New Orleans Bowl

[CajunDreDog]

Can we get back to making hotel arrangement, plans, etc.?

[Turbine]

Wow, are you serious? It does not matter who we play? I can see why the resistance from some here. Let's only play in the NO Bowl against Tulane or Marshall, because it's inside and we are so comfortable and a "w" is a "w" and that is glorious because it is the pinnacle of where UL can be.

When you are building a brand; 'winners of nine straight bowls' is a better brick than fan travel diversity.

[TravlnCajun]

I keep trying to talk myself out of the Hyatt ... but three years in a row, I keep losing out to myself!

Stayed there the last two years, booked last week for this year. I found its super easy for gameday and Champions events. Easer to get cab to Marriot & back for other events.

[TravlnCajun]

I'm only going to say this once, then accept the ridicule that I will receive from some of you. Let's look at the likely scenario for THIS season. We finish 10-2 and either unranked or ranked 24-25. Assuming we have not already accepted the NO Bowl, our choices would be NO on a Saturday night in late December, indoors against an eminently beatable CUSA team with a respectable record of 8-4 or 9-3, in front of 50-60000 fans, 85% of which are Cajun fans... OR ... in early January, outdoors against a very good and very ____ed off 13-0 NIU team which will be ranked around 15th, but shut out of a BCS bowl because Fresno was ranked 14th, in front of maybe 35K fans, of which about 70% will be Cajun fans.

This choice is a no-brainer. We go to New Orleans, because it is better to WIN a bowl against a respectable team than it is to possibly lose one to an excellent one who is not perceived as much better than we are. Recruiting is MUCH better when our coaches can say: We have WON three straight bowl games and our Conference Championship, rather than: We have BEEN to three straight bowl games and won our Conference Championship.

The only time another bowl would be more attractive than NOLA [this year] is if we could be matched up in Houston, indoors, against a ranked 9-3 Big XII or Big X team.

Perfect dead on analysis

[BrockMeaux]

Our crew just booked at the Royal Sonesta. Really excited about it. It's not the team hotel, but the last two years we stayed on the river so we were pretty well separated from the party.

[Just1More]

Again, not necessarily a better bowl, because we all know the only better bowls are BCS bowls. A better opponent, and at this time we don't know who that might be. That's where the wait part comes.

I love you brother, but you are wrong this year. You keep talking about hypothetical "better opponents". We are not set up for a "better opponent" bowl invite. You keep acting like waiting gets you some smorgasbord of choices. That just isn't reality. We have an extremely narrow window of invites. And we have no say-so on opponents. Playing this waiting game is riddled with flaws. Making early bowl commitments massively increases the probability of our fans being able to travel. Setting aside the venue (and you can't name a venue that we're in the running for that's better than NO), this "better opponent" is nonsense. When you start considering bowls that are open to us, due to an unfulfilled commitment by X conference, it means they were picking from the last on that conference's list. That also means the other opponent in that bowl is usually the lowest qualifier in their conference.

You need to stop talking about the hypothetical better bowl opponent matchup. It doesn't work like that. And waiting until the last slots are filled, which is the only other possibility out there that "might" match us up with a so-called "better opponent" is nonsense. You've been given outstanding explanations of why you are incorrect, with certainty, this year.

And quit acting like you're only arguing with people in love with the NO Bowl. Leave that out of the argument. We are talking about the value to us, all the way around, versus the other realistic options. It isn't even in question this year. We have to have a super, out of this world regular season, that just can't be denied by "better bowls" with those nebulous "better opponents" you'd like to see. Quit saying, "but guys... it would be better for our program to play a better opponent, even if there's a cost.". We are past the "cost -fun, easy travel, New Orleans" argument. There are no better opponent bowls for us this year! You don't get to wait and pick when you are us, in the SBC!

[BayouRichard]

I love you brother, but you are wrong this year. You keep talking about opponent in that -fun, easy travel, New Orleans" argument. There are no better opponent bowls for us this year! You don't get to wait and pick when you are us, in the SBC!

