David Walker on BOP's show

[UL Ragin Cajun]

I heard BOP announce yesterday that he would have David Walker on BEV this afternoon at 3:15. For those who can listen in please keep us posted. Or BOP if you get a chance, could you please provide us with an update?

[California Cajun]

SYNOPSIS:

(Items underlined represents corrections submitted from my original post. Some of the material was rearranged for the sake of continuity. Let us know if anything else was inaccurately reported).

1. Going with consistent 4 PM start times was a tough decision, but the reasoning was to properly staff events and smooth out traffic flow. Rickey Bustle wants early start times so there is less waiting for the players to play the game.

2. 8 Tailgating spots were lost to build Lourdes Park. These RVs moved to new tailgating spots in the North end zone. This resulted in 15-20 fewer parking spaces.

3. More parking spaces will be needed in the future and the anticipated need is already being discussed internally. Some schools have had to convert tailgating spots to parking spaces (e.g. UTEP).

4. Across from Congress on Cajundome Blvd. where the Hilton is will be a tailgating possibility in the future, but the land has to be worked to handle heavy rain.

5. All tailgating spots are taken and there is a waiting list.

6. Tailgaters can set up at Noon on Friday, and everything must be taken down by Sunday at 5.

7. There is a tug of war between using money raised for facilities as vs. raising the athletic budget (D. Walker prefers the latter).

8. Louisiana schools can not use student fees assessed for athletics. Fees could be used for building the practice facility, however, because it was a building.

9. If there could be a student fee of $200 per semester that would raise $6 million.

10. The long-range goal is to create an athletic endowment and spend the interest every year. Jay Walker figured out that to have $2 million of interest to spend you would have to have a principal of $40 million.

11. UL can use $3.1 million of state funds (up from $2.8 million last year) to use for athletics. Sometimes this "cap" is the difference between UL's athletic budget and another Sun Belt school's budget.

12. (Quoting BOP): The biggest thing in the interview was the point that the Board of Regents sets the 3.1 million cap and the edict of student fees not being used for athletics. Most folks assumed it was the legislature.

13. Scheduling: The most frustrating aspects of scheduling are cancellations and the length of time it takes to fill a schedule.

14. The 2007 schedule is complete. The money games will be the first game of the year at South Carolina and the next to last game of the year at Tennessee.

15. This year, the original schedule opened up with LSU and Houston, so it was the need to reschedule that opened the season with LSU and Texas A&M.

16. The 2008 schedule lacks one game, provided that WKU follows through and moves to 1-A (J. Walker mentioned WKU as the deciding factor).

17. UL is the only SBC school to have six home games on campus.

18. D. Walker and the coaches expected the LSU and A&M games to be competitive heading into them.

19. We have a contract to play at LSU for the opening game of the 2010 season.

20. Scheduling of sports other than football must be approved by D. Walker. He lets the coaches pick the opponents but might step in if it involves too much travel or too much time away from class.

21. D. Walker does all the football scheduling.

22. John Dugas is doing an excellent job as the one in charge of game management. He works under Sherry LeBas. Before, Sherry carried the entire load.

[LARaginCajun]

12. (Quoting BOP): The biggest thing in the interview was the point that the Board of Regents sets the 3.1 million cap and the edict of student fees not being used for athletics. Most folks assumed it was the legislature.

Both the chairman and the vice chairman on the Board of Regents are from Baton Rouge. Good luck in trying to get the no students fees for athletics change.

[DaddyCajun]

12. (Quoting BOP): The biggest thing in the interview was the point that the Board of Regents sets the 3.1 million cap and the edict of student fees not being used for athletics. Most folks assumed it was the legislature.

Both the chairman and the vice chairman on the Board of Regents are from Baton Rouge. Good luck in trying to get the no students fees for athletics change.

Thank you very much!! Even the President of the UL system is a LSU grad, and on of her top appointies is also!!

Do not frett UL will prevail!!!!!

DaddyCajun

[USLJim]

Thank you very much!! Even the President of the UL system is a LSU grad, and on of her top appointies is also!!

Do not frett UL will prevail!!!!!

DaddyCajun

Did you guys know that Joe Savoie, UL graduate, is Director of Higher Education. Over the 2 lsu grad. I didn't know this until one day at a Cajun baseball game I spoke with Joe, thinking his job was less ranked, but he told me he was over lsu, southern, and Louisiana systems. NICE JOB. He also spoke highly of sally clausen.
Go figure. Anyway, UL has someone up there also.

GEAUX CAJUNS

[CajunProud]

Any word on when we will have a permanent AD and why the search is taking soo long?

Maybe David Walker should be the permanent AD? He seems to be doing a great job.

[California Cajun]

Any word on when we will have a permanent AD and why the search is taking soo long?

Maybe David Walker should be the permanent AD? He seems to be doing a great job.

This is really bizarre to have an interim AD for over a year. I think it would project a better image if this guy received the permanent appointment as AD, no matter how long he intends to stay.

[Mineshaft]

14. 2 blowouts in 2007

[CajunGuru]

14. 2 blowouts in 2007

Mindless,still wondering around?

[ULBaby!]

Did you guys know that Joe Savoie, UL graduate, is Director of Higher Education. Over the 2 lsu grad. I didn't know this until one day at a Cajun baseball game I spoke with Joe, thinking his job was less ranked, but he told me he was over lsu, southern, and Louisiana systems. NICE JOB. He also spoke highly of sally clausen.
Go figure. Anyway, UL has someone up there also.

GEAUX CAJUNS

Dr. Savoie is THE man in Louisiana higher education (yep, Commisioner of Higher Education), a U(S)L grad and a lafayette resident. Hopes are among many that he will come home and preside when Dr. A decides to retire. This would technically be a step down but being a University president ain't a bad job and he would be home. Many (very many) folks believe this would be a good thing for UL on all fronts, athletically, academically, politically, etc. Sally Clausen is a friend as well. UL is poised politically for growth. It is a good time to be a Ragin Cajun... now, if we could only get Aretha Franklin to come in and sing "Respect" for homecoming!

[California Cajun]

Dr. Savoie is THE man in Louisiana higher education (yep, Commisioner of Higher Education), a U(S)L grad and a lafayette resident. Hopes are among many that he will come home and preside when Dr. A decides to retire. This would technically be a step down but being a University president ain't a bad job and he would be home. Many (very many) folks believe this would be a good thing for UL on all fronts, athletically, academically, politically, etc. Sally Clausen is a friend as well. UL is poised politically for growth. It is a good time to be a Ragin Cajun... now, if we could only get Aretha Franklin to come in and sing "Respect" for homecoming!

Your tongue and cheek idea of Aretha Franklin singing Respect at a UL game is a great idea. I wonder if she would do it for a minimal fee, considering the university's civil rights record and the fact that her song has endured here almost as long as the song itself. Or sing it at the New Orleans Bowl if we make it. That would be the equivalent of Centerfield at the baseball games. Some people like myself are tired of it and this might revive interest and make it more of a permanent fixture than it is.

[CajunAmos]

I thought about getting John Fogerty singing "Centerfield" at a game in Lafayette. Could you imagine him singing all of the song except the final verse, where the fans would do their A Cappella number....sweet.