Growing the Program

[rhineaux]

Geez, when is Hebert gonna get off his ___ and do something?

Seriously, I really just spent a long time reading all of that. Looks like a lot of cool stuff. I can't wait until we can start moving more of the 'in progress' stuff to the 'completed' section.

Another money maker, with essentially no overhead, is the tailgating spots, which have been a hot topic the last few weeks. I was lucky to get one this year. but, i want a second one, I'm a big guy and i like to stretch out a bit. Has anyone heard, from any reputible sources, whether or not they would expand the tailgating area to offer more spots and/or increase the cost. Demand is definitely high above supply right now and I learned in Economics at UL that when that occurs, jack up the cost until they even out.

[USLJim]

you guys' athletic dept is getting reemed. What I don't understand, If yall have the second highest enrollement in the state. Why the :confused: don't they raise the athletic budgett. That would help. Maybe yall wouldn't have to be the subject of 3-4 rent a wins every year to begin the season. Just be glad your not like FAU. Look at their schedule. That is retarded.

Bare with me on this. I am not going to ridicule your University but this is a Louisiana Government Controlled thing.

THE STATE OF LOUISIANA AND ITS GOVERNMENT CONTROLS, HAVE LIMITED, AND THAT INCLUDES LSU, ON THE AMOUNT OF MONEY EACH UNIVERSITY CAN ASSESS ATHLETIC FEES FOR ITS ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT FROM ITS STUDENT BODY . LOUISIANA IS ONE OF ONLY A FEW STATES THAT DOES THIS. Example: Florida Atlantic can assess whatever amount it deems fit to its student body. In fact, they assess them alot.

So, based on our enrollment, we can only assess a certain percentage from the semester tuition, limiting us to a set figure, which comes to a little more than $3,000,000.00. All the rest we get is based on what everybody else has, ticket sales, donations, conference distributions from TV and Radio, concessions, and so on.

The success of LSU and other BCS schools is its ticket sales, contributions and Conference distributions from tv and radio and so on.

I do not and will not ever KNOCK LSU'S ability to raise money and how they do it. They are successful at doing it and you can't knock success. What bothers me though is when we do it, its a major issue with us trying to become successful. Enough of that.

I know that if the Colleges and Universities ever get the legislature to allow the Universities and colleges to assess like they want to , then I bet most of them will reevaluate their tuition distributions to include more moneies toward athletics. Let's face it, that is what brings me back to campus 99% of the time.

Until, then how LSU , Alabama , Texas and others get their money is up to them. LSU is treated the same as UL, ULM, tech , mcneese and NSU when it comes to taking monies from student tuition fees. It is based on enrollement.

It is mostly our own fault for not having monies to support athletics just as it is other colleges and Universities in this state. Until we get our ticket sales and contributions up, we will remain "low funded" . Simple Truth.

GEAUX CAJUNS.

[shof]

Wow! Talk about a hijacked thread! But, good info and debate nonetheless.

A good example WRT funding is WKU. They don't even have D-1A football (clearly the most expensive sport to sponsor) and their athletic budget is probably 30-40% higher than ours! So, we need to compare apples to apples if you want to know the health of the program, and that means comparing (if thats what you want to accomplish) our program to other state D-1A football programs (minus LSU). LSU and other top BCS programs are just another animal. I don't like it; but that's the fact!

As many have noted, we (our administration) are often our worst enemy. Too much neglect in athletics during a period in which the BCS schools really exploded. We certainly hope its not too late to get things moving positively; and I think the recent past (and present) show that the university is making positive strides; but its an uphill battle. We as alumni and supporters of our school need to step forward. And, this can be as simple as buying tickets and going to games; especially for those in the Acadiana area. Get off you backsides and go pass a good time at the basin. For those who have the resources, sponsor something! I could go on; but I suspect you get the idea.
Finally, we need to keep improving on the field. Give the casual fan something to get interested in. Many of us on this board were around when it was common to see 20-25K at Cajun Field. With the growth of the Lafayette area these should be minimum numbers!

To echo rhineaux's comment about parking - I agree. $150 is CHEAP for a tailgating spot. There's a waiting list to get one for god sake, so the time is right to raise the cost a little (maybe $200-250). Ditto for a parking pass. $50 is very reasonable and I'd gladly renew mine next time around for $75-100. Every little bit helps!

Go Cajuns!

[JamesTheJeweler]

wow! i just read all of that too! a lot has been done and being done but it seems like a lot of people here have suggested some other great ideas too. would it be possible to have some sort of meeting of adm. and fans/alum./businesses? too kick around ideas and such and how to get them accomplished? we definitely need something like LSU has in TAF. SO SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHY THIS HASN'T HAPPENED! we need to seize the moment NOW while we have some momentum going for us. this is the time to do it. how do we make that happen? who should be called to get the ball rolling? any answers?

[UL Ragin Cajun]

who should be called to get the ball rolling?

Gerald Hebert

[rhineaux]

wow! i just read all of that too! a lot has been done and being done but it seems like a lot of people here have suggested some other great ideas too. would it be possible to have some sort of meeting of adm. and fans/alum./businesses? too kick around ideas and such and how to get them accomplished? we definitely need something like LSU has in TAF. SO SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHY THIS HASN'T HAPPENED! we need to seize the moment NOW while we have some momentum going for us. this is the time to do it. how do we make that happen? who should be called to get the ball rolling? any answers?

Whether or not it would happen, I think it would be a great idea to get people together and have some sort of forum about what should be done. Especially with the businesses who are going to be able to give more. If they are more involved and are able to give an opinion, they might be willing to do more. Plus, two heads are better than one, and 100 is better than 5, and so on.

