As a University, I want your opinion....

[Cajunpride101]

How do you folks think we have grown academically and through sports over the past couple of decades? How much have we grown regarding national attention, recruiting, merchandising and through overall growth since the days of Delhomme and Brandon Mitchell?

Personally, I think that I would place us right behind LSU in the state as "#2" in front of Tech, New Orleans, Tulane, Monroe, etc.

[Cajun Express]

How do you folks think we have grown academically and through sports over the past couple of decades? How much have we grown regarding national attention, recruiting, merchandising and through overall growth since the days of Delhomme and Brandon Mitchell?

Personally, I think that I would place us right behind LSU in the state as "#2" in front of Tech, New Orleans, Tulane, Monroe, etc.

When the alumni foundation sent me a letter advising me of a game with Tulane in Brian Mitchell's junior year our enrollment was about 16k and today almost 17 years later our enrollment is not 17k and has been 15 plus for years. Our athletic budget 17 years ago was about five million and change, today pushing eight million. Our foundation was alleged to have a hundred million in those days, those are figures you don't fortget, and today it is the same, except I have heard as much as a hundred and thirty.

Nelson played the big guys of the BCS and fared better than we do today, and certainly no worse.

We got some new buildings, just like UNO, just like the Monrow, and the Tech people. Bottom line I see almost no progress in almost a fifth of a century.

[California Cajun]

How do you folks think we have grown academically and through sports over the past couple of decades? How much have we grown regarding national attention, recruiting, merchandising and through overall growth since the days of Delhomme and Brandon Mitchell?

Personally, I think that I would place us right behind LSU in the state as "#2" in front of Tech, New Orleans, Tulane, Monroe, etc.

Academics and merchandising, no comparison to 20 years ago. In academics we have grown into a research and development institution. There was little if any merchandising when I was a student 30 years ago. I remember having to go to the bookstore and have "USL" ironed on to a blank red cap.

Athletics. We can be good every once in a while but we are limited until whatever's holding us back is lifted. I see the practice facility and other improvements but I still sense something is holding us back.

We got Brian Mitchell because we had just hired the OC at Clemson as our head coach and we allowed him to play quarterback. Delhomme played at a Class A school and made good on his opportunity. A decade before Mitchell we had a transfer from Notre Dame named Roy Henry who quarterbacked us to a big turnaround. We can't be consistently good until we can maintain excellence at key positions.

[Cajunpride101]

I attended from 98-02 and there wasn't much of an attempt to rally students to home football games. During that time span(the Baldwin era) we played teams like Minnesota and Southern Miss at home but the excitement just wasn't there. The students need to have a vested interest in UL athletics. The only thing that will change things is to put buts in the seats b/c that will create the demand.

[Kal]

I can't really speak for the last 20 years because I've only known UL since I began attending in 2002. I wasn't fortunate enough to be brought up from a young age as a Ragin' Cajun but since I've been here, I've been captivated by this university and couldn't imagine a better place to attend school. I'm not sure how great this university was 20 years ago, but I do know that since I've been here we have grown by leaps and bounds. Here's some of the things since I've been here and a few years before that are extremely important and are testaments to the growth of this university.

1. Name change - while its not exactly what we hoped for, I think it has done more for us with regards to national attention.
2. Edith Garland Dupree Library - very nice facility
3. BI moody annex - if you haven't walked through it, then you need to.
4. New computer science building - will be state of the art
5. Intramural fields on Coliseum Drive - when completed will house 2 softball fields, 2 flag football fields, cricket pitch, a track similar to girard park, restrooms and bleacher area.
6. State of the art Aquatics Center - the best in the state
7. Proposed New Weightroom facility at Bourgeois Hall - a two story complex that will replace a relatively small, cramped, and outdated weightroom. Expected to break ground in early 07.
8. New bleachers down 3rd base line and 1st base line at the tigue.
9. Lourdes Park
10. Parking garage - already begun near angelle hall, with plans for 2 more - another one on campus and one at cajun field.
11. Student union renovation and expansion to surround cypress lake connecting multiple buildings.
12. Indoor Practice Facility - enough said
13. Consistently good softball and baseball programs
14. Football program slowly on the rise
15. Renovation of Earl K Long
16. An up and coming women's basketball program
17. Made the Princeton top 25 schools list
18. Cajunbot - originally entered into a military sponsored un manned vehicle obstacle course contest, has been remade and revamped into a jeep and is now in collaboration with Dimbla Chrysler testing for unmanned civilian cars.
19. Band marched in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
20. LITE technology center - one of only 4 in the world. Will help bring computer and technology businesses to Lafayette.

