When will things be sweet?

[Cajun Express]

Tech is in the Mountain West Conference which is getting 2 or 3 Bowl games per year... Yes our conference got more than one this year only because of the winning record rule...Trust me had another team anywhere had a winning record we would not have been in....Tech has been to at least one bowl game in recent memory... I attended our last one... back in the early 70's if memory serves me.... The Grantland Rice Bowl.....
JMO

Tech is not in the Mountain West Conference, they are in the WAC, and the current WAC looks a lot like the old Big West Conference. LTU IMO, is not in line for a major upgrade in any conference any time soon.

Having said that we still must do much better. You can help to start us getting better by helping to get a million dollars into our foundation to provide summer school funds for our football and other teams. Get together with your friends and each one get one more to contribute. Why wait and b(itch) about others when none of us are doing the most we can.

[IHateLaState]

Tech is not in the Mountain West Conference, they are in the WAC, and the current WAC looks a lot like the old Big West Conference. LTU IMO, is not in line for a major upgrade in any conference any time soon.

Having said that we still must do much better. You can help to start us getting better by helping to get a million dollars into our foundation to provide summer school funds for our football and other teams. Get together with your friends and each one get one more to contribute. Why wait and b(itch) about others when none of us are doing the most we can.

Well i do have season tickets (4) for Football, Baseball and Basketball... For Football I pay that Ragin Cajun Club dues for chairbacks... This is about the best I can do as an individual...

As for _____ing abut others.... those I am voicing concern over (feel free to call it _____ing) are those that are in position to do something.. those who are PAID to do something... those who I think are very much doing the best that they can but do not (JMO remember) contain the attributes we need in the positions they hold.

I know personally someone who applied to the AD search board who felt like I do... that changes needed to be made...this individual is an experienced business man... with contacts all over the area... in other words someone who could do those things you speak of... like raising money.... He has not even received an acknowledgment of his application... His credentials may not be what they are looking for but perhaps the courtesy of a letter to someone who can make things happen would have been in order..

What you call _____ing is what I call expressing concern.. Guess I should keep quiet and watch others move past the university I love... i'd rather not do that.... Do more?? I'd be happy to............

[RCAJUN90]

Tech is not in the Mountain West Conference, they are in the WAC, and the current WAC looks a lot like the old Big West Conference. LTU IMO, is not in line for a major upgrade in any conference any time soon.

Having said that we still must do much better. You can help to start us getting better by helping to get a million dollars into our foundation to provide summer school funds for our football and other teams. Get together with your friends and each one get one more to contribute. Why wait and b(itch) about others when none of us are doing the most we can.

Ah yes bring up the money issue. Nobody would argue if we had a billion dollar budget our athletic program would be better but that is not going to happen. Most of us are upset over our football and basketball programs. Are you trying to say we don’t get enough money to compete in the Sunbelt in these sports? As far as donations I can only speak for myself that I’m in no condition to donate hundreds or thousands of dollars to the program. I do know of two multimillionaires that might and I’m sure our university has produced many others that have not given up on the program. Who’s job is it to contact these major leaguers? Surely not ours. Is this the AD’s job? Don’t flame those that are upset. Being upset means you still care and have not given up.

[HoustonCajun]

Choked is to put it mildly... ULM put an sss whippin on us.. third time in the last 4 years.... We have not even been able to separate ourselves from them.... What claim can we make to the UL identity if we cant do that??

Maybe we are not about to crater... but from my vantage I don't see the thrusters being lit to launch this rocket either.... just the good old comfortable status quo.................

I know this is an old subject and hardly anyone agrees with me of us on this, but

Boise State, Fresno State, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, NMSU, San Jose State, Utah State and LA Tech make a MUCH BETTER conference than teams like UA Little Rock, S. Alabama, UNO, W. KY, FIU, FAU, & ULM, etc. Mulitple bowls and multiple NCAA basketball bids outweigh the SBC. AND, separation from ULM and likely name recognition by the WAC as Louisiana, thereby giving us national name recognation as well.

