The Book 2008 Football

[BankerCajun]

_ We were #1 in the belt this year. Alot of that had to do with our homecoming and winning 4 in a row...

BUT,

after beating the drum to get attendance up... how many years of 21K to 28K would we need in a row to give up at least one money game if not both? Don't we make more money on the gate? _

How much better could our attendence have been if not for a heavy rain for the first game and a cold Wednesday night for the last game.. I believe that first game could have been more that 22,000 as much as 25,000 and the last game if it would have been held on a Saturday afternoon it could have been as much as 21,000...

Remember that last game was on tv as well..

[RaisingCajun08]

_ UL has rarely played a game after Thanksgiving. Without students in town for the long weekend and families taking trips, albeit in a down economy, I think the attendance on 12/3 vs 11/29 is "relatively comparable". The one thing that suffered was the intensity of tailgating. _

I agree that the attendance is "relatively comparable". But the real question is why not play the Saturday after Thanksgiving instead of a Wednesday night. Stupid decision if you ask me.

[Cajunsmike]

The question could only be answered after we have the 2007-2008 Budget and Actual cost numbers in hand. In addition to those numbers, we would have to look at donation dollars, capital improvements and take into account a yearly increase in the Football Operating Budget to grow the program. In my humble opinion, this would not be possible in the near future. Keep in mind, we are light years behind Troy and FAU in football Budget and Operating cost. Those two should be our target goals! You have to be able to compete with the top programs in your conference yearly for Championships and Bowls. We are not there yet.

Let's say we have 30000 at $20 each. That is 600 grand. That is not as much as we will make by going to either LSU or Nebraska next year. We don't get $20 from each ticket either. For us to give up one of the money games, we will have to be above 25000 consistently. That is a nice goal but it is challenging when you consider the regional CUSA schools refuse to play us home and home.

[HelmutVII]

Remember that this game WAS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED FOR SATURDAY OCTOBER 25. It was never originally scheduled to be after Thanksgiving.

[California Cajun]

_ I wonder how many thousands of dollars that cost your university?

I bet MT would have brought 2 or 3 hundred more.

How many more Cajuns fans would have bought tickets? _

Personally, I hate to see anyone mess with the UL-MT game because it has evolved on its own into the best quality game for both teams when you consider tailgating, camaderie, intensity, and the like. Both schools usually need the victory bad when they play. After it is over the fans get over the verdict and look forward to the rematch the following year.

Yet despite this, this was by far the best weeknight football attendance, atmosphere, etc., we've ever had. The game would have easily attracted at least 5,000 more because of the popularity of Michael Desormeaux and Tyrell Fenroy and the fact they were playing their final game on Senior Night. Many who didn't particularly feel like going showed up anyway because they felt like they owed it to these two players. Fans out of town would have had to either burn vacation time to make the game or couldn't get off of work, and I would guess they made up the attendance deficit. Locals who had marginal interest got to see it on TV free.

[HoustonCajun]

_ No kidding. I don't see the value in that. Needs to be ESPN2 if we are going to give up a Saturday. _

What knucklehead set up that mid week game with no tv audience? Was it forced on us by Wrong Waters?

[Just1More]

_ Personally, I hate to see anyone mess with the UL-MT game because it has evolved on its own into the best quality game for both teams when you consider tailgating, camaderie, intensity, and the like. Both schools usually need the victory bad when they play. After it is over the fans get over the verdict and look forward to the rematch the following year.

