Why Did Marshall Thundering Herd Opt out of the Independence Bowl Game Versus Army?

If fans of the Marshall Thundering Herd football team were hoping to watch their boys square off in the Independence Bowl against Army, they are in for a major disappointment.

And that's because the team has pulled out of the bowl game, making way for Louisiana Tech to take the field against Army. But why did Marshall opt out of the Independence Bowl, and what do sports fans have in store for the new match-up between Louisiana Tech and Army? Here's what we know.

There are a lot of reasons teams opt out of bowl games. Most of them have to do with their players needing to rest and prepare for the NFL draft, especially if they can end their last season on a high note. So it has become increasingly common in the last decade.

However, it's not common for most of a team to opt out of a bowl game. But that's exactly what happened with Marshall. The entire team opted out, with the majority doing so due to transfers. 247Sports reported that 29 players transferred out ahead of the Independence Bowl.

Bowl organizers cited "player unavailability due to activity in the transfer portal" as the reason Marshall would no longer be facing off against Army.

And the reason behind the mass exodus: former Marshall coach Charles Huff, who led the team to their 10-3 season and whose contract expired at the end of 2024. He made the move to Southern Miss, and players transferred out in frustration that his contract was not renewed.

With Marshall suddenly out, the Independence Bowl organizers had to quickly find a replacement. Luckily, just about an hour away from Marshall was Louisiana Tech, well poised to take the field despite a whopping loss against Marshall at the end of the season.

Although they were the natural successors to the spot against Army, fans of Louisiana Tech weren't exactly expecting to find their team playing in the high-stakes championship game.

On Instagram, one fan wrote, "Smiling through it all. Can’t believe this is my life!" Another wrote, "I don't know how we got here, but hey. I'll take it."

Independence Bowl executive director Missy Setters said of the replacement, "It is unfortunate that Marshall determined they won't be able to compete in the bowl in a couple of weeks. Our goal was to create the best matchup possible for our local fans and college football fans throughout the country, and we think we did that with two conference champions."

Missy continued, "Moving forward we are very excited to host Louisiana Tech and are thrilled we found an opponent for Army. We appreciate La Tech AD Ryan Ivey, Coach Sonny Cumbie, their players, and support staff for their willingness to step up and play in our bowl game."

Marshall's determination to have their voices heard with Charles' departure turned into an opportunity for Louisiana Tech. An opportunity they'll see come to life on Dec. 28, 2024.