I still wish the WAC would pick 3 teams for a 12 team conference and a championship game adding UL, UNT and Ark. State (or, Troy or MTSU if ASU still won't go). That would give us an Eastern Division of UL, LA Tech, UNT, Ark. State, NMSU and either Utah State or Idaho. We would be taking just about the best of the SBC to compliment the WAC and putting UL in a far better position than in the SBC. It will take years for the SBC to overcome its current position, if ever. I don't think it will ever exceed the WAC, MAC or C-USA, no matter how competitive it gets with those conferences. It will always be the bottom feeder in 1A football and a one bid basketball conference.

Of course, the WAC may no longer wish to expand and our window of opportunity could be lost. Also, there may never be another major conference reallignment, so there may be no other conference opportunities as well. For those who say this is just the old Big West, that conference doesn't exist and, if it did, would be about the same as the SBC. There are better teams in the WAC now, although my proposal would include former members and some current SBC members for divisional travel partners. That a WAC member could be considered for the BCS in football and a Top 10 ranking in basketball is another indication that the WAC is above the SBC and is something no SBC member will ever achieve.

I am likely not convincing anyone that UL should be in an expanded WAC. Likewise, there is nothing that can convince me that the SBC is the place for UL to be. We can waste another 10 years in the SBC and will recruit to that level, never having the talent to truly compete year in and year out against competition outside the SBC. And our fans will not get excited about playing FIU, FAU or ULM and our attendance will still struggle to reach 20,000. One win over Houston does not constitute being competitive, or a win by other SBC conference members vs. the botttom teams of another conference (in fact, losing to Louisiana-Lafayette from the SBC is considered like losing to a 1AA school here in Houston). It is certainly a start for UL and for this league, but I don't have enough years left to wait and hope for something better while a team like Troy is quickly looking at us in their rear view and we continue to lose to teams like ULM and continue to fight for a name with ULM as an equal conference member.

[MiamiCajun32]

I know this is an old subject and hardly anyone agrees with me of us on this, but

Boise State, Fresno State, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, NMSU, San Jose State, Utah State and LA Tech make a MUCH BETTER conference than teams like UA Little Rock, S. Alabama, UNO, W. KY, FIU, FAU, & ULM, etc. Mulitple bowls and multiple NCAA basketball bids outweigh the SBC. AND, separation from ULM and likely name recognition by the WAC as Louisiana, thereby giving us national name recognation as well.

I still wish the WAC would pick 3 teams for a 12 team conference and a championship game adding UL, UNT and Ark. State (or, Troy or MTSU if ASU still won't go). That would give us an Eastern Division of UL, LA Tech, UNT, Ark. State, NMSU and either Utah State or Idaho. We would be taking just about the best of the SBC to compliment the WAC and putting UL in a far better position than in the SBC. It will take years for the SBC to overcome its current position, if ever. I don't think it will ever exceed the WAC, MAC or C-USA, no matter how competitive it gets with those conferences. It will always be the bottom feeder in 1A football and a one bid basketball conference.

Of course, the WAC may no longer wish to expand and our window of opportunity could be lost. Also, there may never be another major conference reallignment, so there may be no other conference opportunities as well. For those who say this is just the old Big West, that conference doesn't exist and, if it did, would be about the same as the SBC. There are better teams in the WAC now, although my proposal would include former members and some current SBC members for divisional travel partners. That a WAC member could be considered for the BCS in football and a Top 10 ranking in basketball is another indication that the WAC is above the SBC and is something no SBC member will ever achieve.

I am likely not convincing anyone that UL should be in an expanded WAC. Likewise, there is nothing that can convince me that the SBC is the place for UL to be. We can waste another 10 years in the SBC and will recruit to that level, never having the talent to truly compete year in and year out against competition outside the SBC. And our fans will not get excited about playing FIU, FAU or ULM and our attendance will still struggle to reach 20,000. One win over Houston does not constitute being competitive, or a win by other SBC conference members vs. the botttom teams of another conference (in fact, losing to University of Louisiana from the SBC is considered like losing to a 1AA school here in Houston). It is certainly a start for UL and for this league, but I don't have enough years left to wait and hope for something better while a team like Troy is quickly looking at us in their rear view and we continue to lose to teams like ULM and continue to fight for a name with ULM as an equal conference member.

