(Yet Another) Name Thread

[Turbine]

My last post on this subject because of a wise man. Obviously Louisiana does care about the name, it is the world you live in. Just because Texas does something has nothing todo with Louisiana. So to me your options is to keep talking about it or try something different. It is my opinion after being on this board that the majority of the fan base would rather just complain than look for an innovative option and try it.

An argument that goes against your theory is quickly dismissed, yet you failed to state a clear argument on the reason many outside of Lafayette are against use of UL.

[Just1More]

My point is that ULL has been trying this method since 1974, and it hasn't worked. A wise man once said the definition of insanity is trying the same thing over and over again waiting for a different result. Why not get the Acadiana legislature to do something different.
If you are happy with espn-Bristol and the rest of the national media trolling you for the rest of your lives then by all means keep doing the same thing over and over.

What have we been "trying"? You mean that since we've released the athletic nickname, and instate schools throw up on every media outlet that obliges us, that these same people are going to back off when you set up the "name contest" for us? We are going to just hang in their with our official name, hopefully keep using the athletic nickname, and when/if the day comes we've overwhelmingly created an irrefutable argument for pushing it back in front of the state... so be it. Your idea is whimsical, but you're leaving out our state's political structure.

What skin is in this game for you?

[Boomer]

You understand that your argument is flawed because UL could never officially become University of Louisiana. It will always be University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

Second what does academics have to do with athletics? We are just trying to become known as Louisiana athletically, not academically.

We want to be known as the UL at Louisiana---but just like TEXAS and others, as has been pointed out------ we drop the "the" and the "at" and the "Lafayette" for athletics!!!! So easy to do!!!

[Ragingolfer]

I feel like the godfather 3 they just keep pulling me back in. The reason many outside of laffy oppose ULL becoming UL is because of perceived underperforming academics compared to the other universities with Louisiana without a regional identifier. That has been the whole focus of the last three pages of posts. many turned it into a bash La Tech, but nationally They are known as a superior academic university, regardless if they actually are. Now I will not deny that their are some people who will oppose no matter what, but I don't believe that is the majority.

[Just1More]

My last post on this subject because of a wise man. Obviously Louisiana does care about the name, it is the world you live in. Just because Texas does something has nothing todo with Louisiana. So to me your options is to keep talking about it or try something different. It is my opinion after being on this board that the majority of the fan base would rather just complain than look for an innovative option and try it.

Don't take us for the lack of innovative souls you seem to believe we are. If you stepped back one more position in the intellectual Louisiana crowd, you'd see the folly of your suggestion as just as unachievable as our objective to bend this state to our will. If we thought a contest would get the name done, we'd be the first, without your tutelage, to create the contest.

This state doesn't play fair. Every contest is rigged. Do you understand that?

[Just1More]

I feel like the godfather 3 they just keep pulling me back in. The reason many outside of laffy oppose ULL becoming UL is because of perceived underperforming academics compared to the other universities with Louisiana without a regional identifier. That has been the whole focus of the last three pages of posts. many turned it into a bash La Tech, but nationally They are known as a superior academic university, regardless if they actually are. Now I will not deny that their are some people who will oppose no matter what, but I don't believe that is the majority.

Nonsense. Did you just meet these people? I've worked all over this state. No one that either graduated from another university in this state, or has a fan tie to another university, wants us or "the other guy" to get a leg up. It has nothing to do with "qualifications".

I sat down with a very very smart graduate of SLU and had a tremendous conversation about it. He absolutely, without question, finally agreed with great trepidation, to every fact I placed before him. Graduates of the other universities in this state have incorrectly, but nonetheless, conceded that LSU is our monster state school, despite the illusion that this makes them, as an individual, appear to be a less intelligent graduate. So... without a doubt... none want to relinquish ground to another state school that would further insinuate they were even less than before. We all are supposed to accept that we all equally feed at the feet of LSU... but none more than the other. He said, "You guys should have gotten the name. We just couldn't stand by and let it happen."

[Boomer]

Good work. The gaps in various reported numbers have to do with assets a foundation has, but which are not eligible in standard reporting. For instance, I believe buildings are not included, unless they generate income.

----Fun when I called to check my account a while back the total was like at $165 mill---After a great stock market run---but I think it included the art museum and the like!!!

[HoustonCajun]

Nonsense. Did you just meet these people? I've worked all over this state. No one that either graduated from another university in this state, or has a fan tie to another university, wants us or "the other guy" to get a leg up. It has nothing to do with "qualifications".

I sat down with a very very smart graduate of SLU and had a tremendous conversation about it. He absolutely, without question, finally agreed with great trepidation, to every fact I placed before him. Graduates of the other universities in this state have incorrectly, but nonetheless, conceded that LSU is our monster state school, despite the illusion that this makes them, as an individual, appear to be a less intelligent graduate. So... without a doubt... none want to relinquish ground to another state school that would further insinuate they were even less than before. We all are supposed to accept that we all equally feed at the feet of LSU... but none more than the other. He said, "You guys should have gotten the name. We just couldn't stand by and let it happen."

Every thing you are saying is right on point. The question is, will this EVER change? What will make it change? Just how long do we keep beating ours head against a wall on this? 10 years from now, will we still be U La La, UL-L, U Lafayette, etc., etc.? Will the city of Lafayette still be the ONLY area to call us UL and Louisiana? Even the towns in Acadiana do not recognize us that way. How long will this insanity continue? Will achieving Doc I status make any difference? Will making Tier 1 under USN&WR make any difference? Will every school in the UL System oppose us no matter what we do or achieve? Do we now or will we ever have the clout with the legislature to drop "at Lafayette"? Is it still the legislature who must approve any change in a name or did they give that authority back to a System Board? This is our 30 year anniversary of our University of Louisiana name in 1984. Another 30 years and many of us won't still be here. University of Louisiana is our rightful name that was politically taken from us. Will we ever have the political clout to take it back? Our city tag will likely forever maintain the perception that we are just another under performing state school compared to other schools without the city tag, like LSU and LA Tech, as RaginGolfer stated. If not, do we seek another option for a clear identity or are we in this fight to the end no matter what? Is this insanity or simply an undeniable mission?

