Is ULM a Rival?

[California Cajun]

_ I agree. I always want to beat them, just because they are within the conference and we compete with them for recruits and such. But, I don't look at them like Ohio St would look at Michigan or something like that.

I voted no because the poll asked if they are our rival, and I don't thnk that they are our main, or one and only rival. But the thread asked are they A rival, and to that I would say yes, to some extent.

I also agree that if both teams continue to improve greatly, then they could end up being a great rival, only because of their proximity. They are competitive with us in football and now they've begun to have a better basketball program, but they aren't in the picture for anything else either on the field or off. I also believe that while they've ahd our number in football in recent years, that we have a better chance, if done right, to grow at a much better rate than they do because we offer a larger school, with much better programs, and a better quality of living. I think the only reason that they are kept as a 4-yr institution is because of that pharmacy school they have.

bottom line, a rivalry only happens when both sides win, we haven't done that lately. _

The Sun Belt Conference is trying to make them our rival by scheduling us as the last game of the football season. If we don't want this, we have to do something about it.

[California Cajun]

_ I dont feel its a rivalry but in order for it to be a rival you have to win every once and a while and that hasn't been happening in football so no its not a rival.

In conference i feel the biggest rivalry is Middle Tennessee...its always a battle and every year you dont know what will happen _

I think without any social engineering (i.e. SBC trying to make UL and ULM rivals), MT has evolved into the rival, but a friendly one thus far.

[rhineaux]

Another big factor in a rivalry is that one party has to want something that the other party has. Other than them beating us over the past few years, there is really nothing that they have that we want. OSU and Michigan is huge because the winner often goes to the Rose Bowl, and the loser wants that. Other major rivalries are based on recruiting wars and such. we don't have that with them. They might show a rivalry towards us because of the better school and town, but we don't desire their position on either of those factors. and, in this case, there's no major recruiting wars because of the fact that so many major schools ravage these lands and because of that, our two schools aren't fighting for coveted recruits, not to mention also competing with Tech, USM, etc. I think that we might offer the same recruits sometimes, but often times,if a recruit goes to the other school, it won't break the other program.

[shof]

_ If you want to be Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana Là, or Lafayette forever you want them to be your rival.

If you want to seize the UL identity, you don't want them to be your rival.

If we keep losing to them like we have 4 out of the last 5 meetings during the Bustle era, they become the rival whether you like it or not.

We have to beat them, dominate them, then move to a more advantageous conference situation without them if we want to max out the potential of UL. _

I agree with you that we may not WANT them to be our rival; but given the current situation (conference affiliation, proximity, etc) they are whether we like it or not.

[MakoMaker]

_ If all things were right in the world, our rivals should be La Tech, Southern Miss, Houston, & Tulane. _

Typically, rivals play heralded, epic, classic battles b/t the two with major implications on the line...Since ULM has taken lil bro behind the woodshed and dropped our pants since God knows when...I would say the answer to your question would be no.

[TuffGuy84]

Yes ULM is a rival.

A rival is a team that you love to beat and hate to lose to. I don't know about yall, but losing to ULM gets under my skin more than losing to any team. I also take some satisfaction in beating them. Thats a rival, its good for us and good for them, and I'd love to be the team to prevent them, FOR THE SECOND TIME IN 3 YEARS, to have their first non-losing season since joining 1A.

Tuffguy

[Cajun Express]

_ Simple question, yes or no.

Is ULM our rival right now?

Discuss. _

Don't you have to be competitive with your rival? If not then they are your rival and you are not theirs. Right now ULM is our rival but we are not theirs. I would think they would feel like they took a major step back should we upset them this Saturday!

[Just1More]

No team is your rival (moreso than others) until the collective sentiment of your fans, players and the community that claims you has that "rival feeling"... and vice versa. We are not (yet) rivals with ULM, in anything. It just has not happened. Unfortunately, I think we are heading down that path. We are losing touch with LaTech and Tulane, and some other programs that a rivalry was in process, in football in particular.

I think our SBC foes in football have not established a single rivalry for us. There is a slight start here and there, but there is no team that has us feeling a "rivalry" in football that stands out from the rest.

I kind of liken a rival to someone you hate so much, or absolutely love to beat so much, that you are thinking about them (as fans) many games ahead of playing them. Over the years of being in the SBC, I have yet to look at the schedule in search of a specific school's name, on a certain date, and my lip curl and low growl come out, as a I see their name on the schedule. Nope... that has not happened for us yet. And definitely not with ULM.

[RaginFan2]

_ Typically, rivals play heralded, epic, classic battles b/t the two with major implications on the line...Since ULM has taken lil bro behind the woodshed and dropped our pants since God knows when...I would say the answer to your question would be no. _

They may have beaten us more frequently lately, but that does NOT make them our "Big Bro". They are our junior in just about every category that matters. Just hasn't happened on the football field lately.

[DestinCajun]

I don't feel it. From what I've heard Monroe is big into the rivalry with us. It feels forced to me, like the athletic department said "here is your rivalry game, enjoy". _

Ditteaux.