2016: Alden Report Released by University of Louisiana Athletics

[CajunRebel]

CajunRebel, I look at the fees that I pay since I have one at UL now, two last year. What is it listed as, because nowhere have I seen a described ticket fee?

Hell, if I'm wrong I'll admit it but I'm almost positive there is a ticket fee. Do you happen to have a list of the student fees?

[NewsCopy]

The University of Louisiana reached out to former Missouri athletic director Mike Alden several months ago, asking him to perform a wide-ranging analysis of the school's athletic programs and the revenue they bring in. On Monday,...

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THE Advocate

[VObserver]

"Baseball has potential." .....GFY dude.

How would you describe the baseball program differently than that? It is pretty clearly our second best program, but nationally, how else could you describe it other than "has potential"?

[Stabil123]

Of course some of our alumni with money have stepped up, some in a very big way. My point is that we have done a horrible job of promoting ourselves outside our alumni circle. We don't need to find 1000 people to put up $10000 each; we need to sell all of our athletic contests as self-produced packages to ESPN, FSN and others at a profit; we need to quit giving our product away for others to profit from it. We need to quit letting students in free to games, since we won't get a fee. We need to establish our brand as strongly as possible nationwide, even worldwide. A person in Poland or South Africa can buy our merchandise as easily as one from Lafayette. We have not even begun to tap our potential market.

Can't say that I disagree with that comment. That said, I have to admit I'm not familiar with the rules regarding student fee's, but the previous comment regarding the fact that our tuition up until recently was the lowest in the state. Not sure why we have to get student approval to raise fee's , if that's the case then let raise tuition 3% that would be around $240 a year and or $20.00 month increase. Even during these difficult times, that seems doable. No doubt the branding issues is important, and I assume that is one of the reasons they hired a consultant, and hopefully they will recommend a plan of action to make this happen.

[Oiler]

I hate to rain on anybody's parade, but the timing of this report couldn't be any worse. It has come out just in time to see the oilfield completely shut down while the entire world heads into recession. The Great State of Louisiana is also completely broke at this time. It also comes out just as the P5 conferences are imposing the cost of pay for play on all of us.

Not to beat a dead horse, but we needed to have acted on the information in this report 15-20 years ago. As usual, our timing is a day late, and a dollar short.

We'll be doing well if we can just maintain the status quo over the next few years.

[CajunRebel]

I hate to rain on anybody's parade, but the timing of this report couldn't be any worse. It has come out just in time to see the oilfield completely shut down while the entire world heads into recession. The Great State of Louisiana is also completely broke at this time. It also comes out just as the P5 conferences are imposing the cost of pay for play on all of us.

Not to beat a dead horse, but we needed to have acted on the information in this report 15-20 years ago. As usual, our timing is a day late, and a dollar short.

We'll be doing well if we can just maintain the status quo over the next few years.

You couldn't be any more wrong Oiler. Despite the downturn, we've managed to have a great fundraising year by focusing on the many people and businesses that haven't been affected by the downturn. And since so little of our budget comes from the Great State of Louisiana, we're in better shape than most to weather a budget crunch. We've increased our budget every year for the last 5 years despite losing tons of State funding.

As for the timing, well, we can't change the past. And there's there's no better time than the present to improve our future. You can't worry about the missed oppourtunities of 15 years ago. And what happened 15 years ago won't stop us from doing what we need to do today.

[CajunRed]

Oh..ok...so let's just give up and send Alden on his way. It's over.

BS. We didn't do it 15 years ago. We have the report in hand NOW. The best time to act is NOW. Let's do it.

[basinbear]

Either we act and react now.....now....or its too late. There is no other way to put this. Mike Alden knows this, others in the business know this and now TJOE knows this. He has now been informed by a professional that he hired for this specific purpose. No, we can't worry about the past except we continued to ignore over a 25 year period what was going on around us (realignment). Our track record is worrisome.

[Just1More]

I hate to rain on anybody's parade, but the timing of this report couldn't be any worse. It has come out just in time to see the oilfield completely shut down while the entire world heads into recession. The Great State of Louisiana is also completely broke at this time. It also comes out just as the P5 conferences are imposing the cost of pay for play on all of us.