[Just1More]

Houston, changing the official name is pretty much an impossible goal for the foreseeable future. It isn't going to happen because we all get together and agree to a set of criteria for the first to reach. We are part of the ULS. For us to revert to a non confrontational name (Acadiana University), ULM could not remain the sole UL-city program. The name, by law, requires two participants out of the 6 qualifiers. None of the other 4 are interested. This alone screws up the new name. UL-Monroe would think they, by default, are "UL". But, they couldn't even remain "University of Louisiana at Monroe" by law.

But, to have someone suggest we stop claiming the nickname until such time we "qualify" by some criteria, in a contest, to have the entire official name to ourselves, is more to say, "stop calling yourselves by that nickname" than it is "wait until the results of this fictitious contest". The issue has nothing to do with the rest of the state participating in this race. They aren't denying the name because we aren't the most qualified of the rest of the state schools... and/or none of us "qualify" until we reach X qualifications.

We are destined to either keep the nickname and deal with the _______s in this state... or we drop the nickname and just live with UL-Lafayette, ULL, UL-L as our short names... and match up with our official name. All of these other dumb abbreviations people suggest are abortions and the university isn't going to go with any of them. We are either sticking with the nickname or not. No school will ever be "UL" or University of Louisiana" officially in this state IMO. We have too many short _____ sisters in this state... by design... to ever politically align legislatively.

[HoustonCajun]

Houston, changing the official name is pretty much an impossible goal for the foreseeable future. It isn't going to happen because we all get together and agree to a set of criteria for the first to reach. We are part of the ULS. For us to revert to a non confrontational name (Acadiana University), ULM could not remain the sole UL-city program. The name, by law, requires two participants out of the 6 qualifiers. None of the other 4 are interested. This alone screws up the new name. UL-Monroe would think they, by default, are "UL". But, they couldn't even remain "University of Louisiana at Monroe" by law.

But, to have someone suggest we stop claiming the nickname until such time we "qualify" by some criteria, in a contest, to have the entire official name to ourselves, is more to say, "stop calling yourselves by that nickname" than it is "wait until the results of this fictitious contest". The issue has nothing to do with the rest of the state participating in this race. They aren't denying the name because we aren't the most qualified of the rest of the state schools... and/or none of us "qualify" until we reach X qualifications.

We are destined to either keep the nickname and deal with the _______s in this state... or we drop the nickname and just live with UL-Lafayette, ULL, UL-L as our short names... and match up with our official name. All of these other dumb abbreviations people suggest are abortions and the university isn't going to go with any of them. We are either sticking with the nickname or not. No school will ever be "UL" or University of Louisiana" officially in this state IMO. We have too many short _____ sisters in this state... by design... to ever politically align legislatively.

If we can't qualify for our name and politics will never allow us to attain UL and Louisiana, as you stated, I submit that Acadiana University IS a better alternative and we would have no objections to that name from anyone in the state. It is because we will NEVER achieve University of Louisiana status that I brought this up. IF we changed our name to Acadiana University, ULM would be forced to change its name, likely back to NLU, but North Louisiana University, which I think a lot of their alumni are in favor of. I will never accept UL-L or Louisiana-Lafayette. Dealing with our nickname which our university can't even get right and putting up with all of the ____s in the state, not to mention the major networks and other universities around the country, is not something I want to spend the rest of my life doing. Would I prefer universal acceptance of UL and University of Louisiana? You bet. I submit Acadiana is a better alternative to what we have now. Like Auburn and Clemson, and we can create a similar, unique identity. No more U La La, UL-L, UL Laf, Laffy, Louisiana-Lafayette, Lou Laf, La Laf, and any other variation that seems to continuously pop up. And, that is not just on fan boards, but on major networks as well. And no more tied to the hip with ULM sharing a similar perception as regional UL X schools while a school like LA Tech continues to maintain a large perception advantage that will not change under current conditions. It's been 30 years since our original name change and going on 15 years with our city tag name. When is enough, enough?

[California Cajun]

Changing to Acadiana University is like changing to "University of South Central Louisiana" (USCL).

One of the Missouri double directional name schools gave up on "Missouri State" and took "Truman State University." Southwest Missouri State kept pursuing it and are now Missouri State University. Who's likely to be better off?

I believe the difficulties of seizing the University of Louisiana identity are in exact proportion to the reward that will be ours if we never give up. There's a reason for this.

[Just1More]

If we can't qualify for our name and politics will never allow us to attain UL and Louisiana, as you stated, I submit that Acadiana University IS a better alternative and we would have no objections to that name from anyone in the state.

We would be called "Acadiana" not AU. And when someone asks, "Who does Acadiana play this weekend?". "Uhhh... I think Comeaux.". You haven't done any better than letting them call us "Lafayette". And "Acadiana" is very very regional. If you think that clears things up for us, state-wise, regionally, or nationally, for athletics or academics... you aren't thinking clearly.

This crap is frustrating... but intelligent options simply do not exist. We stay with our official name and go with our nickname. If/when we have many of our goals in place, we'll get much more respect for our preferred nickname. But, we'll have little to no chance of an official switch to it. I'm not the least bit concerned about these outside opinions. They've never ever had our interests in mind when dealing with us.