2008 Schedule

[DestinCajun]

_ Tech should be on the schedule with alternating home and away at least every other year.

I would love to see the Belt become or CUSA become this:

East:
Western Kentucky
Memphis
Middle Tennessee
Troy
FAU
UAB

West:
Southern Mississippi
Louisiana
Houston
La Tech
North Texas
Arkansas State

DaddyCajun _

It just won't happen, Daddy, the WAC is the best nonBCS conference in all the land. So, why would LaTex ever leave it?

[HoustonCajun]

_ Tech should be on the schedule with alternating home and away at least every other year.

I would love to see the Belt become or CUSA become this:

East:
Western Kentucky
Memphis
Middle Tennessee
Troy
FAU
UAB

West:
Southern Mississippi
Louisiana
Houston
La Tech
North Texas
Arkansas State

DaddyCajun _

Since Tulane, SMU, Tulsa and UTEP are in C-USA and in our region, they would likely be a part of any reallignment scenario. I would hope that UTEP could return to the MWC. That would leave Marshall, E. Carolina and UCF as the other teams looking for a home and not likely left out of anything. Perhaps the Big East would expand its football to 12 members and would include Memphis, UCF, E. Carolina and Marshall.

Assuming that takes place, my new conference scenario would look like this:

North

Tulsa, SMU, N. Texas, Ark. State, LA Tech, UAB

South

UL, S. Miss, Tulane, Houston, Rice, Troy

That would leave the SBC with:

ULM, MTSU, FIU, FAU & WKU and needing 1 more member to survive.

Under that South Division scenario, imagine UL's future football schedule to be something where fans could literally drive to all of our divisional games and most of our conference games with minimal travel expenses for the university. And, natural rivalries are built that would be exciting for our fans.

My only concern in this scenario would be for MTSU as they are left out and are an up and coming program.

Potential Future Schedule:

S. Miss, Tulane, Houston, Rice, LA Tech, Ark. State, SMU, Tulsa, N. Texas, UAB plus 2 non-conference games. We would be in Houston and Dallas every year with alternating games v. Houston/Rice and SMU/N. Texas. These are huge recruiting areas where we need the exposure. For the 2 non-conference games, we can open up with a more competitive team like the MAC and a second money game v. teams like Texas A&M, LSU, Texas, Tennessee, etc. with a 2 for 1 contract.

No more ULM, FIU, FAU, WKY, MTSU and no more 1AA games.

[RonMexico]

Since Tulane, SMU, Tulsa and UTEP are in C-USA and in our region, they would likely be a part of any reallignment scenario. I would hope that UTEP could return to the MWC. That would leave Marshall, E. Carolina and UCF as the other teams looking for a home and not likely left out of anything. Perhaps the Big East would expand its football to 12 members and would include Memphis, UCF, E. Carolina and Marshall.

Assuming that takes place, my new conference scenario would look like this:

North

Tulsa, SMU, N. Texas, Ark. State, LA Tech, UAB

South

UL, S. Miss, Tulane, Houston, Rice, Troy

That would leave the SBC with:

ULM, MTSU, FIU, FAU & WKU and needing 1 more member to survive.

Under that South Division scenario, imagine UL's future football schedule to be something where fans could literally drive to all of our divisional games and most of our conference games with minimal travel expenses for the university. And, natural rivalries are built that would be exciting for our fans.

My only concern in this scenario would be for MTSU as they are left out and are an up and coming program.

Potential Future Schedule:

S. Miss, Tulane, Houston, Rice, LA Tech, Ark. State, SMU, Tulsa, N. Texas, UAB plus 2 non-conference games. We would be in Houston and Dallas every year with alternating games v. Houston/Rice and SMU/N. Texas. These are huge recruiting areas where we need the exposure. For the 2 non-conference games, we can open up with a more competitive team like the MAC and a second money game v. teams like Texas A&M, LSU, Texas, Tennessee, etc. with a 2 for 1 contract.