I am very anti-sunbelt, but when it comes to football there has been significant improvement this past year. 4-3 against the Conference USA, including wins against their better teams is something that could have never been dreamed of just two years ago. It is not worth throwing a party about, but it is a very big first step in the right direction. I believe that last year's Cajuns football team would have won the conference a few years ago, easily, even considering that North Texas team that kept winning by default. UL can't go to Conference USA and refused to go to WAC, so we are left with sunbelt. If Cajuns consistently win and have fan support, then there will be opportunities to upgrade in the next alignment. If there is no alignment for many years that will be probably a good thing too, because FIU and FAU have big budgets and will get much better. If the current sunbelt teams stay together over the next 10 years, the football conference will get a lot better. If there is realignment in 5 years, teams like FIU and FAU could bolt for better places (even though they have no fan support now, it can change overnight due to $$), just like UCF and USF have done and Cajuns could be left in a weakened sunbelt.

The most dissapointing part of sunbelt now is men's basketball. It used to be a tough conference that deserved 2 bids and sometimes received 2. Now it is such a bad conference that it is not out of the question for Cajuns to win the conference tourney with 9-19 record going in.

[Cajunsmike]

He also hired Augie Tamarillo that led to some of more glorious years in football... He started the fund raising that led to attracting teams like Alabama and Texas A&M to Cajun Field.... Ultimately lured awy by the University of Arkansas....

Mistakes are made in hiring at every univeristy....I'd rather the guy (or gal) that takes a chance trying to improve things to the gal (or guy) who chooses to keep the status quo that for 30 odd years has not moved this university forward.....

There was a time when Southern Miss and USL were viewed similarly... Not any more...they have moved forward.... Many on here choose to put their head in the sand regarding Tech.... Like it or not their athletic department has progressed much beyond ours...Now Troy has burst onto the scene... Movin and shakin while we sit stuck in the mud....

Folks we don't even have a friggin AD... and havnt for a long time....... We are not going anywhere until we do..........and as time continues to march on, others are moving forward.... Sorry.. I love UL as much as anyone.... but the view from where I sit is not pretty...

See you at the Teague tonite............

Terry Don Phillips hired Nelson Stokley, not Augie. Auge was long gone before Terry Don arrived.

[CajunGuru]

Ah yes bring up the money issue. Nobody would argue if we had a billion dollar budget our athletic program would be better but that is not going to happen. Most of us are upset over our football and basketball programs. Are you trying to say we don’t get enough money to compete in the Sunbelt in these sports? As far as donations I can only speak for myself that I’m in no condition to donate hundreds or thousands of dollars to the program. I do know of two multimillionaires that might and I’m sure our university has produced many others that have not given up on the program. Who’s job is it to contact these major leaguers? Surely not ours. Is this the AD’s job? Don’t flame those that are upset. Being upset means you still care and have not given up.

Humm..., the second worst funded football and basketball program in the nation. Are you stating that this is not a factor in improving this program? Look, don't take it so personal when people point out this fact, no one is pointing a finger at you. But clealry those who think we can compete consistantly at the Div1A level with our current budget,don't understand the financial demands of modern college athletics. So don't flame those for pointing out that you and others are missing the larger picture. I have no problem with people being upset, I do have a problem with those that refuse to consider all factors before blasting everyone and everything associated with the program.

[RCAJUN90]

Humm..., the second worst funded football and basketball program in the nation. Are you stating that this is not a factor in improving this program? Look, don't take it so personal when people point out this fact, no one is pointing a finger at you. But clealry those who think we can compete consistantly at the Div1A level with our current budget,don't understand the financial demands of modern college athletics. So don't flame those for pointing out that you and others are missing the larger picture. I have no problem with people being upset, I do have a problem with those that refuse to consider all factors before blasting everyone and everything associated with the program.

Show me where we are the second worst funded football and basketball program in the nation. I don't blast anyone and yes money is a factor. We are suppose to be in a conference where we are all relatively equal. Please show me where we are the second worst funded program in the nation. I'm not calling you a liar but simply stating something you believe is probably true. I've done that before only to be proven wrong. I'm all for more money but when someone acts like it is your average fans fault I do have a problem. We have many millionaires out there and big time companies like Tabasco that we should be phoning and driving them crazy. How about a new Ragin Cajun Tabasco stadium? The pepper logo the nickname of the team and the product seem to be a perfect match to me. Who's job is it to beat the bushes to provide funding for sports?

