Attendence?

[Sonsissymia]

_ How are they supporting UL when staying out in a parking lot to watch State? You may be assuming they bought a ticket but just didn't use it; I'm assuming they just showed up to tailgate at a spot purchased by one person or company. they are not in the stadium buying concessions, not is the stadium supporting the team in their efforts, etc. They are just outside partying all afternoon watching another team play without the hassles of driving to BR and fighting the traffic to achieve a "game day" tailgating experience.

But aside form the "casual fans" there is no excuse for students not being in the game. Frat pledges at other schools such as "big time" programs like State are required to go to every game. If they can't get a student ticket they have to go to the frat house and sign up and the frat arranges tickets. They demand loyalty and support from the students and I don't hear any whining from them about it. _

12 thou is bad, but it was a big win. way to go cajuns.

[ULtimateCajun]

I think it's pretty p.i.s.s poor. It's obvious that we don't have as many die hard fans than this team deserves. Winning hopefully will change that. But shame on us for not putting more butts in the seats for this very talented football team.

[Turbine]

A lot of factors out of UL's control here.

Cattle Festival in Abbeville
Festivals Acadiens at G Park
ArtWalk downtown Lafayette
Overcast cloudy and previously rainy
UL/UNT game on TV
LSU/Florida game in BR
LSU/Florida game on TV

ps A lot of people (fans of UL) have responsibilities at some of these events that they just can't walk away from.

[ULtimateCajun]

_ A lot of factors out of UL's control here.

Cattle Festival in Abbeville
Festivals Acadiens at G Park
ArtWalk downtown Lafayette
Overcast cloudy and previously rainy
UL/UNT game on TV
LSU/Florida game in BR
LSU/Florida game on TV

ps A lot of people (fans of UL) have responsibilities at some of these events that they just can't walk away from. _

Come on Turb, festivals and Artwalk have the same weather as Cajun field. i'm tired of the excuses and starting to think we just 1. don't have a big fanbase at all or 2. we are the definition of fair weather fans cause if there is a rain drop in the sky we lose 3,000 fans off the bat.

[NOCajun]

_ My wife and I were discussing this today....If all of the tailgaters would come into the stadium, do you think it would make a huge difference? _

I think most, if not all of them DID go into the game. We didn't even have anywhere near as many people tailgating, either.

[Turbine]

Come on Turb, festivals and Artwalk have the same weather as Cajun field. i'm tired of the excuses and starting to think we just 1. don't have a big fanbase at all or 2. we are the definition of fair weather fans cause if there is a rain drop in the sky we lose 3,000 fans off the bat.

Fair enough but I only gave an out to those with responsibilities (and family members) I suspect that could range in the hundreds.

Another guage is to see if those multiple venues set attendance records.
igeaux.mobi

[anhil8tor]

and major props to the students for coming out and almost filling the first 5 rows of the student section!


PS: How much did franks donate?

[UL_Cajuns]

_ I think most, if not all of them DID go into the game. We didn't even have anywhere near as many people tailgating, either. _

Question. Now that all tailgating spots are pay, will they kick you off a pay spot if no one is there?

[ragin91cajun]

_ Anyone know what the attendence was for tonight's game?
By the way, MAJOR PROPS to the the owner of Frank's Casing for that HUGE donation to RCAF! Thank you for helping grow this GREAT PROGRAM! _

I wasn't paying attention when they announced the donation. How much was it?

[BabbForHeisman]

_ I wasn't paying attention when they announced the donation. How much was it? _

$135,000. This is the second donation of that amount making a total of $270,000

[ragin91cajun]

_ $135,000. This is the second donation of that amount making a total of $270,000 _

Wow! Thats great. I thought they said something about 270,000, but I thought I just heard it wrong.

[Pirogue]

I thought the LSU game kept all the rif-raf out.

Kinda like a stiff cover charge on Bourbon Street.

For the Cajun Fans that did not support this team because Lou State was losing to Florida... I'm glad they lost and hope those individuals had a miserable, sad night.

I know Cajun Field hosted what my Dad [a closet LSU fan] said was the most exciting football game he's ever seen.

I also know, some people fell asleep watching that yawner in Baton Rouge.
Florida won, and they covered the point spread... big surprise.

The SWAMP is defended, the Cajuns are undefeated at home, and it's a great time.... to be a Cajun.

[HoustonCajun]

_ At least those LSU fans support the Cajuns as well. We need as many fans as we can get, even if they stay out in the parking lot to watch the LSU game. These fans might just come in when LSU is not playing when we play.
Better to have them there than to not be there. _

Just how many people are we talking about? A few hundred. Hell, we had only 12,000 at the game. Would the handful of tailgaters made that much difference? And, as far as LSU is concerned, they have a packed house every game and tickets are hard to get. I doubt that many of our fans went to the game last night. It is more likely they watched both our game and LSU's game on tv.

Somebody made a comment about bandwagon friends coming to our games if we win a couple more. So what? I hope they do come out, like they did for the Southern game. LSU will be playing Auburn for our homecoming game vs. FAU. After we beat WKU and are 4-2, we need to get at least as many as we did vs. FIU last year. What was that, over 28,000 for an SBC record?

That only 12,000 showed up last night is an embarrassment to Lafayette and to UL. Anyone who says anything again about LA Tech or Rice's tarps should bite their tongue. Our last home game vs. K State had only 16,000 and there was an article praising UL's 2 game attendance record of 58,000. Until we start averaging a minimum of 25,000 a game, nothing should be praised. I hope there is an article about how embarrassing averaging 14,000 a game vs. K State and UNT is and the need for Lafayette and Acadiana to start supporting this team.

[HoustonCajun]

_ The problem with the student section is that it is to big. There is no way that the students should be given 3 sections. Shrink it down to 1 or 2 and the section would look much fuller. Also make it so that you have to actually be a student to get into the section! _

You are absolutely right. For next season, we need to chair back between the 40 yard lines and move the students to the sections to the right. The other side of chair backs are season tickets and general admission including opposing team fans. To expect more than 30% of enrollment or roughly 5,000 a game is unrealistic. Give them 5,000 seats and any overflow goes to the endzone or general admission. You get more revenue from chair backs, you help guarantee a lower level sell out which gives the stadium a fuller look and regardless of any future stadium improvements, you will still be able to utilize the chair backs. What stadium in the country doesn't better utilize its prime seating and have its student-seating towards the 30 yard line to endzone? I suspect we will find that the students will fill the assigned area when this is done. Right now, you can't tell because we give them 14,000 seats and complain when that side of the stadium is not filled.

[zephyr]

_ OK Zephyr... we can battle infinitum. I'm explaining that there are people in that parking lot that are supporting those who are in that game. We cannot get all of them in the stadium. Those who have missed out on big game highlights are some of the people who used to be in the parking lot, but now have chosen to go into the game instead. The parking lot tailgating... even that which extends late into the evening... is a support mechanism of our program... not a detraction from it. It is not where we need to harvest more attendees. We will harvest larger attendance when the minds of the humans at large decide sitting inside Cajun Field is their ass location for the evening... not before.

You and all of T-Joe's men cannot force a higher attendance. When they like what's served, they will dine in the restaurant... not a single second before. But yes... if you own the parking lot... you may run off those who sit outside while others dine. I think you will lose those in the parking lot and a section of those inside. _

If you lose them, they are not fans nor will they be. I'm not running them off. I'm simply saying that they are given a choice of staying or going into the game. I do not think that is unrealistic nor do I think the people in the parking lot doing everything but cheering for their team is a support mechanism. You know my opinion and I know yours so I choose to not say anything else about from here on out.