Re: Cajuns
Originally Posted by boxerdog
Well, this turned into a food thread and no one commented on what you actually said. The bantering has been fun and is what a rivalry is all about. I, too, would like to see both Tech and UL in the same conference other than the Sun Belt. We need to play every year until we are in the same conference. It will prove to be the most discussed and bantered game of the year.
I do expect a good game from Tech. We, of course, expect to win as you certainly should expect Tech to win. Why go into a game without an expectation to win? Despite all the bantering, Tech fans will find our tailgating and fans very hospitable. You can stop by just about anywhere for some good conversation, food and drink. Since we haven't played in 18 years, take some time to look around our athletic complex and drive thru our campus. You will find our main campus (not athletic) is undergoing a $350M renovation with a lot of work still on-going. Visit our unique "swamp" on campus in front of our new Student Union building (still under construction). Also, drive to downtown Lafayette which is a great area with shops, restaurants and bars, which makes for a great college town. Also, if you can, go to River Ranch and you will see a new and vibrant residential and commercial area of Lafayette.
As you walk around our athletic facilities, you will find a lot of things going on. We just completed part of Phase I of our Athletic Master Plan with the stadium enlargement to 37,000 seats. We just broke ground on an 85,000 sf Athletics Performance Center (coaches offices, weight room, meeting rooms, locker rooms, training room, trophy room, etc.) and on the Track & Field complex renovation. We have an Indoor Practice Facility and a new Softball stadium. Our baseball stadium is expecting either a complete renovation or new stadium next year. The CajunDome is where we play basketball and is undergoing a major interior renovation as well. Phase II will see another expansion of Cajun Field with an upper deck on the east side, a bowling on the north side, a tear-down of the upper deck on the west side with a new upper deck with a new press box and multi-level suites, as well as a west side stadium building to house administrative offices, a gift shop, a restaurant, etc. pushing seating to about 50,000. All is being done with private funding.
I maybe bragging a little, but just wanted to give you a feel for what is happening at UL. Our new President has raised the bar academically and athletically and some great things are happening here. Competition is a good thing and will make both Tech and UL better universities. The State of Louisiana will benefit from the two leading universities in the UL System achieving success academically and athletically being the best both can be rather than fighting each other for fear of what the other is accomplishing.
Enjoy your visit to Lafayette and to UL. Here's hoping you have a great experience and that one day we can once again be conference mates.
Quote