[MiamiCajun32]

Show me where we are the second worst funded football and basketball program in the nation. I don't blast anyone and yes money is a factor. We are suppose to be in a conference where we are all relatively equal. Please show me where we are the second worst funded program in the nation. I'm not calling you a liar but simply stating something you believe is probably true. I've done that before only to be proven wrong. I'm all for more money but when someone acts like it is your average fans fault I do have a problem. We have many millionaires out there and big time companies like Tabasco that we should be phoning and driving them crazy. How about a new Ragin Cajun Tabasco stadium? The pepper logo the nickname of the team and the product seem to be a perfect match to me. Who's job is it to beat the bushes to provide funding for sports?

The two ULs, Louisville and Louisiana, are examples of the opposite ends of the spectrum regarding how to build funding and fan support for a football program. The people with the power to act have to dream big and have high level of resolve, but that has never been the case with Cajuns athletics administrators.

[Clutch0364]

Show me where we are the second worst funded football and basketball program in the nation. I don't blast anyone and yes money is a factor. We are suppose to be in a conference where we are all relatively equal. Please show me where we are the second worst funded program in the nation. I'm not calling you a liar but simply stating something you believe is probably true. I've done that before only to be proven wrong. I'm all for more money but when someone acts like it is your average fans fault I do have a problem. We have many millionaires out there and big time companies like Tabasco that we should be phoning and driving them crazy. How about a new Ragin Cajun Tabasco stadium? The pepper logo the nickname of the team and the product seem to be a perfect match to me. Who's job is it to beat the bushes to provide funding for sports?

I am not going to pull out any info because I am not one who knows where to find it but they have some guys on here who can. We have a budget in the 8 Mil. range, Western Kentucky who is not a full member yet has a budget in the 20 Mil range. Our budget is a huge problem. A fixable problem, Yes...but it takes time and people with big goals.

[CajunGuru]

Show me where we are the second worst funded football and basketball program in the nation. I don't blast anyone and yes money is a factor. We are suppose to be in a conference where we are all relatively equal. Please show me where we are the second worst funded program in the nation. I'm not calling you a liar but simply stating something you believe is probably true. I've done that before only to be proven wrong. I'm all for more money but when someone acts like it is your average fans fault I do have a problem. We have many millionaires out there and big time companies like Tabasco that we should be phoning and driving them crazy. How about a new Ragin Cajun Tabasco stadium? The pepper logo the nickname of the team and the product seem to be a perfect match to me. Who's job is it to beat the bushes to provide funding for sports?

Come on RCAJUN90,I'm not going down the road again with you. No, you are not calling me a liar, but no matter what information I post you are going spin this discussion into a endless thread. I really believe you enjoy pushing peoples buttons when you don't like the answers they give you. Here is a tip, go to google and do a search for 2006 college athletic budgets,and do the search youself. This information has been posted on this board and the Delphi board in the past. Then you can post it here and prove me wrong. I'm going to watch the Cajuns play at the Tigue,I hope you catch the game on the internet 1420espn.

[RCAJUN90]

Come on RCAJUN90,I'm not going down the road again with you. No, you are not calling me a liar, but no matter what information I post you are going spin this discussion into a endless thread. I really believe you enjoy pushing peoples buttons when you don't like the answers they give you. Here is a tip, go to google and do a search for 2006 college athletic budgets,and do the search youself. This information has been posted on this board and the Delphi board in the past. Then you can post it here and prove me wrong. I'm going to watch the Cajuns play at the Tigue,I hope you catch the game on the internet 1420espn.

Good grief you really don't know me if you think I like to push peoples buttons. I'm just shocked that we are second to last in the nation. How did we afford the indoor practice facility? I did do a google search but couldn't find anything to back up what you said. Since you seem to be in the know, why is it so underfunded? How could little ole Troy be passing us up? I hope you game at the Tigue isn't rained out and the Cajuns win.