2002-2005 Athletic Initiatives

[CajunCall]

1st a place to train indoors for football and track. Baseball and Softball could use it for pitching, bunting, and base running skills.

2nd a stand alone Hall of Fame. It's a shame there is no place for the fans to go where they can relive the past.

3rd I have never seen the weight room but I have heard half the football team can't fit. So a new weight room double the size of the one we have now.

[1stTake]

I was all ready to vote for INDOOR PRACTICE building, but I just heard on the sports note that it would cost $20,000,000. There is no way Nelson would pull this out of his hat.

[CajunCall]

Originally posted by Chuck
I was all ready to vote for INDOOR PRACTICE building, but I just heard on the sports note that it would cost $20,000,000. There is no way Nelson would pull this out of his hat.

No hat required. The half million annual dollars freed up from paying off cajun field needs to right back into an indoor practice building.

[Turbine]

Premise: We will get an indoor practice facility.

Let’s say we could get an all sports indoor practice facility for as little as $20 million.

What would it cost on a year to year basis?

Actually lets see if football could pay for it by itself?

$20,000,000 at 5% for 30 years, paid for with gate receipts from only 5 home games per year. That note comes to $257,997.53 per game.

An average ticket price of $15 per game would need only 17,200 in attendance at football games to pay for an all sports indoor athletic facility.

[ATXCajun]

A Hall of Fame? That would be nice, but I would settle for a display in the student union or a wall of honor of some sort on campus or something. I was on campus for 7 years or so and had no idea that our athletic history was so rich and had so many stories to tell. I learned about it by stumbling upon this web page a few weeks ago. BTW, thanks to all responsible for compiling our history here. In fact, a small walk through museum on campus would be awesome. Sports as well as academic and campus history.

[CDeb]

I don't know that even an indoor practice facility would be necessary. The first thing I would do is have some sort of impressive looker room, weight room and training rooms built. These are the things that really wow recruits the most. Then I would update the housing on campus (being done) so we don't have to show recruits Stokes Hall anymore.

[WebWatchDog]

With all the rain this year, three words a must "indoor practice facility"

[cajun37]

I have visited most of the mid-major universities and UL's facilities are sorely lagging behind. An indoor practice facility and an athletic facility are needed. UL now has the coach that can do the job and needs help to build the program. He has to have these facilities to do it. You know that with the fans we have that we can build this athletic program into a Florida State type dynasty. I have been to many college games and I can see that no one can match our passion for a winning football program as we do. No university can tailgate like we can. No univerity has cordial fans like we have. No university can provide the hospitality that we provided. We have the chance to make our home games as big an event as LSU home games. The ingredients are there we just need utilize them. This can all happen if you support our football team. Plus it will help all UL athletic programs. We have the coach and we have the fans, lets make it happen. Jump on board and give to the athletic program every little bit helps.

[DrySwamp]

Good motivation. I would like to see some improvements too. I'd like to see an indoor practice facility too but that may be a lil tough now. Initially I'd like to see funds put into smaller projects; improving the weight room, improving the stadium (cleaning, remodeling bathrooms, rain cover on student side, closed circuit tv @ concessions,etc.), small sport & history of university museum on campus or athletic grounds & other improvements to athletic facilities. If we have a better season next year & draw more people, the ball will start rolling. Indoor facilty may come about. UL could definitely become a bigger progam. Maybe attract more of our hometown crowd who are fans of other colleges in far off lands (Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Florida colleges, LSU?, etc.) They need to back their hometown university too! The fire is lit so lets make it a Ragun Cajun blaze!

GEAUX UL!!!!! GEAUX CAJUNS!!!!!

[RedBug58]

I don't know where the $20,000,000 figure for an indoor practice facility came from, but I do know this:

The Baker Oil Tools Facility next to LeTriomphe has one building that is much bigger than a football field. There are also at least 4 other large buildings out there. All are filled with overhead hoists and other equipment. The construction is only approximately 2 years old. The cost of this entire project was just over $20,000,000.

If UL cannot build a nice indoor facility for well under $10,000,000, somenoe is not doing their homework.......Or......Edwin Edwards is involved in the bidding process!?!?!?

[Turbine]

Originally posted by RedBug58
...If UL cannot build a nice indoor facility for well under $10,000,000, someone is not doing their homework

Based on what New Mexico State is doing (LINK) and the buildings you mentioned, I agree 100%

If a $20,000,000 practice facility is not in order -I don't see why it would not be- (if and only then) I would like to see The Swamp coated with Astro Play, NexTurf or some national brand of turf.

While I think the ongoing drainage project will get rid of the water in the endzones, we cannot afford to be without a practice field.

[cajun tom]

Is it true that UL is getting an indoor practice facility?

This would be a fanstatic benefit to the athletic department.