BB 2007: Hosting or Not?

[RCAJUN90]

Allow me to chime in..... I have Season tickets to everything UL... Baseball, basketball and football.... Next year i think I will need to add women's softball cause those ladies deserve support as well....

That's the extent of my contributions.... Why? Cause I don't know anywhere else to contribute... I am not wealthy but I'm not hurting either... i can't afford a "IHateLaState" endowment (although doesn't that sound like a great name)..... I would happily contribute to something that would benefit the university... especially to baseball which has been my college sport of choice since the days when i could pull an ice chest into the left field bleacher area (point being I am not a 2000 College World Series convert to UL baseball)....

I work for a living which means I am not leadership material for such an endeavor.... But lead and I shall follow... I think there are many more out here BoP that will gladly write a check if they simply knew where to write it...

I love the way that the first to point the finger will never answer that question but they will lead you to believe they are big time donors. Season tickets to every major sport is to be commended and I assume that you live close to Lafayette. One guy on here buys football season tickets every year and lives in Austin. To be honest even if I lived in Lafayette I would only get football and basketball tickets. I can’t stand baseball unless of course the Cajuns make it to a regional again then I can get into it.

[J-Town Cajun]

What is RCC?
I am a season ticket holder in football, baseball, and attend most home basketball games and I never heard of the RCC.

[RaginFan2]

_ What is RCC?
I am a season ticket holder in football, baseball, and attend most home basketball games and I never heard of the RCC. _

RCC is the Ragin' Cajun Club. But I understand why you wouldn't know about it. For some strange reason, they couldn't have done much more to keep it "under the radar" if the CIA had been it charge. I remember when the RCC started under Terry Don Phillips. I signed up for it and the Young RCC for kids (my son was a toddler then, he is now a 23 year old Sr. at UL). I haven't heard much about the RCC since the first few years. I'm unclear as to why it became an underground organization. It had/has the potential to be a great benefit to the university.

[CajunCharlie]

I have seen a number of posts that state, "we need a private athletic foundation." Someone has to explain the "private" part to me. What does it encompass? What does it mean? Does it mean that it will operate as does the lsu TAF? Does it mean that the University has no control?

So, before there is more talk about a private athletic foundation a number of things must be clarified.

[RCAJUN90]

I have seen a number of posts that state, "we need a private athletic foundation." Someone has to explain the "private" part to me. What does it encompass? What does it mean? Does it mean that it will operate as does the lsu TAF? Does it mean that the University has no control?

So, before there is more talk about a private athletic foundation a number of things must be clarified.

Good question and what would be difference between that and RCC.

[Cajun Express]

_ Good question and what would be difference between that and RCC. _

90, do you belong to any organizations such as the Lions Club, Rotary Club, Masons, Knights of Columbus? Every single one of those organizations are private and in every single case they answer to the members. Especially about money. The RCC does nothing like that. It is a subdivision of the UL Foundation and I suspect the only way to find out what happens with the money is to use the Sunshine Laws of Louisiana.

Now there are also funds you can donate to that are suppose to be protected within the RCC such as the summer school scholarship fund the I and my fellow Ksippers contributed to, and another is the Flag Project. I spoke to the Flag Project founder recently and they still need some help in endowing the recurring expenses, please everyone ship fifty to the RCC and designate it towards that worthy project.

I know you choose to not support or buy tickets, but for those do a contribution to the RCC is required in order to get the chairback seats at Cajun Field, and the better basketball seats in the Cajun Dome. The university decides how to use my RCC funds as it applies to athletics because I have not designated a specific spot for it as with the Flag Project, and I know everyone will send in fifty bucks to that worthy project.

[CRAWFISH61]

I buy a parking pass for football and Ragin Cajun youth cards for my 2 kids. These are donations to the RCC. Every year I get a report from the UL foundation. They report the assests, donations, and what scholarships are funded etc. I did not ask for this but I receive it every year. I think my total donation is $140 per year. I don't know why I receive every year and other people don't but it does contain most of the informatin that everyone ask for. If I get another of the double secret double decoded foundation reports I'll try and pass out that information. Hopefully, Authement's SS troops won't arrest me.

[AstroCajun]

This all assumes that the NCAA deems the Cajun facilities as adequate to host.

As great as it would be for us to host, I am of the mind that perhaps losing out the bid might be the best thing that could happen for us long term.

If we get the bid DESPITE our facilities, then what's our incentive to fix the problems with our field?

Losing out when our record would otherwise warrant a bid might be the spark that lights the powder keg.

As passionate as we have been as fans, there's always SOMETHING that comes up that dampens our spirits.

Last year in football it was the MT letdown. Have we recovered? Have we used that disappointment to say NEVER AGAIN?

Let's use the next letdown (and history tells us this will happen) to make some change.

And when we say "Never Again!" let's mean it.

[Cajun90]

_ I have seen a number of posts that state, "we need a private athletic foundation." Someone has to explain the "private" part to me. What does it encompass? What does it mean? Does it mean that it will operate as does the lsu TAF? Does it mean that the University has no control?