Yet despite this, this was by far the best weeknight football attendance, atmosphere, etc., we've ever had. The game would have easily attracted at least 5,000 more because of the popularity of Michael Desormeaux and Tyrell Fenroy and the fact they were playing their final game on Senior Night. Many who didn't particularly feel like going showed up anyway because they felt like they owed it to these two players. Fans out of town would have had to either burn vacation time to make the game or couldn't get off of work, and I would guess they made up the attendance deficit. Locals who had marginal interest got to see it on TV free. _

What do you mean "mess with the UL-MT game". We are still playing each other, regardless. It is a question of the SBC deal for television, and it being a Wednesday nighter. It isn't "ideal" to have a mid week game, but I don't think anyone has presented all of the facts about the "Wednesday night game". We need to be on tv occasionally... for recruiting, to expose the program to more nonparticipating fans (tv is a way to bring in a larger fanbase), revenue issues (if we add up all of the benefits, including advertising, etc, that tv brings to us, it may outweigh the loss in ticket sales and/or fan attendance). When our last game of the season decides not "if" we get in a bowl, but "which bowls" the outcome will put us in play with, we aren't going to be concerned about a televised "Wednesday night game at Cajun Field".

Many people, me included, get wound up a particular issue, without knowledge of all the other facts associated with that issue. That Wednesday night game was a pain for out of towners (like me) to be in the middle of the work week... but I managed to go. I see no reason for Lafayette area people to growl too much about it. I love having a local college football game to plan around the middle of the week... especially ONE in the entire year.

The question about ever having enough ticket sales to overcome the need for "money games"... for UL... never. If we increase ticket sales and up our funds, the last thing we need to do is remove some other funding mechanism. The alternatives for "money games" is to work out better deals (return games to Cajun Field), choosing a financially lucrative beatable program that isn't a top 20 team, and other considerations. We have to have the money games... period. We are 3x underfunded to talk of anything that removes revenue for our program.

If every Cajun fan would stop talking about all the little details and go full throttle pressure on our admin to hire targeted programs' private funding program consultants... and we would demand to hear about the alternatives... and have a voice in the package we select... that would make all the difference in the world.

I believe we have two choices: implement one of those funding programs... or just sit back and enjoy what we're getting... and stop talking about "elevation". None of the items discussed, outside of funding, will have any permanent, positive effect on our program.... ZERO!

[California Cajun]

_ Now that's what I call separation! _

We've got to be fair here. Had Tech had a home game vs. Florida International rather than Mississippi State, they probably would have outdrawn us.

[billbeck451]

yea, those Mississippi State fans hate to travel

[California Cajun]

_ What do you mean "mess with the UL-MT game". We are still playing each other, regardless. It is a question of the SBC deal for television, and it being a Wednesday nighter. It isn't "ideal" to have a mid week game, but I don't think anyone has presented all of the facts about the "Wednesday night game". We need to be on tv occasionally... for recruiting, to expose the program to more nonparticipating fans (tv is a way to bring in a larger fanbase), revenue issues (if we add up all of the benefits, including advertising, etc, that tv brings to us, it may outweigh the loss in ticket sales and/or fan attendance). When our last game of the season decides not "if" we get in a bowl, but "which bowls" the outcome will put us in play with, we aren't going to be concerned about a televised "Wednesday night game at Cajun Field".

Many people, me included, get wound up a particular issue, without knowledge of all the other facts associated with that issue. That Wednesday night game was a pain for out of towners (like me) to be in the middle of the work week... but I managed to go. I see no reason for Lafayette area people to growl too much about it. I love having a local college football game to plan around the middle of the week... especially ONE in the entire year.

The question about ever having enough ticket sales to overcome the need for "money games"... for UL... never. If we increase ticket sales and up our funds, the last thing we need to do is remove some other funding mechanism. The alternatives for "money games" is to work out better deals (return games to Cajun Field), choosing a financially lucrative beatable program that isn't a top 20 team, and other considerations. We have to have the money games... period. We are 3x underfunded to talk of anything that removes revenue for our program.

If every Cajun fan would stop talking about all the little details and go full throttle pressure on our admin to hire targeted programs' private funding program consultants... and we would demand to hear about the alternatives... and have a voice in the package we select... that would make all the difference in the world.

I believe we have two choices: implement one of those funding programs... or just sit back and enjoy what we're getting... and stop talking about "elevation". None of the items discussed, outside of funding, will have any permanent, positive effect on our program.... ZERO! _

I couldn't agree with you more. For years my role on these forums has been to ask the "stupid" questions, which really aren't stupid because no one in authority has addressed them to my knowledge. If they have, I missed it so somebody please pass on what they said.