These are certainly not all of the improvements that I've seen in my short 4 years here, but these are what I can think of off the top of my head. These are big improvements and these have happened since the turn of the new millenium. It's a great time to be a Cajun fan and I know that I've become sort of a Ragin' Cajun evangelist trying to promote UL as much as I can in my home parish. This university will continue to grow and the projects in place now will cement a bright future for popularity and overall prestige of this university.

[RedBug58]

When the alumni foundation sent me a letter advising me of a game with Tulane in Brian Mitchell's junior year our enrollment was about 16k and today almost 17 years later our enrollment is not 17k and has been 15 plus for years. Our athletic budget 17 years ago was about five million and change, today pushing eight million. Our foundation was alleged to have a hundred million in those days, those are figures you don't fortget, and today it is the same, except I have heard as much as a hundred and thirty.

Nelson played the big guys of the BCS and fared better than we do today, and certainly no worse.

We got some new buildings, just like UNO, just like the Monrow, and the Tech people. Bottom line I see almost no progress in almost a fifth of a century.

Just a couple points.....

Several years ago when the student enrollment at UL was in the 18,000 area, the standards were raised and the enrollment dropped to around 15,000. I talked to one of the Department Heads over the Holidays and he said the enrollment will probably be over 20,000 in the Fall of 2007. UL is the third largest university in the 3 state area of Louisiana, Mississippi, & Arkansas.

In the meantime, my daughter will be entering UL this coming fall. We received information last week on admissions & this coming years Freshman class at UL has the highest GPA ever. She listed Tulane, LSU, UL, & McNeese on her ACT. The information that cameback from "ACT" showed 2006 entering Freshmen at Tulane averaging around 3.6, LSU around 3.4, UL around 3.3, and McNeese around 2.8.

For whatever it's worth....................

[Cajun Express]

Just a couple points.....

Several years ago when the student enrollment at UL was in the 18,000 area, the standards were raised and the enrollment dropped to around 15,000. I talked to one of the Department Heads over the Holidays and he said the enrollment will probably be over 20,000 in the Fall of 2007. UL is the third largest university in the 3 state area of Louisiana, Mississippi, & Arkansas.

In the meantime, my daughter will be entering UL this coming fall. We received information last week on admissions & this coming years Freshman class at UL has the highest GPA ever. She listed Tulane, LSU, UL, & McNeese on her ACT. The information that cameback from "ACT" showed 2006 entering Freshmen at Tulane averaging around 3.6, LSU around 3.4, UL around 3.3, and McNeese around 2.8.

For whatever it's worth....................

Sounds great, I never heard of 18 k before the restricted access. I knew that we had a better prepared student group in our freashman class, something to be proud of.

[Just1More]

How do you folks think we have grown academically and through sports over the past couple of decades? How much have we grown regarding national attention, recruiting, merchandising and through overall growth since the days of Delhomme and Brandon Mitchell?

Personally, I think that I would place us right behind LSU in the state as "#2" in front of Tech, New Orleans, Tulane, Monroe, etc.

Academically, I think statistical information would answer that question. I attended and graduated in the early 80s. I think we are keeping pace with other state schools growth and rank in most major categories. I think that means we are underachieving. UL should not be hung in the mix, regardless of the state's constant imposition to keep us that way.

As for merchandise... we have radically improved over the past 25 years... but we are underachieving there as well. Every major school has gone ballistic with merchandising. We are keeping pace, but I think that is underachieving, considering our uniqueness ("Ragin Cajuns" and all that can be bundled into it with merchandising).

Our greatest underachievement has been in football. I blame that completely on our administration. They think that a marginal uplift in their stranglehold on athletics should be appreciated. It is not enough to marginally adjust when others are throwing their full stock behind athletics... every state school's admin maximizes its contribution to their athletic department. They comprehend the payback. It is a simple, yet substantial return on investment. You get maximum return in every regard, including education. Yes, you have to keep a watchful eye on things... but it is unacceptable to manage sports by limiting its growth.

I love UL and want us to achieve our collective dreams. My personal view from the past 25 years is that about 10 years ago, we throttled back when we should have throttled forward. It isn't too late to take the core power that still exists and turn it into success. Our admin just has to get with it!!! They do not need to re-invent it... just go see how others have done it!!!

[rhineaux]

Academically, I think statistical information would answer that question. I attended and graduated in the early 80s. I think we are keeping pace with other state schools growth and rank in most major categories. I think that means we are underachieving. UL should not be hung in the mix, regardless of the state's constant imposition to keep us that way.

As for merchandise... we have radically improved over the past 25 years... but we are underachieving there as well. Every major school has gone ballistic with merchandising. We are keeping pace, but I think that is underachieving, considering our uniqueness ("Ragin Cajuns" and all that can be bundled into it with merchandising).

