CBS Sports ranks Cajuns as 34th-best college sports program in 2013-14

[CrazyCajun]

cajun T....I don't know if this is private stuff that you don't want mentioned....but if it isn't
Would you explain the recruiting wars and conference affiliation ...... I don't mention UL but maybe you can relate some instances......thank you!!!

Why not talk about the battles we win against a P5's? Why not talk about the battles we win against those schools? Why not talk about the battles we have won against other G5's in "better" conferences? Or you could continually concentrate on the handfull of ones we lost to those schools.

[ulXrunner]

We may not be losing recruits to LaTech and Tulane, but would have to think we are losing recruits to other schools that could help us further our on the field performances and keep us ahead of them two schools in competition. Sunbelt has to have some negative affect on us.

[CrazyCajun]

We may not be losing recruits to LaTech and Tulane, but would have to think we are losing recruits to other schools that could help us further our on the field performances and keep us ahead of them two schools in competition. Sunbelt has to have some negative affect on us.

I'm sure it does, but it's obviously not the end of the world. Conference affiliation is not the only thing that determines where kids go to school.

[Policarp]

The day we are not in the Sunbelt will be a FREAKING GREAT DAY.

[ulXrunner]

I'm sure it does, but it's obviously not the end of the world. Conference affiliation is not the only thing that determines where kids go to school.

I agree.

[CajunRage]

I agree.

Just food for thought. We are still losing 2 sunbelt games a year. Would we have struggled to keep it to 2 losses in CUSA (other than last year because we were the better football conference)? Would the new fans who came because we were winning still have come if we were mediocre in CUSA? Would we have been bowl eligible 3 straight years in CUSA? Had we been eligible, would we have gone to the Nola bowl 3 straight years and displayed what kind of fanbase we potentially have? The grass isn't always greener. I'm not saying it was the right decision or it wasn't a screwup to be unprepared for conference realignment, but it may have been a lucky misstep for us.

[ulXrunner]

You ask valid questions. I can't deny our success in wins and losses as a whole can be contributed to Sunbelt play. Most of those questions can't be answered, just proud it happen either way.
Moving forward, we have to get out of Sunbelt.

[CajunRage]

You ask valid questions. I can't deny our success in wins and losses as a whole can be contributed to Sunbelt play. Most of those questions can't be answered, just proud it happen either way.
Moving forward, we have to get out of Sunbelt.

Agreed that we need out of the Sunbelt, but it may have been a blessing in disguise giving us the opportunity to set the foundation on everything and win at the same time.

[CajunAmos]

I don't know that CUSA was better than the Sun Belt the last couple of years.

[CajunT]

Just food for thought. We are still losing 2 sunbelt games a year. Would we have struggled to keep it to 2 losses in CUSA (other than last year because we were the better football conference)? Would the new fans who came because we were winning still have come if we were mediocre in CUSA? Would we have been bowl eligible 3 straight years in CUSA? Had we been eligible, would we have gone to the Nola bowl 3 straight years and displayed what kind of fanbase we potentially have? The grass isn't always greener. I'm not saying it was the right decision or it wasn't a screwup to be unprepared for conference realignment, but it may have been a lucky misstep for us.

You can ask the question in another way and get a different answer. Would more fans come out to Cajun Field to watch UL play Rice, Southern Miss and Louisiana Tech or App. State, Georgia State or Georgia Southern since we are winning now? My answer would be yes because these were the programs we were playing in the late 80’s to early 90’s and left us behind. And while both Louisiana Tech and Southern Miss have fallen on hard times, it wasn’t long ago Southern Miss played in their 15th straight bowl game and Louisiana Tech was celebrating an outstanding season before ending it with the bowl debacle. And Rice has been bowling the last few years. You see, I have no problem playing Ark. State, Troy, Texas State and even ULM at times, I can’t get excited about playing the rest. We may come out lucky in our current scenario as you have stated, but it will be more blind luck than anything else. While CUSA has been down the past few seasons with its own departures and FCS transition programs, they will conceivably finish ahead of the Sun Belt for the next two seasons as the pendulum will swing back in their favor.

