USA Today/NFCA Top 25

[CajunSaint]

i agree that it is worthwhile to try to persuade these hypocrites, errr, organizations to respect our wishes and drop the tongue-twisting second "L" they insist on adding to our name. flagship status be damned! we are LOUISIANA!!

[Yep]

I'm with HoustonCajun on this one. Thanks.

[ATXCajun]

Since we are called Louisiana Lafayette on the NFCA rankings, I wrote to them asking to please call us Louisiana with clear notice that I had no ties to the university, just asking as an alumnus. Here is what I wrote to them today and their very quick response. Just thought you might be interested in that their use of our name is dictated by the NCAA. Looks like the university will have to appeal to the NCAA for a change in the name reference we seek.


I am writing as an alumnus of the university with no ties to the athletic department. I am requesting your reference to Louisiana Lafayette as LOUISIANA. Officially, our name is the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, which is not unlike Texas at Austin, Nebraska Lincoln, Nevada Reno, etc. Athletically, we simply want to be called LOUISIANA and UL (not ULL). I think you will see that in all releases from our SID and on our website. When schools like Cal State Fresno ask to be called Fresno State, everyone obliges. When Nevada Reno says call us Nevada and call Nevada Las Vegas UNLV, everyone obliges. But when Louisiana Lafayette asks to be called LOUISIANA, our requests are ignored. With all that UL has achieved in softball over the years and its current Top 10 ranking, I respectfully request your consideration in referring to the university as LOUISIANA.


Thank you for your email. However, we abide by what the NCAA chooses to call the schools and at this time for your school it is Louisiana. I understand your position and I am sorry you disagree with ours. Also it is my understanding that the University of Louisiana has no flagship institution like a Texas at Austin or a Tennessee at Knoxville, so it seems to me that not having a flagship would prohibit any school from being known as Louisiana. I know you will not agree with our position, but unfortunately our policy will not change until an organization like the NCAA changes its policy.



Sincerely,
--
Parker Griffith
Director of Media Relations
Division II Liaison
National Fastpitch Coaches Association
(662) 320-2155
www.nfca.org

Wow. UT is the flagship of Texas? I don't think TAMU is aware of that.

Do we have a list of the flawed arguments somewhere? Here's a few:

1. It is illegal.

Ummm no it is not.

2. You have to be a flagship.

Ambiguous distinction in most states, and we are only talking about sports marketing here. UCLA and Cal coexist. I doubt UNLV refers to Nevada as the flagship.

3. It's confusing to an unfamiliar public.

No, U'L'L is confusing. Hyphens and wierd abbreviations are confusing. Lafayette, the name of another university is confusing. Inconsistency is confusing. We are telling you precisely what to do to eliminate confusion.

[ULGrad@HOU]

I also agree with HoustonCajun. It's an uphill battle, but it's worth fighting for. University of Louisiana.

[BabbForHeisman]

I dodn't consider it a nag, just an inquiry as to why they won't call us Louisiana. I sent this to their website email contact which was no particular person and this is who responded. This is the first time I hear that the NCAA governs the name used.

Sounds like your next step should be to ask your new buddy Parker Griffith to give you a contact at the NCAA where you can express your concern. Then send them a similar note.

[RaginFan2]

Keep fighting the good fight, HoustonCajun! If we don't fight for it, who will? Sounds like PG has connections with "the flagship" ...

[CajunRed]

Well...then based on what that guy's answer was to HoustonCajun, it's going to get VERY confusing when the Techies move over to the LSUA&M system...and become that system's new "flagship"!! :-)

[CajunEXPRESS]

Well...then based on what that guy's answer was to HoustonCajun, it's going to get VERY confusing when the Techies move over to the LSUA&M system...and become that system's new "flagship"!! :-)

I think that move is going nowhere fast. But, between the LaNecks and the UKnows I suppose one could be flagship North and one South.

I have no trouble with H Cajuns fight. If they bother some of y'all don't read them.

I will say; howerve, if one complains then one needs a plan of action, he took action.

[Just1More]

It's one thing for HoustonCajun to remind us all of the time about the name change and it's issues... but having done this in a professional manner to an outside organization... and letting us know about it... is a good thing. I feel like Parker Griffith was more than taking the easy way out. I find it odd that he/she went on to explain his/her personal flagship naming interpretation. Albeit, HC gave his... but, he actually gave examples of programs using and gaining easily accepted nicknames. We have a unique nickname request and we have our reasons. It has nothing to do with an implication or assertion of "flagship status" and never did.

[CajunEXPRESS]

I am pretty sure that Texas is Texas because of history, not flagship status. At one time there was only one University of Texas, and I wonder when the Austin was added? Maybe from day one, as well as Georgia and others with long histories of being called by their state name only.