Could the Ragin’ Cajuns be getting a new football stadium?

[HoustonCajun]

Houston has about 5 million people, and UofH cant get 30k in their new 50k seat stadium after a top 20 season. Lets step out of fantasy land, people. Its time for The University of Louisiana and Lafayette to innovate, not recreate. Build something like C4L suggests and you will get your national recognition, Jack. It will be LOUD. It will be a place that will create buzz and a DEMAND for tickets. You know that caravan that heads across the basin every Saturday in the fall? Well, it would reverse course and head west. Think about the student section in such a stadium. Kids will WANT to be there.
This is just my opinion.

Localyokel

Houston has a 40,000 seat stadium, not 50,000, that is a $128M erector set. Many universities in major cities have attendance issues. Look at Miami who also barely averages 30,000 and New Orleans with Tulane with a 20,000 seat stadium that they can't fill. Then there are schools in small towns no bigger than Lafayette like Starkville and Oxford, MS, Stillwater, OK, Auburn, AL, or Clemson, SC that average 60,000 to 80,000 a game. Of course they are P5 conferences, but so is Miami. We need to play a much better home schedule, we have to win, and we have to beat some name schools to really peak fan interest and build a program resume.

Look at E. Carolina in Greenville, NC (population 91,000) with a stadium seating 50,000. Over the past 3 years, ECU averaged 44,000 a game, despite going 5-7, 3-9, and 3-9. And, they are in a state with UNC, NC State, Duke and Wake Forest. Why can't that be accomplished in Lafayette?

We have to build to the future, to where college football will be in the next 5-10 years +. There will likely be a consortium of teams playing each other rather than conferences as we know them now. It is imperative that we be a part of a consortium or really be left out. We will need to have the facilities and resume to be included. IMO, we will need a 35,000 - 40,000 seat stadium that can be expanded to be comparable to the top G5 schools. With the new leadership and commitment at UL, we can achieve that.

[LaCajunsFan]

NM

[Cajun90]

I used to laugh at such a comment but now I do see the possibility due to all the people playing the sport in their youth. The concussion issue in football is also a factor. I do think that as a spectator or TV sport it will have a challenge due to it being such a low scoring sport. Lacrosse may actually give soccer a run for popularity as well. On a worldwide basis, basketball is actually one of the sports gaining in popularity.

Soccer dwarfs every other sport in the world by any measure you want to use. Estimated fans worldwide is 3.5 to 4 billion. U.S. football is estimated at 400 million and doesn't make the top 10 list in sports worldwide. TV already isn't an issue for soccer. It has the largest market worldwide by far. You are right about basketball as well but doesn't come close to soccer with only one billion fans.

U.S. football is definitely on the decline while soccer is rapidly climbing at every level. What does that mean a decade or two from now? Who knows? I think American football will be around for a long time but it may already be past its prime.

[CajunRebel]

"A Gallup poll released last week found that 7% of Americans named soccer as their favorite sport to watch in a survey completed during December. While that may not sound like much, the figure represents a significant, three-percentage-point gain from just four years ago. Soccer is the only sport to post such a large increase. Football (37%, down from 39%), basketball (11%, down from 12%) and baseball (9%, down from 13%) all showed declining numbers. Hockey was at 4%, up from 3%.

The arrows are clearly pointing in definitive directions, and it is very likely that soccer will surpass baseball in this survey the next time such a poll is taken. Even more telling are the demographics behind those numbers: Only 1% of those polled by Gallup aged 55 or over named soccer as their favorite. But among adults aged 18-34, soccer was the favorite sport of 11%, tying basketball; only 6% of younger adults chose baseball as their favorite sport."

[CajunRebel]

Can regulation soccer fit without wall alterations?

Wiki "The field dimensions are within the range found optimal by FIFA: 110–120 yards long by 70–80 yards wide.

These soccer field dimensions are wider than the regulation American football field width of 53 1⁄3 yards."

You can put a soccer field in Cajun Field, but if you want to do it right you definitely need to take some seats out. The football field is 53yds. There's only about 5 yards of turf on each side of it.

When a field is that small it really affects the game.

[cajun4life]

Houston has a 40,000 seat stadium, not 50,000, that is a $128M erector set. Many universities in major cities have attendance issues. Look at Miami who also barely averages 30,000 and New Orleans with Tulane with a 20,000 seat stadium that they can't fill. Then there are schools in small towns no bigger than Lafayette like Starkville and Oxford, MS, Stillwater, OK, Auburn, AL, or Clemson, SC that average 60,000 to 80,000 a game. Of course they are P5 conferences, but so is Miami. We need to play a much better home schedule, we have to win, and we have to beat some name schools to really peak fan interest and build a program resume.

Look at E. Carolina in Greenville, NC (population 91,000) with a stadium seating 50,000. Over the past 3 years, ECU averaged 44,000 a game, despite going 5-7, 3-9, and 3-9. And, they are in a state with UNC, NC State, Duke and Wake Forest. Why can't that be accomplished in Lafayette?

We have to build to the future, to where college football will be in the next 5-10 years +. There will likely be a consortium of teams playing each other rather than conferences as we know them now. It is imperative that we be a part of a consortium or really be left out. We will need to have the facilities and resume to be included. IMO, we will need a 35,000 - 40,000 seat stadium that can be expanded to be comparable to the top G5 schools. With the new leadership and commitment at UL, we can achieve that.

Bigger is definitely not better in our situation. Stadium size isn’t going to drive new conference affiliation. It’s all about market penetration and brand recognition.

Build a 36,000 seat stadium that takes its cues from the great euro soccer stadiums which amplifies the game day atmosphere by putting the fans right on top of the actions with great
site lines. Then have a canopy covering the seats to keep The sun and rain out while trapping crowd noise in.

All of a sudden you have an intimidating atmosphere and something that draws kids in. Y’all can keep bashing soccer, but they do it right.

The stadium doesn’t even have to look like the modern euro stadiums (which I love), it could be constructed in a fashion that looks just like Russo Park. Same color canopy covering the stands. Brick the exterior and use the precast concrete sections just like baseball. Have the same layout as Kadir Has Stadium.

We would have one of the best stadiums in the country regardless of size if we did that.

Edit: If it could have the demensions that FIFA requires then maybe we could host The National Team. Then the American Owtlaws can show us how it’s done.

[Turbine]

Invention time: Illuminated FiberOptic Turf

Change the field markers with the flip of a switch.

[cajun4life]

Invention time: Illuminated FiberOptic Turf

Change the field markers with the flip of a switch.

That would F’n legit!

[Esqueleto]

Bigger is definitely not better in our situation. Stadium size isn’t going to drive new conference affiliation. It’s all about market penetration and brand recognition.

Build a 36,000 seat stadium that takes its cues from the great euro soccer stadiums which amplifies the game day atmosphere by putting the fans right on top of the actions with great
site lines. Then have a canopy covering the seats to keep The sun and rain out while trapping crowd noise in.

All of a sudden you have an intimidating atmosphere and something that draws kids in. Y’all can keep bashing soccer, but they do it right.

The stadium doesn’t even have to look like the modern euro stadiums (which I love), it could be constructed in a fashion that looks just like Russo Park. Same color canopy covering the stands. Brick the exterior and use the precast concrete sections just like baseball. Have the same layout as Kadir Has Stadium.

We would have one of the best stadiums in the country regardless of size if we did that.

Edit: If it could have the demensions that FIFA requires then maybe we could host The National Team. Then the American Owtlaws can show us how it’s done.

I sure hope the powers that be think like you

[cajun4life]

I sure hope the powers that be think like you

Me too!!!