Enhancements for Football Game Day Experience

[MetryCajun]

Mike, I completely understand your stance on this but its a good thing. While we have a core fan base that is very loyal and will feel like you, we tend to have a large fringe part of our base that is somewhat fickle and easily swayed to apply their attention elsewhere come gameday. Anything we can do to attract those people and their families to the stadium is a good thing and its always good to improve the overall experience.

Agree. The only thing harder than getting people into Cajun Field is to keep them there. With no natural rivals and few marquee games this is what UL has to do. I really hope the enhancements for students pays dividends. We need more of them at games.

[GeauxLouisiana]

Guess I'll be spending my time in the kids area, as my kids will want to be there, instead of watching the product on the field.

[DieHard1280]

We are not alone in trying to do things like this. Even UT here in Austin announced a new "Bevo Boulevard" to enhance the game day experience for fans and their families.

It does end 30 minutes before the game starts, but I applaud our efforts to do something to attract as many people as possible. When the product on the field and the opponents improve, more and more of these people will begin watching the actual game.

[CharlieK]

Agree. The only thing harder than getting people into Cajun Field is to keep them there. With no natural rivals and few marquee games this is what UL has to do. I really hope the enhancements for students pays dividends. We need more of them at games.

Just about every school has this issue, at different scales. Even LSU. Half empty after halftime unless it's Alabama or Florida.

It's the nature of the current attention span of people, not a UL issue.

[CharlieK]

Guess I'll be spending my time in the kids area, as my kids will want to be there, instead of watching the product on the field.

Just a thought from a grizzled parent veteran. Learn to tell them no, or limit the time in that area. It won't kill them.

[fanof71]

Just a thought from a grizzled parent veteran. Learn to tell them no, or limit the time in that area. It won't kill them.

Amen brother...I get kids wanting to have some fun, but lets not turn that end zone into Lafayettes largest day care on game days...especially after the game starts!

[CrazyCajun]

Amen brother...I get kids wanting to have some fun, but lets not turn that end zone into Lafayettes largest day care on game days...especially after the game starts!

It already is..if they can play games at the top
Instead of sliding/flipping/rolling/tumbling down the hill, I’d rather that.

[CharlieK]

Amen brother...I get kids wanting to have some fun, but lets not turn that end zone into Lafayettes largest day care on game days...especially after the game starts!

We brought kids to the game from the age of 3 to 15, and never watched a game on the hill. I'd take them there for a little while before, and some during the spring game. But when the real game was happening we were in our seats. It's OK for kids to not be completely entertained in their preferred fashion at all times. Sure sometimes they made it hard for me to watch the game when they got figety. But that's part of the parent job description. It's in the fine print.

[MetryCajun]

Just about every school has this issue, at different scales. Even LSU. Half empty after halftime unless it's Alabama or Florida.

It's the nature of the current attention span of people, not a UL issue.

Agreed. It’s why all this talk of adding more seats is nonsensical. The younger generation is not sitting throug 4hour games. Heck, I can’t sit through these 4 hour games. Watch how empty LSU games are this year. At least for them their empty seats were bought by someone. Ours are not.

[CharlieK]

Agreed. It's why all this talk of adding more seats is nonsensical. The younger generation is not sitting throug 4hour games. Heck, I can't sit through these 4 hour games. Watch how empty LSU games are this year. At least for them their empty seats were bought by someone. Ours are not.

Right now all discussions about the stadium modifications are theoretical. So discussions about more, less, different or whatever seating is totally "sensical". There is a best choice for how to get from what we have, transition and then get to where we need to be. And we have to make the best estimate of where we need to be LONG term. Being Louisiana, we only get to do this every 40 years it seems.

I fall somewhere in the 40K range, stressing improving all the quality of life things like consession and bathrooms, and making sure the 40K seats are WELL positioned. And that a appropriate number are suites. 40K is PROBABLY more than we need NOW but not by orders of magnitude if we are going to continue to invest what we are into the program. But to say TALKING about more is nonsensical, is in of itself nonsensical. We should talk the hell out of this thing, we only get to do it once (or once in a very long time).