The University of Louisiana? Only if it acts like it...

[Hammer58]

_ My question is why don't we just say to hell with the name police and just do it. Let them file legal action against the University, then contact any and all media outlets to get the word out on how idiotic this state acts sometimes. _

I understand your sentiment but I can't see that as a viable course of action. I don't know that the national media would pick up on it and even if they did State is one of their national favorites so I don't expect that they would take up our cause. And as far as the media within the state, they aren't much more than an extension of tigger rag so any mention of the isue would be biased against us. I mean can anyone really see the Times-Picayune, Morning Advocate or Shreveport Times taking our side over State in this issue?

[CajunT]

_ Let's just change our name back to USL!!!

We decided to change our name to UL because we didn't want the directional tag. We were granted that but were told that we would have to add "Lafayette." That is not what we wanted so why did we go through with it? Everything was good and no one was screaming about a name change when we were USL. Lets change it back and simply drop the "western" in the name. Univ. of South Louisiana sounds good.

It seems that we won't ever be allowed to use UL or Louisiana alone. LSU and ULM won't let it happen and I understand why. It aggravates the crap out of me that we don't even know who we are. You ask some university officials and they will say UL Lafayette sometimes and UL others. I sent an email to Farmer a while back asking him "WHO ARE WE." He responded not long after stating that "We are Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns." I asked him about the 's and I got no response. Now if I were to ask someone else on campus they may say that we are UL Lafayette.

So going back to USL is the perfect solution. ULM never wanted to change their name so I'm sure they would have no problem going back to NLU. I know......it's only wishful thinking on my part and will never happen. _

No, I disagree with you on the use of "Louisiana". This clearly is not in violation of the law, although some have tried to argue that point. I haven't heard any flack coming from LSU, as long as "UL" is used with the city tag. But several UL-System schools are still creating problems, one in particular in the Sun Belt. We are doing the right thing legally with "Louisiana", but its far from over.

[DestinCajun]

And as far as the media within the state, they aren't much more than an extension of tigger rag so any mention of the isue would be biased against us. I mean can anyone really see the Times-Picayune, Morning Advocate or Shreveport Times taking our side over State in this issue? _

Excellent point. But then add in the LakeChuck type media who are forever preaching "know you place' and I say, what the heck, we are close to making the best of the situation already.

[HoustonCajun]

_ No, I disagree with you on the use of "Louisiana". This clearly is not in violation of the law, although some have tried to argue that point. I haven't heard any flack coming from LSU, as long as "UL" is used with the city tag. But several UL-System schools are still creating problems, one in particular in the Sun Belt. We are doing the right thing legally with "Louisiana", but its far from over. _

Maybe we should have gone the route of the University of Oklahoma, the University of Colorado, and the University of Kansas with OU, CU and KU. Using "LU" with Louisiana would not have violated anything if the city tag is only called for with "UL".

[MetryCajun]

_ Maybe we should have gone the route of the University of Oklahoma, the University of Colorado, and the University of Kansas with OU, CU and KU. Using "LU" with Louisiana would not have violated anything if the city tag is only called for with "UL". _

Then we could have a new acronym...LUL! On second thought that pretty much describes our athletic teams right now.

[HoustonCajun]

_ Then we could have a new acronym...LUL! On second thought that pretty much describes our athletic teams right now. _

No, the law only appears to require "UL" to have a city tag with it. LU would appear to circumvent that rule and NOT require "at Lafayette" to be added.

[ManAboutTown]

_ No, the law only appears to require "UL" to have a city tag with it. LU would appear to circumvent that rule and NOT require "at Lafayette" to be added. _

So why don't we pursue this avenue?
Seems like a much more practical solution than fighting the uphill "UL" debacle.
Like someone said earlier; the only way for true change is to rock the boat..

[4LSU]

...And as far as the media within the state, they aren't much more than an extension of tigger rag so any mention of the isue would be biased against us....

I should know better then to venture into this Claymore minefield, but does that go for the media in Lafayette as well? Or are you saying only in Lafayette can you find an enlightened, worthy, and unbiased media?

