HUNTINGTON, W.V. (AP) — Marshall has withdrawn from the Independence Bowl after a training change resulted in a lot of its roster leaping into the switch portal.
The Thundering Herd had been slated to play Army on Dec. 28 in Shreveport, Louisiana. But the Independence Bowl and Louisiana Tech introduced on Saturday that the Bulldogs will tackle the Nineteenth-ranked Black Knights as a substitute.
Marshall mentioned it pulled out “after falling beneath the roster minimal that was deemed medically secure.”
The Herd (10-3) beat Louisiana-Lafayette 31-3 final weekend to win the Sun Belt Conference Championship for the primary time. The program has received seven video games in a row in the identical season for the primary time since 2020.
“We apologize for the character and timing of this announcement and for the turmoil it has dropped at bowl season preparations for Army, the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl, the American Athletic Conference and ESPN,” Sun Belt Commissioner Keith Gill mentioned in a press release.
Coach Charles Huff left Marshall for Southern Miss final Sunday, and Tony Gibson, the defensive coordinator at North Carolina State, was introduced as his alternative lower than an hour later.
By Thursday, a minimum of 25 Marshall gamers had entered the switch portal.
Gibson held a gathering shortly after arriving on campus in Huntington to introduce himself to the staff. He adopted that up with telephone calls, textual content messages and extra conferences Friday and Saturday.
“Any time coaches go away to take different jobs, it’s emotional,” Gibson mentioned at a information convention Thursday. “And children which can be 18-to-22 years outdated are going to make emotional choices as a substitute of simply respiratory for a day or two.”
It’s the primary bowl for Louisiana Tech (5-7) since 2020. The Bulldogs have received two of their final three video games, however they haven’t performed since a 33-0 victory over Kennesaw State on Nov. 30.
“We are excited to simply accept the chance to play within the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl towards a improbable and storied program as Army,” Louisiana Tech athletic director Ryan Ivey mentioned in a launch. “I consider our soccer program is shifting towards optimistic construction and the chance to play on this bowl provides to that momentum. We are trying ahead to being in Shreveport for this matchup.”
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