Looking forward to the future, but let's enjoy the gift. The PRESENT.

[TuffGuy84]

I'm not gonna argue about the money that can be made in the New Orleans bowl, but I do remember a situation a few years ago where Boise and TCU were worked into a bowl game due to the match up by ESPN. If I remember correctly, ESPN sweetened the pot to make that a reality because they prefer better matchups. I'm not saying for sure, but I could see them doing something similar with NIU this year. NIU was a BCS buster last year, and are looking strong at going 13-0 this year, but might not make a BCS game because of how well Fresno St. has been playing. If Fresno steals that BCS bid and NIU ends up in GoDaddy, I could see ESPN sweetening the pot so they get a top 25 NIU vs a close to top 25 Cajuns team, and both being conference champions. Me personally, I'd prefer to play NIU in a bowl game then Tulane or any CUSA team frankly. It is also possible that I could see ESPN wheeling a deal to put NIU in the NO bowl as well. Still a lot of football to be played, but I have zero doubt that we'll be bowling this year.

[CrazyCajun]

I'm not gonna argue about the money that can be made in the New Orleans bowl, but I do remember a situation a few years ago where Boise and TCU were worked into a bowl game due to the match up by ESPN. If I remember correctly, ESPN sweetened the pot to make that a reality because they prefer better matchups. I'm not saying for sure, but I could see them doing something similar with NIU this year. NIU was a BCS buster last year, and are looking strong at going 13-0 this year, but might not make a BCS game because of how well Fresno St. has been playing. If Fresno steals that BCS bid and NIU ends up in GoDaddy, I could see ESPN sweetening the pot so they get a top 25 NIU vs a close to top 25 Cajuns team, and both being conference champions. Me personally, I'd prefer to play NIU in a bowl game then Tulane or any CUSA team frankly. It is also possible that I could see ESPN wheeling a deal to put NIU in the NO bowl as well. Still a lot of football to be played, but I have zero doubt that we'll be bowling this year.

Sure espn, we will play niu for you... At the New Orleans bowl, and you never mention the f'n word Lafayette again unless you are explaining where we are located.

[covcaj]

OK. Please explain when, under what circumstances, and for whichbowl should we wait. One example is fine. I'm just asking you to be specific.

Again, not necessarily a better bowl, because we all know the only better bowls are BCS bowls. A better opponent, and at this time we don't know who that might be. That's where the wait part comes.

[SlickRick]

I'm on the NOLA bowl side for all the arguments already made. But I ask those on the other side, though it seems to be only 1 or 2 at this stage of the debate, to consider this. WINNING is the only reason we are getting bowl invites. We've only been winning enough games in the modern era of bowl invites to get into 2 of them. So, we have a very long way to go before we can lay in the weeds waiting for the elusive "better bowl/better opponent".

Now back to my main point....WINNING. Winning is about getting the best athletes and having a good coaching staff. I think we have a pretty good staff at this time! So, getting better athletes is priority 1. In case you haven't noticed, our state is chock full of good athletes and we ARE NOT getting our fair share of them. We are getting better, but could improve significantly in this regard. The NOLA area is one of the nation's hotbeds for top flight recruits. That's why a Texas or Arizona would be willing to come to the Dome and play us...to help their recruiting in the NOLA area. Beating Tulane in their "home stadium" with 2 to 3 times as many fans in attendance as they would have would, IMO, do wonders for our recruiting efforts there and along the river parishes.

Winning is the most important factor in getting where we want to go, and winning is easier if you have better athletes.

[RedBug58]

Just booked the Astor Crowne Plaza on Canal for $89. I got the New Orlean's Bowl discount.

Just booked 5 rooms at the Royal Sonesta on Bourbon. These rooms are usually $249+, but if you mention that you want the NO Bowl rate it's $119!!! They said that the calls were very "Brisk" today and they were now close to being booked! This is a 5 Star Hotel on Bourbon!!