[HoustonCajun]

_ So why don't we pursue this avenue?
Seems like a much more practical solution than fighting the uphill "UL" debacle.
Like someone said earlier; the only way for true change is to rock the boat.. _

This whole name change debacle was never thought through. It seems to have been a convenient solution that was reached just prior to our Centennial celebration. Why we would agree to sharing the name with UL Monroe completely escapes me, and agree to let them in our conference? Look what all of that has gotten us. 9 years of heartache over our name when that is exactly what we were trying to escape in the first place.

Seems to me when can (1) accept it and just resign to the UL L and Louisiana Lafayette name, (2) continue to slowly make headway with small changes here and there and maybe in another 10 years or so we will have expanded our name beyond the city limits of Lafayette, (3) just go with UL and Louisiana and fight the battle, legal or otherwise, to use that name, or (4) come up with a creative solution that circumvents the law.

Here is what the law states:

"The use of the two-letter University of Louisiana abbreviation, "UL", and/or "U of L" are prohibited by the university or any of its affiliated organizations (alumni associateions, development foundations, bookstores, etc.). For academic, public relations, athletic, as well as other purposes not specified, the use of the University of Louisiana abbreviation must always include the abbreviation for the municipal location of the institution. For example, ULR is appropriate for University of Louisiana at Rayne."

We are talking athletically only. I don't care that academically we are the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Texas uses "at Austin" in everything non-athletic as do all other schools, such as Nebraska Lincoln, etc. etc. Just check their websites.

Athletically, if we use Louisiana with no "University of", we have not broken the law. If we use "LU", like OU (University of Oklahmoa), CU (University of Colorado), and KU (University of Kansas), we have not broken the law, nor do we have to have "at Lafayette" added because we didn't use "University of". For that matter, we can use just "L" and we have not broken the law. If we use Louisiana Ragin Cajuns, we have not broken the law, so why are we using Louisiana's Ragin Cajuns?

Personally, I would rather use "LU" and Louisiana and have our clear identity than to continue with UL and continue this endless name debacle year in and year out. And, not only will it give us a unique identity, it will give us separation from ULM and the SBC and the rest of the country will have no choice but to call us Louisiana and LU. There can be no legal objections from anyone.

Is "LU" so distasteful to everyone that we would rather continue this rediculous name game and identity issue for years to come? Am I missing something or is this something the university should give serious consideration to?

[CajunCanaille]

I too like the use of LU better but I think it's too late. We are already a joke for constantly changing our name. This would require the printing of new merchandise and you would have to hope that people but it. I would like it. I even think there is a cool LU logo on this site that can be used as an avatar. Someone said it best earlier that the admin. did not think this through at all. But I would think that it would be too late to make the UL to LU change now. Not only that but you would have people calling us ULL, UL, LU, USL, Louisiana, Louisiana - Lafayette, etc, etc. I just don't know if its worth any further headache unless it's done right and the message is properly delivered to the fans and the national media through the news, media guides, news papers, press releases, and at the actual games. But good luck with that. Julie Dronet (aka "The Logo Police") would never let that pass. She is at the top of my "Need To Go" list.

It would take an act of congress just to get walker, farmer and savoy to even listen to the idea. I'm sure you could send out three emails and get one response back from Farmer only. It would say something along the lines of us being "Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns"....blah blah blah and leave you with no answer to your question. That's pretty much what I got when I sent him an email concerning our name.

[CajunSaint]

_ I should know better then to venture into this Claymore minefield, but does that go for the media in Lafayette as well? Or are you saying only in Lafayette can you find an enlightened, worthy, and unbiased media? _

well, you finally seem to be getting it. stick around. learn more.

[TravlnCajun]

As someone who has been associated with this fight since 1984, the one thing we can do is to have our teams excel. There are only 2 UL schools, and with out a doubt we have the best nickname. If we are consistently winning in the major sports, the term Louisiana's Ragin Cajuns will simply win out over any other UL contender.

Anyway thats my $.02

[CajunCanaille]

_ As someone who has been associated with this fight since 1984, the one thing we can do is to have our teams excel. There are only 2 UL schools, and with out a doubt we have the best nickname. If we are consistently winning in the major sports, the term Louisiana's Ragin Cajuns will simply win out over any other UL contender.