So, before there is more talk about a private athletic foundation a number of things must be clarified. _

TAF is a "private" foundation that was born out of the LSU athletic dept. However the board is compromised of TAF members and to my knowledge no LSU personnel are on the board or work directly for the foundation.

Now I do not believe there is anyway that a private fund can be established without some relationship to the University because of the requirements for tax exempt status and Louisiana disclosure laws. There are vehicles in place (i.e UL Foundation) that can serve the same purpose but they aren't being operated or marketed properly so I think the argument for a private fund might be a little off base. Lets forget a "private" fund because it still requires University cooperation and instead lets make the existing system work better.

Keep in mind that TAF works because of an excess demand over supply. Basically TAF has established a system where the more you contribute the more points you get. These points help you in obtaining better seats, parking etc. One thing I like about TAF is that contributions (monetary or in kind) to academic programs also gain you points. It isn't all about athletics. TAF also operates with a staff of approximately twenty four people. I know Gerald Hebert gets a lot done but he is only one person. Maybe the effort should be focused on properly staffing our existing system. Get a half-dozen more people working on it with the cavet that they pay their own way. They get out and get the fund raising system working so that it pays their salary plus meets a certain goal in fund raising.

[rhineaux]

_ I know Gerald Hebert gets a lot done but he is only one person. Maybe the effort should be focused on properly staffing our existing system.

INTERNS!!!!! MARKETING INTERNS!!!! BUSINESS INTERNS!!!! AND EVEN ARCHITECTURAL/DESIGN INTERNS TO DESIGN POTENTIAL IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE COULD MAKE, LIKE ADDING SEATING OR NEW LUXURY BOXES TO THE TIGUE, A FANCY NEW ADDITION TO THE ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT, ETC.

[Cajun Express]

_ I buy a parking pass for football and Ragin Cajun youth cards for my 2 kids. These are donations to the RCC. Every year I get a report from the UL foundation. They report the assests, donations, and what scholarships are funded etc. I did not ask for this but I receive it every year. I think my total donation is $140 per year. I don't know why I receive every year and other people don't but it does contain most of the informatin that everyone ask for. If I get another of the double secret double decoded foundation reports I'll try and pass out that information. Hopefully, Authement's SS troops won't arrest me. _

I don't get any of that. I contribute to football, basketball, and baseball. Never have gotten the first piece of paper. Used to get a receipt for tax purposes, but am now told I need to request same. Just another example of why this club has problems, lack of any discipline. I am glad you get it, but I assure you that is not the norm. I will however ask why there appears to be different rules for different people.

[Cajun Express]

_ TAF is a "private" foundation that was born out of the LSU athletic dept. However the board is compromised of TAF members and to my knowledge no LSU personnel are on the board or work directly for the foundation.

Now I do not believe there is anyway that a private fund can be established without some relationship to the University because of the requirements for tax exempt status and Louisiana disclosure laws. There are vehicles in place (i.e UL Foundation) that can serve the same purpose but they aren't being operated or marketed properly so I think the argument for a private fund might be a little off base. Lets forget a "private" fund because it still requires University cooperation and instead lets make the existing system work better.

Keep in mind that TAF works because of an excess demand over supply. Basically TAF has established a system where the more you contribute the more points you get. These points help you in obtaining better seats, parking etc. One thing I like about TAF is that contributions (monetary or in kind) to academic programs also gain you points. It isn't all about athletics. TAF also operates with a staff of approximately twenty four people. I know Gerald Hebert gets a lot done but he is only one person. Maybe the effort should be focused on properly staffing our existing system. Get a half-dozen more people working on it with the cavet that they pay their own way. They get out and get the fund raising system working so that it pays their salary plus meets a certain goal in fund raising. _

Nicely put.

[UL Ragin Cajun]

_ I don't get any of that. I contribute to football, basketball, and baseball. Never have gotten the first piece of paper. Used to get a receipt for tax purposes, but am now told I need to request same. Just another example of why this club has problems, lack of any discipline. I am glad you get it, but I assure you that is not the norm. I will however ask why there appears to be different rules for different people. _

Ragin' Cajun Club

Supporters of Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns are eligible to become members of the Ragin' Cajun Club at various levels. For more information, please contact Gerald Hebert, Coordinator of Athletic Development by calling (337) 482-0922 or by sending him an e-mail message.

Email Gerald Hebert

[Cajun Express]

_ Ragin' Cajun Club

Supporters of Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns are eligible to become members of the Ragin' Cajun Club at various levels. For more information, please contact Gerald Hebert, Coordinator of Athletic Development by calling (337) 482-0922 or by sending him an e-mail message.

Email Gerald Hebert _

I am a member. I renew every year. My level is pretty good, and I will see why I do not get these financial documents. Again I should not have to ask, but I will. I am throughly familiar with the various levels.

[UL Ragin Cajun]

_ I am a member. I renew every year. My level is pretty good, and I will see why I do not get these financial documents. Again I should not have to ask, but I will. I am throughly familiar with the various levels. _

Gerald is on ESPN1420 now asking for calls to answer these types of questions. If you can call him now.....