Desired bowl situation?

[BrockMeaux]

I'm up in Maryland, so at present this question to you all. Is it better for UL to continue playing bowl games in our backyard (in our state) or venture out into the world where we can show the nation that we travel well no mather where we play?

Just as a follow up to this, Hawaii brought a couple hundred fans to the Navy game yesterday, wonder how many would have come if it had been a bowl game in Annapolis (Hawaii against Navy)?

That depends on how you define "travel well." Most good teams can bring 2,500-5,000 to a bowl game. That's very serviceable numbers for a mid-major, and honestly that's the kind of numbers I think we'd be looking at if we went outside of the Houston/Mobile/Shreveport box (barring a BCS Bowl, because Cajun fans would flock to that like it was the Super Bowl). A lot of teams would consider that "travelling well." I'd rather send 30-50,000 to Houston/New Orleans/Mobile/Shreveport. That puts more money in UL's pocket, which helps the school grow, which helps us become more successful, which gets us to bigger, better conferences and bowls, which our growing fan base will travel to. But I think we're a few years away from getting 5-figure numbers of fans travelling more than 400 miles for a bowl game.

Then again, I could be wrong. That's just my perception of our base. The threat of rain keeps 5,000 people away from home games and we can't get everybody out of the parking lot into the stadium. We've still got some work to do on that front.

[Boomer]

RECRUITING---RECRUITING----RECRUITING!!!!!

[Hammer58]

I'm up in Maryland, so at present this question to you all. Is it better for UL to continue playing bowl games in our backyard (in our state) or venture out into the world where we can show the nation that we travel well no mather where we play?

Just as a follow up to this, Hawaii brought a couple hundred fans to the Navy game yesterday, wonder how many would have come if it had been a bowl game in Annapolis (Hawaii against Navy)?

Right now we need regional bowl sites that fans can travel to, preferably "destination" locations, and ideally a traditional "bowl date". I think Mobile meets the first criteria and while not New Orleans or Memphis still falls into the second category but , IMO, fails as far as the date.

[Just1More]

Just from an exposure standpoint I'd much rather be playing during prime time on the 1st day of bowl games when your average college football fan is starved for some action after a 2 week hiatus. I don't want to be playing on a sunday night up against the NFL playoffs when everyone has had 30 some bowl games shoved down their throat and are only focused on the big one the next day.

Well said and spot on. Among a lot of other reasons that in totality trump these other bowl "considerations", you have captured some very compelling arguments. I get tired of everyone dismissing our participation in the NO Bowl as only a "good time, etc etc". If you add up the numerous benefits, they trump all other considerations.

I try to tell people, it will be enormously obvious when we are on a better bowl path than the NO Bowl. Too many people think bowls are open invites. They are not in any way shape or form. It isn't some elevated offering each year as we have a "better year". When we qualify for a "better bowl", it will be a large step change improvement over our past 3 years. There is no gradual up tick in bowls for SBC programs. We require undefeated seasons for obvious alternative "better bowl" consideration.

[El Sidonio]

#1 choice - NOLA bowl against Tulane. Biggest crowd draw, probably an easy win, establish our program more in the NOLA area, make lots of money, most fun, etc....

#2 - NIU in Mobile. Not as big of a crowd, but still a decent sized crowd since it's not too far of a drive, high quality opponent with the chance to establish ourselves against slightly higher-tier programs, make a decent about of money, not as much fun as NOLA but still kinda fun, etc....

#3 - Independence Bowl in Shreveport. Not sure who we'd want our opponent to be. Tech and LSU would turn that game down in an instant. No way they'd want to risk losing to us in "their territory". Regardless of who we'd beat in the indy bowl, it'd be a chance to establish ourselves more in prime Tech/LSU territory

#4 - whatever that Bowl in Houston is. We've got a good alumni base there, we'd travel not as well as NOLA but still well, houston has lots of stuff to do, probably make decent money, chance to establish ourselves more in a big name city, etc.......

[El Sidonio]

p.s.- i think whenever our stadium is finally at it's renovated capacity of (40-60k?), we could be a legit location for a bowl game

[CajunEXPRESS]

What would be better: to go to NO Bowl to face CUSA or to GoDaddy to face MAC?