Not to beat a dead horse, but we needed to have acted on the information in this report 15-20 years ago. As usual, our timing is a day late, and a dollar short.

We'll be doing well if we can just maintain the status quo over the next few years.

I completely disagree. The constructs required to be put in place need to be in place when the oil economy returns. Everyone in this state is being pinched right now. Many are more vulnerable than UL. Just from a regional perspective, making a move to put these recommendations in place, will advance us immeasurably. When do you work the soil, fertilize and plant seeds? While its raining? In the middle of a harvest? No. It's time for UL to launch. When the oil boosters kick in later, we'll blaze a massive trail. We have things going for us athletically. Our master plan for facilities is underway. RCAF and our athletic programs are moving in the right direction. We are way better off than many others. But if we fail to take advantage of what we have available, it's going to shrink down to a poor base to work with.

As for student athletic fees, our administration needs to go with the recommendations of the assessment. If it's how our competitor universities are funding athletics to a significant advantage, we must tap into it. I'd work it up over a few years to the eventual target fee. But it is long overdue. And I could care less about the nonparticipating student opinion. They get the advantages of what athletic prowess lends the entire university, whether they participate or not.

[Stabil123]

I completely disagree. The constructs required to be put in place need to be in place when the oil economy returns. Everyone in this state is being pinched right now. Many are more vulnerable than UL. Just from a regional perspective, making a move to put these recommendations in place, will advance us immeasurably. When do you work the soil, fertilize and plant seeds? While its raining? In the middle of a harvest? No. It's time for UL to launch. When the oil boosters kick in later, we'll blaze a massive trail. We have things going for us athletically. Our master plan for facilities is underway. RCAF and our athletic programs are moving in the right direction. We are way better off than many others. But if we fail to take advantage of what we have available, it's going to shrink down to a poor base to work with.

As for student athletic fees, our administration needs to go with the recommendations of the assessment. If it's how our competitor universities are funding athletics to a significant advantage, we must tap into it. I'd work it up over a few years to the eventual target fee. But it is long overdue. And I could care less about the nonparticipating student opinion. They get the advantages of what athletic prowess lends the entire university, whether they participate or not.

Correct, 1/2 full glass as opposed to 1/2 empty glass, regarding student fees why let the nuts run the asylum, that should be a parental decision and or the person paying the bill, and there is no doubt that the oil patch will rebound, and that there's definitely better days ahead. Great post.

[Cajunrunner]

Boy, this is definitely a Ragin Pagin thread. A 79 page document that validates, corroborates, and cements what we've all said needed to happen to further our program for years, crafted by outside professionals that have taken a good look at us with a critical eye and made suggestions that will get us there if implemented, and half the posts about it are folks btching about the name.

Never change, you guys.

Bingo.

[Cajunrunner]

One of the competitor's questionnaire mentioned misspelled words on the cajundome jumbotron. I'm glad that was mentioned because when I see that kind of stuff my blood boils. It's amateur and so embarrassing.

Yeah, I think that frightened me more than anything else in that report. Playing right into the "dumb Cajuns"/Waterboy stereotype with stupid ____ like that.

[Cajunrunner]

Oh..ok...so let's just give up and send Alden on his way. It's over.

BS. We didn't do it 15 years ago. We have the report in hand NOW. The best time to act is NOW. Let's do it.

Yep. The Ray Brothers didn't give enough ____s about athletics to even have request such a report. Or if they had, they would have just hired some of their good ole boy buddies.

Ray Authement seemed to despise athletics so much, he probably would read this report and try to do the exact opposite to kill off the energy as fast as possible.

[zephyr]

As someone that has paid a number of fees that TOPS doesn't pay as a parent and continue to do so at this time, it needs to be discussed. I don't argue that the climate is not right today, but when will it be in the future? For too long, our students and parents have paid much cheaper tuition then most other state university students and college students in our region. At some point the fee needs to be addressed and allowed to go to vote. If it does not pass, then students should be charged the public cost for tickets to all sporting events period. Its all part of raising athletic revenue.

Didn't we bring student fees to a vote some years back but it was shot down by the students vote?

[CajunFan83]

Serious question.. Does anyone think that the current leadership in the athletic department can successfully implement this plan? I'm guessing the part that wasn't released had a review of organizational structures as well as its capabilities.