Future Recruiting

[DestinCajun]

_ As for the WAC, it isn't your and my impression that counts. It is the recruits, their friends, their coaches and their families. The WAC has bowl tie-ins the SBC simply does not. These recruits place a value on that. It doesn't matter what got Tech into the Indy Bowl... they got in and they won it. All of that culminates in getting these young impressionable kids to choose Tech over others. UL could easily be in the same position (not in the WAC... but a much more competitive program with some recent bowl history). We should have dominated the SBC in the early going. I am not going to go into the reasoning behind that statement. It is fact. Our admin didn't do it right many moons ago and we are paying for it. Plain and simple. It takes balls that our admin never had. I can only hope the current men in charge have a pair between them.

I know nothing about this "grade" question. Sounds like wishful thinking on our part. And remember... they talk very slow in north Louisiana. You can hardly tell a college professor from a manure handler. _

At the bottom of this discussion is whether WAC membership is the basis for LaTex's perceived success in the verbal commits they have listed thus far this recruiting season, particulary instate.

I believe the actual credit belongs far more to the staff and the reputation of the LaTex football program in Louisiana. LaTex is a place where even when football has been "down", it's never been anywhere near as down as we've been (1997-circa 2004).

I certainly give LaTex credit for its success as I would McNeese St. and its football program, all for the very same reasons.

I have no disagreement whatsoever with what you say UL "did not do" way back when. It is, however, "water under the bridge" that no amount of Monday morning AD'ing will correct. Some folks are stuck in the past and IMO obsess over it. All we can affect is the future and with things changing for the better that's where we ought to look.

[cajun4life]

_ How does playing in front of home crowds the same size as ours help? All those fine WAC teams showing up in Ruston hasn't lit a fire under their fans.

Ok so they draw 20k for home games in an area that has 1/3 of the population that Lafayette has. If we would get 1/3 of our population to come to games we would average 50k. The WAC gets fans up there. They just don't have a lot of people in the area.

[Clutch0364]

_ Ok so they draw 20k for home games in an area that has 1/3 of the population that Lafayette has. If we would get 1/3 of our population to come to games we would average 50k. The WAC gets fans up there. They just don't have a lot of people in the area. _

They didn't average 20K...and they had a home game against an SEC opponent. We brought more to a game against FIU then they brought against Mississippi State.

[cajun4life]

_ They didn't average 20K...and they had a home game against an SEC opponent. We brought more to a game against FIU then they brought against Mississippi State. _

Ok, so within 30 miles of Ruston you have maybe 100K people. Within 30 miles of Lafayette you have 600K people or more and we can only average 20,000 while they average 18K. So who does a better job getting people in the stadium?

[DestinCajun]

Ok so they draw 20k for home games in an area that has 1/3 of the population that Lafayette has. If we would get 1/3 of our population to come to games we would average 50k. The WAC gets fans up there. They just don't have a lot of people in the area. _

For better or worse the WAC has not increased fan interest even when the WAC big boys like Boise or Fresno come to town. It's done zero for the rest of their sports. Will a winning football team do it, we'll see if they are the big winner they are predicted to be next season.

[Clutch0364]

_ Ok, so within 30 miles of Ruston you have maybe 100K people. Within 30 miles of Lafayette you have 600K people or more and we can only average 20,000 while they average 18K. So who does a better job getting people in the stadium? _

Here is what some people fail to see about attendance...Boise State only averages in the 30K range, and that is with a tremendous amount of success. The reason we are so clouded about this issue is because lsu right up the road average 90K+. With a marginal season we averaged over 20K, if we can get sustained success we will average 30K, maybe more but we have to have sustained success first.

[CajunZ1]

_ Here is what some people fail to see about attendance...Boise State only averages in the 30K range, and that is with a tremendous amount of success. The reason we are so clouded about this issue is because lsu right up the road average 90K+. With a marginal season we averaged over 20K, if we can get sustained success we will average 30K, maybe more but we have to have sustained success first. _

If this past season proved anything, it's that attendence jumps dramatically with even marginal success.

This leads me to believe that sustained success+more interesting opponents could make UL football what we all want it to be. That is why I remain excited about our future.

Wouldn't it be the worst thing if we became good, and still nobody cared? Luckily, from what I've seen this won't be a problem for us.

[Clutch0364]

Wouldn't it be the worst thing if we became good, and still nobody cared? Luckily, from what I've seen this won't be a problem for us. _

This would be a concern if we hadn't seen what can happen. I am positive about the future if the right decisions are made by the administration.

[DestinCajun]

With a marginal season we averaged over 20K, if we can get sustained success we will average 30K, maybe more but we have to have sustained success first. _

You are so correct and EVEN THOUGH we're in the gasp! gasp! Sun Belt Conference.

[Clutch0364]

_ You are so correct and EVEN THOUGH we're in the gasp! gasp! Sun Belt Conference.

_

The conference has not been what has held us back...it has been UL that has held UL back. Is the Sunbelt great, not by any means but it is just as good as the MAC and it keeps getting better. It only takes one big year like the MAC had this year to make the conference take that giant step forward.

[cajun4life]

_ Here is what some people fail to see about attendance...Boise State only averages in the 30K range, and that is with a tremendous amount of success. The reason we are so clouded about this issue is because lsu right up the road average 90K+. With a marginal season we averaged over 20K, if we can get sustained success we will average 30K, maybe more but we have to have sustained success first. _

Dude, Boise State only averages around 30K because they can only hold 32K. I have been there, played falg football on the blue turf with Ian Johnson and co. the year they beat Oklahoma. I know all about Boise and what it offers.

I am speaking about the lack of interest this comminuty has in UL and the lack of effort UL has put forth to gain the support.

Tech is a better football program than us. They do a better job of getting finacial support from boosters than us. For those of us who say we have a better overall athletic program than Tech, I would like to see proof.

[DestinCajun]

The conference has not been what has held us back...it has been UL that has held UL back. Is the Sunbelt great, not by any means but it is just as good as the MAC and it keeps getting better. It only takes one big year like the MAC had this year to make the conference take that giant step forward. _

You sir, are a gentleman and a scholar.


Seriously, you are hitting the bull's eye here IMO but be wary of incoming BS bombs.