooktown Road which becomes Tech Drive. Make a right on Stadium Boulevard and the free parking lot will be sandwiched between the North side of Joe Aillet Stadium and the softball field. A flight of stairs takes you to the main entrance of the Thomas Assembly Center and the walkways are plenty wide throughout the venue.
Return on Investment 4
General admission tickets are $18 while accompanied children can attend for $8. With free parking an adult can have a great night of Tech basketball for less than $30, $60 for a date, and a family of four will likely spend less than $100. A night to see the Bulldogs will not break the bank and will be a good time.
Extras 2
As mentioned earlier in the article the Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters are the original women’s basketball dynasty with three national championships in 1981, 1982, and 1988 as well as an additional eight final four appearances. The Lady Techsters dynasty happened under the helm of Leon Barmore and there is a statue of him outside the main entrance of the Thomas Assembly Center.
Karl Malone played for Louisiana Tech from 1982-1985 and there is a display at the main entrance honoring his time at Louisiana Tech. The playing floor is also named in his honor and he owns a Toyota dealership in Ruston.
Final Thoughts
A stop in Ruston to see a basketball game at Louisiana Tech is a great experience and worth a visit. The men‘s program may not reach the heights that the women did in the 1980s but the ingredients exist for the men to end an over three-decade NCAA tournament drought. They certainly have the venue and fanbase to do so anyway.
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