So why was this particular game moved to Wednesday night? Does the resultant smaller than average crowd tend to turn on a recruit or discourage him? Was this fair to the Seniors? Does this discourage season ticket purchases or renewals in the future? My unqualified opinion is that the school or conference can mess with the schedule all it wants once the game event has been perfected beyond what it is now, but at this time the baby's still in the incubator and the product does not have enough public support for this kind of exposure.

[HoustonCajun]

_ I couldn't agree with you more. For years my role on these forums has been to ask the "stupid" questions, which really aren't stupid because no one in authority has addressed them to my knowledge. If they have, I missed it so somebody please pass on what they said.

So why was this particular game moved to Wednesday night? Does the resultant smaller than average crowd tend to turn on a recruit or discourage him? Was this fair to the Seniors? Does this discourage season ticket purchases or renewals in the future? My unqualified opinion is that the school or conference can mess with the schedule all it wants once the game event has been perfected beyond what it is now, but at this time the baby's still in the incubator and the product does not have enough public support for this kind of exposure. _

The only reason to have a mid-week game is for national tv exposure. We did not get that. So, why the game? For the seniors final game and the surprise retiring of Fenroy's jersey, it would have been great on national tv. With no tv audience, a Saturday game would have been much better and would have been better attended. Was this something our AD put together or was it negotiated by the SBC? Did ESPN change things opting for Big East basketball instead? I don't get it. We were hosed.

[CajunFun]

_ Tech's average attendence was less than N. Ill.
Miss State - 25,224
S. E. Lou. - 17,623
Idaho - 12,400
Fresno St - 20,300
Utah St - 15,530
Nevada - 17,254
Total 108,331 Average per home game 18,055

Attendence for the 5 N. Ill. home games.
Indiana St. - 20,936
Miami (Ohio) - 17,444
Toledo - 22,092
Bowling Green - 17,163
C. Michigan - 13,543
Total 91,178 Average - 18,235

Attendence for the 5 UL home games.
Kent St. - 18,241
Ark. St. - 23,684
FIU - 29,031
UTEP - 21,065
Mid. Tenn. - 15,321
Total 107,342 Average - 21,468 _

Your numbers are WAY off.

You didn't count tarps...

[CajunFun]

_ It doesn't take a hire. It takes scheduling a 1aa weakling like Southeastern instead of playing a all 1a schedule. We have the same number of wins as Louisiana Polytechnical vs. Division 1A - 6. _

They are NOT Louisiana Polytechnic. Polytechnic is a real word, and is a recurrent historical term applied to certain institutions of higher learning, e.g:
RensSLUer Polytechnic Institute
Polytechnic Institute of New York University
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Virginia Polytechnic Institute

They are, legally, Louisiana TECH. Apparently, they think TECH is a real word.

Granted, a four-letter one...

[CajunNation]

I watched their game vs NMST with interest. LaTex scored the winning TD in the last couple of minutes of the game (btw, their only points in the entire second half) on a play where their wide receiver went out of bounds and came back inbounds to make the catch and score. It was an illegal play and the refs gave it to them. That and a win in a slugfest with SLU got them to the Independence Bowl.

You don't think their wins over MISSISSIPPI STATE and FRESNO STATE and their winning 4 of their last 5 had something to do with it?

[Just1More]

_ You don't think their wins over MISSISSIPPI STATE and FRESNO STATE and their winning 4 of their last 5 had something to do with it? _

Nope... the 7 win total got them the Indy... along with some hugging and kissing. I think he meant that a suspect win and an FCS win (SLU and not easily) helped Tech reach the 7 win total that secured a bowl bid. Looks good on paper... SEC team... but beating a 4-8 Miss State team in a down year, at your home season opener... ummm ok. A healthy UL rips Tech a new one.