Our greatest underachievement has been in football. I blame that completely on our administration. They think that a marginal uplift in their stranglehold on athletics should be appreciated. It is not enough to marginally adjust when others are throwing their full stock behind athletics... every state school's admin maximizes its contribution to their athletic department. They comprehend the payback. It is a simple, yet substantial return on investment. You get maximum return in every regard, including education. Yes, you have to keep a watchful eye on things... but it is unacceptable to manage sports by limiting its growth.

I love UL and want us to achieve our collective dreams. My personal view from the past 25 years is that about 10 years ago, we throttled back when we should have throttled forward. It isn't too late to take the core power that still exists and turn it into success. Our admin just has to get with it!!! They do not need to re-invent it... just go see how others have done it!!!

Just think what our merchandising could be if it were for those hideous fonts that are meant to look like they are on fire, and those stupid peppers all over everything. Its cartoonish. Its unprofessional looking. Its embarrassing.

[Cajun Express]

Just think what our merchandising could be if it were for those hideous fonts that are meant to look like they are on fire, and those stupid peppers all over everything. Its cartoonish. Its unprofessional looking. Its embarrassing.

I love the pepper, and so do most..

The most embarassing thing we have going on is Julie DroanNET falling in love with LAF, geezzzzzz

[rhineaux]

I love the pepper, and so do most..

The most embarassing thing we have going is Julie DroanNET falling in love with LAF, geezzzzzz

I am not going to say that lots of people do or don't love the pepper, because those are facts that i don't know. I nkow that the people that I know do not care for it.

The pepper is ridiculous. how does that represent a cajun? To me it moreso represents mexican heritage. Cajun food isn't peppered, its seasoned.

and, who is julie dronet

[Cajun Express]

I am not going to say that lots of people do or don't love the pepper, because those are facts that i don't know. I nkow that the people that I know do not care for it.

The pepper is ridiculous. how does that represent a cajun? To me it moreso represents mexican heritage. Cajun food isn't peppered, its seasoned.

and, who is julie dronet

Tobassco peppers are a way of life in Louisiana, not Mexico. Yes we love our food spicy and that does not mean overly peppered, but pepper is the main spice.

The pepper hats are one of the hottest items sold, and that may be because it has no lafayette on it. Just the pepper and Ragin'Cajuns.

It is her mission in life to be sure that every notice, piece of apparel, and any objects we have are tagged with lafayette.

[rhineaux]

Tobassco peppers are a way of life in Louisiana, not Mexico. Yes we love our food spicy and that does not mean overly peppered, but pepper is the main spice.

The pepper hats are one of the hottest items sold, and that may be because it has no lafayette on it. Just the pepper and Ragin'Cajuns.

It is her mission in life to be sure that every notice, piece of apparel, and any objects we have are tagged with lafayette.

so we are known for tabassco peppers, but our mascot is a cayenne? I'm not a botanist, so i can't distiguish between the two, and yes...this area is known for the heat of the food, but it is our MASCOT!! We are the ragin cajuns, not the peppers, which is what I've heard losers east of lafayette call us. I understand the pepper being something representative of the area, but not for a mascot and put all over our uniforms and merchandise. Ole Miss are the rebels, so they have a rebel for a mascot, not two cousins kissing each other, which is what they are known for. Cal's nickname is Bears, so their mascot is a bear, not some pothead hippie riding a bike, which is what they are more known for.

At least play the swampy area angle and run an alligator out there, or some guy who looks like he hasn't seen a paved road in a coon's age.

[Cajun Express]

so we are known for tabassco peppers, but our mascot is a cayenne? I'm not a botanist, so i can't distiguish between the two, and yes...this area is known for the heat of the food, but it is our MASCOT!! We are the ragin cajuns, not the peppers, which is what I've heard losers east of lafayette call us. I understand the pepper being something representative of the area, but not for a mascot and put all over our uniforms and merchandise. Ole Miss are the rebels, so they have a rebel for a mascot, not two cousins kissing each other, which is what they are known for. Cal's nickname is Bears, so their mascot is a bear, not some pothead hippie riding a bike, which is what they are more known for.

At least play the swampy area angle and run an alligator out there, or some guy who looks like he hasn't seen a paved road in a coon's age.

No problems bro, just have a different view, by the by Stanford is a tree, what the hell kind of mascot is that, and OSU has a buckeye, a nut, come on a friggin nut. Him and Ceyenne look like they could be making love under the Stanford Tree.

[Just1More]

Ole Miss are the rebels, so they have a rebel for a mascot, not two cousins kissing each other, which is what they are known for. Cal's nickname is Bears, so their mascot is a bear, not some pothead hippie riding a bike, which is what they are more known for.

That is funny and thanks for a good laugh... but I can't help but agree. I have no problem with the pepper marketed in some clothing apparel, mixed in with "Ragin Cajuns", but as a mascot, that just doesn't cut it.