[CajunNation]

wow! i just read all of that too! a lot has been done and being done but it seems like a lot of people here have suggested some other great ideas too. would it be possible to have some sort of meeting of adm. and fans/alum./businesses? too kick around ideas and such and how to get them accomplished? we definitely need something like LSU has in TAF. SO SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHY THIS HASN'T HAPPENED! we need to seize the moment NOW while we have some momentum going for us. this is the time to do it. how do we make that happen? who should be called to get the ball rolling? any answers?

In order for a Cajun Athletic Foundation to have a snowball's chance in hell of coming close to the TAF it would require that Martin Hall relinquish some power.

THAT is NEVER gonna happen until our so-called leadership changes.

[ATXCajun]

Wow. I've read that list of stuff before, but a lot has been added. A lot of little stuff that will make a big difference.

I get two things out of that: 1) UL has a lot of good corporate neighbors. they were just waiting to be asked to the dance. 2) Lafayette seems to be making progress in becoming a more visible college town, with more visible support and enthusiasm.

Expanding on that last point:

As soon as you exit the highway in Auburn, AL, one of the first things you see is paw prints painted on the street paving the way to campus. You know where you are and what drives that town. Here in Austin, UT athletics are obviously a big part of the community fiber. A lot of people that live here are transplants from other places, but they seem to support the Horns (even before the National Championship) in an effort to become a part of the community.

UL is what makes Lafayette great. People will realize that UL is the community and become more involved because of the programs that Gerald oversees. The programs accomplish the dual objective of raising funds and improving visibility. Each time I visit Lafayette, I see more and more outward and visible signs of UL.

[UL Ragin Cajun]

wow! i just read all of that too! a lot has been done and being done but it seems like a lot of people here have suggested some other great ideas too. would it be possible to have some sort of meeting of adm. and fans/alum./businesses? too kick around ideas and such and how to get them accomplished? we definitely need something like LSU has in TAF. SO SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHY THIS HASN'T HAPPENED! we need to seize the moment NOW while we have some momentum going for us. this is the time to do it. how do we make that happen? who should be called to get the ball rolling? any answers?

Gerald has a new support group, for athletics, that he put together called The Difference Makers. It's a group of 30 to 50 people dedicated to moving many improvement projects forward. They will also aid with fundraising and networking capability. I'm sure that if you are interested he would love to here from you. Gerald is always interested in talking to someone that wants to help, his cell # is 962-0296.

[UL Ragin Cajun]

Whether or not it would happen, I think it would be a great idea to get people together and have some sort of forum about what should be done. Especially with the businesses who are going to be able to give more. If they are more involved and are able to give an opinion, they might be willing to do more. Plus, two heads are better than one, and 100 is better than 5, and so on.

Gerald has a new support group, for athletics, that he put together called The Difference Makers. It's a group of 30 to 50 people dedicated to moving many improvement projects forward. They will also aid with fundraising and networking capability. I'm sure that if you are interested he would love to here from you. Gerald is always interested in talking to someone that wants to help, his cell # is 962-0296.

[UL Ragin Cajun]

Another money maker, with essentially no overhead, is the tailgating spots, which have been a hot topic the last few weeks. I was lucky to get one this year. but, i want a second one, I'm a big guy and i like to stretch out a bit. Has anyone heard, from any reputible sources, whether or not they would expand the tailgating area to offer more spots and/or increase the cost. Demand is definitely high above supply right now and I learned in Economics at UL that when that occurs, jack up the cost until they even out.

Just talked to Gerald and he said that he doesn't have a firm answer to what they will do about the tailgating but that they are working on it. As soon as he knows more he will let us know. Don't hesitate to call him if you have any more questions #962-0296.

[HoustonCajun]

Just talked to Gerald and he said that he doesn't have a firm answer to what they will do about the tailgating but that they are working on it. As soon as he knows more he will let us know. Don't hesitate to call him if you have any more questions #962-0296.

Please pass on the following article to Gerald regarding additioanl fund raising at the University of Texas. Maybe it is something we could do at UL.

Aug. 30, 2006, 1:11AM
Texas adds color, ad space to stadium


By DAVID BARRON
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle

After eight years of listening to Mack Brown encourage Texas fans to "come early, stay late, be loud and wear orange," even stately old Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin is falling into line with the latter commandment.

Beginning with the season opener Saturday night against North Texas, the concrete walls at the base of the stadium seating bowl will be draped in 300 yards of orange vinyl mesh to provide a splash of color, and yes, an appropriate backdrop for sponsors' signs.

Texas is one of eight universities that have purchased the stadium draping program from Van Wagner Sports Group, which also markets basketball courtside rotational signs under the brand name Dorna U.S.A.

"UT's objective was to improve how the stadium looked and try to dress up the concrete, said John Libro, vice president of development for Van Wagner. "It's a cleaner look, and it also provides a platform for corporate partners to better display and elevate their presence."

Texas will sell advertising spots to four sponsors per game, and Van Wagner also will sell two national sponsor positions atop the orange mesh. Van Wagner described the arrangement as a "revenue sharing opportunity" for the school and the company.

Texas and Colorado are the only Big 12 schools using the wraps. USC, Purdue and Miami are among the others.

Van Wagner also provides rotational basketball signs at Texas, Houston, SMU, TCU, Texas Tech and Texas A&M and the field goal netting at Baylor's Floyd Casey Stadium under an advertising partnership with Allstate.

The stadium wrap is one of several changes or improvements to Memorial Stadium, topped, of course, by the $8 million, 7,370 square foot high definition scoreboard in the south end zone, which has been dubbed Godzillatron.