No more ULM, FIU, FAU, WKY, MTSU and no more 1AA games.

Sugarland said:
My only concern in this scenario would be for MTSU as they are left out and are an up and coming program.

Unless we make some drastic changes, we'll get left out way before MT does. That being said, I believe we have the people in place to make these changes. We can't afford NOT to run this athletic program like a business now. That means some tough decisions need to be made pretty quickly.

L'Ronte'

[DaddyCajun]

Not only do tuff decisions need to be made by the administration but tuff ones need to be made by said fans. We as fans need to not complain so much and get involved more. I know a whole bunch of people on this and other boards that buy season tickets and help out with projects as they are able. However there are many people who do not much more than Rant and Rave about UL. Those people need to get off their perverbial soap boxes and start by buying season tickets to at least ONE UL sport. They should put some of their busy day aside as many of us do and help out with projects and volunteer days! FAU and FIU have HUGE budgets compared to UL. UL's budget will soon be over 10 million and possibly 12 million depending on a few slowly materializing donations. This is still about half of what FAU has and some other Belt schools are in the mid Teens(millions). We are playing catch up right now but HOW can you catch up if the schools UL is trying to catch up to are having recuring monies each year that is 25-100% more than what UL has coming in?

Remember it is the "Sum of it Parts" that will strengthen UL. Please become a part of the whole in the solution, and not a finger pointer!!!!

DaddyCajun


ps This post is NOT pointing the finger at anyone in particular, but is suggesting less complaining and more helping the cause!!

[HoustonCajun]

_ Not only do tuff decisions need to be made by the administration but tuff ones need to be made by said fans. We as fans need to not complain so much and get involved more. I know a whole bunch of people on this and other boards that buy season tickets and help out with projects as they are able. However there are many people who do not much more than Rant and Rave about UL. Those people need to get off their perverbial soap boxes and start by buying season tickets to at least ONE UL sport. They should put some of their busy day aside as many of us do and help out with projects and volunteer days! FAU and FIU have HUGE budgets compared to UL. UL's budget will soon be over 10 million and possibly 12 million depending on a few slowly materializing donations. This is still about half of what FAU has and some other Belt schools are in the mid Teens(millions). We are playing catch up right now but HOW can you catch up if the schools UL is trying to catch up to are having recuring monies each year that is 25-100% more than what UL has coming in?

Remember it is the "Sum of it Parts" that will strengthen UL. Please become a part of the whole in the solution, and not a finger pointer!!!!

DaddyCajun


ps This post is NOT pointing the finger at anyone in particular, but is suggesting less complaining and more helping the cause!! _

What we are missing here is that 9,800 fans and a season ticket base of under 5,000 is a huge part of our being underfunded. One of the reasons Baldwin was dismissed, aside from losing, is lack of attendance that was killing our program. We are 6 years later back to that same point.

If we want to increase funding, aside from donations, we need to start averaging over 25,000 per game (not including opposing team fans) and have a season ticket base of 15,000 or greater. We need to market our program to the public! We need to chairback seats on the student side between the 40 yard lines, sell those as prime season ticket seats and not GIVE them away to the students. Did you see the LSU game Saturday night after the Cajuns game? The LSU band sits on the goal line/endzone, which is where all the students sit. To expect more than 1/3 of our student enrollment to attend a game is unrealistic, but we should consistently get 5,000 students per game. Sit them to the right of the chairbacks. To the left of the chairbacks are for season ticket holders, general admission and opposing team fans. Fill up the the two lower levels then overflow to the upper deck and student overflow in the grassy endzones. Let's CREATE an atmosphere at the stadium that will excite the fans and the players.

Game day management is terrible and needs to be amended. Maybe we need to form a committee to sit down with whoever is in charge of this and offer and discuss suggested alternatives that will improve things and be the start of something that will eventually become a tradition.