Anyway thats my $.02 _

But why do we have to have the 's at the end of Louisiana? When someone asks me where I graduated from should I go ahead and tell them I went to Louisiana's?

The whole name change thing just didn't end up in our favor. We ended up being called something that we had no intention of being called. I just don't understand how we put up a fight to be called UL to get away from the directional name and then settle for "UL Lafayette." IMO it sounds much worse to be known as UL Lafayette, ULL, or UL at Lafayette than it would have been to remain USL. And now we are trying to fix it by adding 's to the end of Louisiana. It just sounds stupid!

[racajun54]

_ This whole name change debacle was never thought through. It seems to have been a convenient solution that was reached just prior to our Centennial celebration. Why we would agree to sharing the name with UL Monroe completely escapes me, and agree to let them in our conference? Look what all of that has gotten us. 9 years of heartache over our name when that is exactly what we were trying to escape in the first place.

Seems to me when can (1) accept it and just resign to the UL L and Louisiana Lafayette name, (2) continue to slowly make headway with small changes here and there and maybe in another 10 years or so we will have expanded our name beyond the city limits of Lafayette, (3) just go with UL and Louisiana and fight the battle, legal or otherwise, to use that name, or (4) come up with a creative solution that circumvents the law.

Here is what the law states:

"The use of the two-letter University of Louisiana abbreviation, "UL", and/or "U of L" are prohibited by the university or any of its affiliated organizations (alumni associateions, development foundations, bookstores, etc.). For academic, public relations, athletic, as well as other purposes not specified, the use of the University of Louisiana abbreviation must always include the abbreviation for the municipal location of the institution. For example, ULR is appropriate for University of Louisiana at Rayne."

We are talking athletically only. I don't care that academically we are the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Texas uses "at Austin" in everything non-athletic as do all other schools, such as Nebraska Lincoln, etc. etc. Just check their websites.

Athletically, if we use Louisiana with no "University of", we have not broken the law. If we use "LU", like OU (University of Oklahmoa), CU (University of Colorado), and KU (University of Kansas), we have not broken the law, nor do we have to have "at Lafayette" added because we didn't use "University of". For that matter, we can use just "L" and we have not broken the law. If we use Louisiana Ragin Cajuns, we have not broken the law, so why are we using Louisiana's Ragin Cajuns?

Personally, I would rather use "LU" and Louisiana and have our clear identity than to continue with UL and continue this endless name debacle year in and year out. And, not only will it give us a unique identity, it will give us separation from ULM and the SBC and the rest of the country will have no choice but to call us Louisiana and LU. There can be no legal objections from anyone.

Is "LU" so distasteful to everyone that we would rather continue this rediculous name game and identity issue for years to come? Am I missing something or is this something the university should give serious consideration to? _

The problem is you have another school in the state using the University of Louisiana name as per the law. If Northwestern, Southeastern, McNeese, or Nichols would want to change their name this would add to the confusion. ESPN and other media outlets need to use ULL to identify the proper school. Your point about Texas, Oklahoma, and Colorado is well taken but let's remember those are THE FLAGSHIP UNIVERSITIES in their respective states and ULL is not. I never understood why we use Louisiana's Ragin Cajuns when Cajuns are mostly identified with south Louisiana and not the rest of the state. You don't hear Nebraska's Cornhuskers its The Nebraska Cornhuskers so why not The Louisiana Ragin Cajuns? I got over the name thing a long time ago. If its Louisiana Lafayette so what. You make a name for yourself by making outstanding academic achivements and winning on the atheltic fields. You earn respect and recognition and a name change doesn't give you that. There is one school who has done very well with the city name included The University of California at Los Angles or UCLA. They didn't earn their reputation by a name but by achivements over time. I for one think that respect is earned through this manner. I know that society today wants instant everything but you earn respect over time whether its your own name or the name of your university.

[DestinCajun]

This whole name change debacle was never thought through.

Seriously, where do you come up with the basis for comments like this?

The "whole name change debacle"? It was never "thought through"?