[CajunRage]

You can ask the question in another way and get a different answer. Would more fans come out to Cajun Field to watch UL play Rice, Southern Miss and Louisiana Tech or App. State, Georgia State or Georgia Southern since we are winning now? My answer would be yes because these were the programs we were playing in the late 80’s to early 90’s and left us behind. And while both Louisiana Tech and Southern Miss have fallen on hard times, it wasn’t long ago Southern Miss played in their 15th straight bowl game and Louisiana Tech was celebrating an outstanding season before ending it with the bowl debacle. And Rice has been bowling the last few years. You see, I have no problem playing Ark. State, Troy, Texas State and even ULM at times, I can’t get excited about playing the rest. We may come out lucky in our current scenario as you have stated, but it will be more blind luck than anything else. While CUSA has been down the past few seasons with its own departures and FCS transition programs, they will conceivably finish ahead of the Sun Belt for the next two seasons as the pendulum will swing back in their favor.

But my point is, they come out to see us play rice and we get throttled. That 'fan' decides we are the same old joke and never comes back. I'm not arguing that we should have stayed in the sunbelt. I'm saying that the screwup may turn out to be a better deal for us in the long run. I think we would have fared well in cusa but what if we didn't. One step forward and two steps back. We can't change the past. We can though see the silver lining in some past mishaps.

[CajunT]

But my point is, they come out to see us play rice and we get throttled. That 'fan' decides we are the same old joke and never comes back. I'm not arguing that we should have stayed in the sunbelt. I'm saying that the screwup may turn out to be a better deal for us in the long run. I think we would have fared well in cusa but what if we didn't. One step forward and two steps back. We can't change the past. We can though see the silver lining in some past mishaps.

Well if CUSA is as close to the Sun Belt as many think, why would you think UL would get throttled? You see I don't buy that beating lesser programs is better for UL or that maybe we lucked off because we could have been playing in a better conference. You see, that is exactly how many view UL's accomplishments in the Sun Belt today. No matter how successful UL will be in this conference for the foreseeable future, our accomplishments will be questioned.

I don't think about what if we weren't successful, that's just backwards thinking in my book. We shouldn't be scared to be challenged if you actually believe in your coaches and program. No, we can't change the past. But we certainly shouldn't use fear or being comfortable with the status-quo to accept paralysis any longer. We are way beyond that period at this time. There are no guarantees of success once we spend millions of dollars on Phase I or Phase II either, maybe we shouldn't build it? We could fail!

Sorry, I'm not slamming you but I thought we left that kind of thinking behind after our recent success in football and fundraising. Maybe I'm wrong to think that some still do not suffer from CDS.

[Turbine]

But my point is, they come out to see us play rice and we get throttled. That 'fan' decides we are the same old joke and never comes back. I'm not arguing that we should have stayed in the sunbelt. I'm saying that the screwup may turn out to be a better deal for us in the long run. I think we would have fared well in cusa but what if we didn't. One step forward and two steps back. We can't change the past. We can though see the silver lining in some past mishaps.

Losing to a better opponent has never kept fans away.

Losing to a perceived lesser opponent has.

jmo

[CajunT]

Losing to a better opponent has never kept fans away.

Losing to a perceived lesser opponent has.

jmo

+1

[CajunRage]

Well if CUSA is as close to the Sun Belt as many think, why would you think UL would get throttled? You see I don't buy that beating lesser programs is better for UL or that maybe we lucked off because we could have been playing in a better conference. You see, that is exactly how many view UL's accomplishments in the Sun Belt today. No matter how successful UL will be in this conference for the foreseeable future, our accomplishments will be questioned.

I don't think about what if we weren't successful, that's just backwards thinking in my book. We shouldn't be scared to be challenged if you actually believe in your coaches and program. No, we can't change the past. But we certainly shouldn't use fear or being comfortable with the status-quo to accept paralysis any longer. We are way beyond that period at this time. There are no guarantees of success once we spend millions of dollars on Phase I or Phase II either, maybe we shouldn't build it? We could fail!

Sorry, I'm not slamming you but I thought we left that kind of thinking behind after our recent success in football and fundraising. Maybe I'm wrong to think that some still do not suffer from CDS.

I agree with everything you say. I'm just taking a situation that people constantly complain about and try to see some positive out of it.

I will tell you though that a large portion of our growing fanbase was looking for a winner. Didn't matter who we beat. Just wanted to cheer for a team that wins.