I'm sure those with hotel rooms in NOLA have a vested interest! I am torn. I think it's great to go to NOLA and have a huge fan presence but Mobile is not that much further (but it's Mobile for crying out loud). I'd like to crush another CUSA team for the fact that I'd like CUSA to take us in and showing we would be competitive in the conference would be good. But if NIU is sitting there undefeated (assuming no BCS busting going on) I think the ability to take down an undefeated team trumps what the NO Bowl has to offer. Thoughts?

Unfortunately, I'm stuck on a rig in the frozen Northeast during bowling season so I'll be unable to make the game no matter where its located, ugh.

You do realize that assuming NIU is undefeated they will have won the MAC championship game. I do not know what their champions bowl is, but almost anything beats Sunday night in a bad section of Mobile, in a dump stadium, on the day before the BCS bowl game.

Believe me Mobile is Go Daddy Bowl is a consolation prize.

Currently the MAC champ is supposed to meet a Big Ten team in the Little Cesar Bowl located in wonderful Detroit.

[Boomer]

I AM SURE YOU MEANT NIU!!!!

[Boomer]

p.s.- i think whenever our stadium is finally at it's renovated capacity of (40-60k?), we could be a legit location for a bowl game

----HAVE BEEN SAYING IT---THE OIL BOWL WITH A MUSEUM ACROSS THE STREET-----hell if they just left some of the stuff from the OIL show it would be a great attraction!!!

[irokcj5]

p.s.- i think whenever our stadium is finally at it's renovated capacity of (40-60k?), we could be a legit location for a bowl game

The McLhenny Tabasco Bowl!!!!

[RCAJUN90]

What would be better: to go to NO Bowl to face CUSA or to GoDaddy to face MAC?

I'm sure those with hotel rooms in NOLA have a vested interest! I am torn. I think it's great to go to NOLA and have a huge fan presence but Mobile is not that much further (but it's Mobile for crying out loud). I'd like to crush another CUSA team for the fact that I'd like CUSA to take us in and showing we would be competitive in the conference would be good. But if NIU is sitting there undefeated (assuming no BCS busting going on) I think the ability to take down an undefeated team trumps what the NO Bowl has to offer. Thoughts?

Unfortunately, I'm stuck on a rig in the frozen Northeast during bowling season so I'll be unable to make the game no matter where its located, ugh.

That's easy. I'm 40 minutes away from the NOLA Bowl and have had blast for each game. If we play Tulane that would be the icing on the cake. Ton of NOLA exposure and we will destroy Tulane in attendance and on the field. We might even get some NOLA bandwagon fans.

The stadium in mobile should have been blown up years ago. It's dreadful. I don't want to spend any amount of time there.

[fanof71]

The New Orleans Bowl takes the #7 team from CUSA. What happens if that team hasn't gotten to six wins? Does the bowl opt to another CUSA team or does it go wildcard and pick the best team available?

Would New Orleans Bowl consider a (if they get a 6th win) Vanderbilt or a team on that level. Some team from a BCS conference with a 6-6 record. New Orleans is the reward, getting their butts handed to them by UL would be the consequences... Would UL consider Memphis or Music City Bowl if possible?

I get the interest in NOLA. But if you want to be big time, better travel like the big dogs do....BTW, I thought the crowd, from what I saw on the tube looked good considering...but again, if you want to go big, got to put butts in the seats. the casual and near casual UL fan is too soft. A bad UNC team drew a huge crowd earlier this year playing Miami on weeknight TV and the school was in fall break, place was full, weather was somewhat iffy. I know guys like bringing their family to games and playing on the hills, but I've yet to figure out why people insist on turning cajun field into the worlds largest daycare on game days. If you want to climb that ladder, got to go more adult, cold weather (under 60) won't kill you, wet weather won't melt you (if its anything less than a driving rain storm, its not raining...) Where this program wants to go...fans will have to travel better (particularly when a road game or the bowl game is in the Southeast) not be so soft, control what you can control (watch the weather, dress for the elements...don't show up like you just went to Gaidry's, wear the gear that gets you through the game...) tuff'n up some. Instead on finding some lame excuse not to go, find an excuse to go... Or, like the Godfather tells us on IMUS..."Act Like A Man!"