Cajuns are after 18th Win when they host Troy on Thursday

[CajunEXPRESS]

Just let it go.

[zephyr]

Crowds have not been that high by any stretch. Winning this year...then winning next year...and the next is what it takes to build the crowds back to the 7k to 9k we've had in glory years past.

With that said, though, I've seen some games on TV this year involving some pretty solid athletic programs...and I've seen MANY half filled arenas. Can't explain it. I guess the competition from so much sporting events on TV doesn't help.

Did we ever have crowds in the 9k range? I don't ever remember coming to the Cajundome and seeing 9k fans consistently and don't really remember 7k consistently. I remember coming during the 90's a lot and there were 5-6k maybe. Even back in the Blackham days, I don't think we put more than 5-6k people in there. I could be wrong.

However, I just think it will take a wave of momentum for the people who haven't gone much recently to come back. I think some are either disenchanted with Marlin or with the ups and downs that we've seen over the past 6-7 years.

[zephyr]

I go no matter what. I go to football, basketball, baseball, softball...no matter what. Many on this board are "no matter what fans". There are fewer no matter what fans than there used to be.

Its a time thing. I don't have time to go to everything and if I lay "no matter what" on my wife's doorstep, I'll be looking for somewhere else to live. With kids activities 3 nights a week and often traveling for those same kids on weekends and such, its hard to be able to make everything.

[zephyr]

I'll have to disagree with you, my Dad starting to bring me to games in the Fletcher era and I have been going since. I Believe the crowds were great during the Evans era.

I don't know what the actual numbers for the Fletcher era were although I attended many games then, but the highest average attendance number I could find for the Evans years was 5,100 people per game. However, most of Evans' years, including the tourney team year with Tiras Wade and company averaged much less than that. I don't know what the trend is or why but we weren't exactly packing the house with Evans or Fletcher

[lcitsh]

I don't know what the actual numbers for the Fletcher era were although I attended many games then, but the highest average attendance number I could find for the Evans years was 5,100 people per game. However, most of Evans' years, including the tourney team year with Tiras Wade and company averaged much less than that. I don't know what the trend is or why but we weren't exactly packing the house with Evans or Fletcher

Evans' best year was 2002-03, with an attendance average of 5,670. Fletcher's best year was 1993-94, with 6,066.

[cajun4life]

The Cajun Dome is just too darn big for our program and 90% of the D1 programs in the country. We need a smaller more intimate venue like Blackham was. If we had and 8500 seat basketball only arena then you would start to see an arena that was packed. It would create excitement and lead to sellouts. The Cajun Dome will NEVER do that for this program. If we had an arena like Troy's brand new facility we would not be complaining because we would have had great crowds for a few of the games.

If we were serious about basketball we would downsize and build a nicer facility, but we do not have the leadership in place to push the issue and raise the money for it. Hell they don't want to make a huge grassroots push to raise the money for the current Master Plan. Although I am happy that we are starting it.

[CajunEXPRESS]

Disagree, problems are not size of arena, but quality of teams over a prolonged era. I could see the actual seating reduce to about 9K,if you put in a lot more boxes. I like the way they do it at the arena NOLA. You have all these small to large boxes with seating dropping into the arena from the luxury boxes. Again we need to kill the white ceiling, a black ceiling automatic brings a more intimate feeling.

[Cajunsmike]

Disagree, problems are not size of arena, but quality of teams over a prolonged era. I could see the actual seating reduce to about 9K,if you put in a lot more boxes. I like the way they do it at the arena NOLA. You have all these small to large boxes with seating dropping into the arena from the luxury boxes. Again we need to kill the white ceiling, a black ceiling automatic brings a more intimate feeling.

Dome upgrades will begin after next basketball season. It is a 19 million dollar project and will improve the basketball atmosphere. Plan is to have it completed prior to the 2015-16 season. Also, we will accept an invite to any post season tournament offering us a bid. That could be CIT or CBIT. In fact there is a slight chance for the NIT but for that to happen we would need to finish the regular season strong but lose to Ga.State in tourney final. If we get a bid to any of these, we likely won't play at home due to dome conflicts. Therefore there are only two more chances to watch the team in Lafayette. Those are tomorrow night against Troy and on Sunday March 2 against South Alabama.

[DaddyCajun]

Cajundome and other arenas have increased their prices so much that I think it cost the University in GATE and butts in the seats. We finially get some fans in football, baseball, and softball coming out and THOSE in charge of concessions are PULLING our EYES out. Instead of rolling the prices back some so Mom and Dad can bring the kids to MOST home games, they price gouge us!!! Its NOT just UL or college they all do it. BUT for UL, I think Peanuts instead of $4 make it $2 or $3, Drinks like water $2, Cokes $2-$3, Nachos $3, etc. Allow these coaches to build their programs and bring in the people, YOU WILL MAKE YOUR MONEY ON VOLUME!!!

$5 for a drink, etc. Dad and Mom say only one football game per season, but if the prices are more reasonable they may do ALL 5-6 home games.

Compare the LSU season ticket prices and TAF prices to their concessions. Then compare a UL season ticket price and RCAF donor level and concessions, I bet UL's concessions ratio wise are MUCH HIGHER, much!

[CajunEXPRESS]

Look it may be that finances are hurting attendance. The cost of a soda is almost as bad at the movies. No doubt movies make their money on concessions, while the producers and stars make it on ticket sales. I would think sports programs make their money on, in our case, RCAF and ticket sales. Concessions are a nice plus but not at the cost of attendance.

The Cajun Dome, I believe, gets all the concession money so it is not a good thing for Louisiana basketball when the dome overcharges. The dome needs to be sure they are not maximizing per patron revenue in lieu of maximizing total revenue from more customers, but in the end if we are losing only three or four games a year prices won't matter much.

My dad always sold his donuts cheaper when other sales were weak, wanted the traffic in his grocery. You would think the dome would get that marketing concept. Weak club lower prices on concessions.