Why didn’t you go to LA Football game on Sat?

[Cajunsmike]

I posted this in a previous thread a few weeks/months back but I will say it again as I think it is relevant. The average middle aged man with a young family most times can't afford a weekend outing like this on a regular basis. Regular being every home game. The economy is still brutal in the Lafayette area and many are still trying to rebuild their lives from the flood and being laid off, reduced pay, etc....

Nothing is cheap these days and this class of fan is neck deep in expenses for everyday life. Hell even if you didn't flood or have job related problems it's just expensive to live these days. You can't go to the grocery store with $100 these days and get a weeks worth of items. Going to Cajun Field to see a subpar product is not high on these folks priorities.

No excuses, just reasons. There is a difference.

Lots of good points made there. Although things are improving in Lafayette, the economy is nowhere near what it was four years ago. It will be slow improvement here. There are few producing energy companies left while the service companies generally are geared to the Gulf of Mexico. That basin simply cannot compete with the shale plays of West Texas so don't expect a real turnaround in the area anytime soon. Add the poor economy to the ability to watch on ESPN plus to the rain and it is no surprise support Saturday was lacking. Improved product on the field is of course a must. It has to be tremendously improved before a significant bump in support comes. I am talking about consistently winning 9 or more games every year with notable upsets happening occasionally. We need to have that big year and perhaps 2 before we see the support make a big jump. Unfortunately I don't see that turnaround occurring anytime soon and that is what frustrates so many.

[Geaux]

When did we move to CUSA?

I wish we were in CUSA. No matter the record, local fans would have shown up to watch a home game versus LA Tech, USM or the Fighting Lane Kiffin's aka FAU. Not to forget a red hot UNT team.

Instead we get an FBS transition team in Costal Carolina and lost at home.

[CajunJeaux]

I wish we were in CUSA. No matter the record, local fans would have shown up to watch a home game versus LA Tech, USM or the Fighting Lane Kiffin's aka FAU. Not to forget a red hot UNT team.

Instead we get an FBS transition team in Costal Carolina and lost at home.

You sure about that, Clark??...didn’t even sniff 30k last time LA Tech-Ruston came to town...

[CrazyCajun]

You sure about that, Clark??...didn’t even sniff 30k last time LA Tech-Ruston came to town...

Sniff 30k? think we lied about 20k if i remember correctly..we have a fickle fan base.

[Cajun Monkee]

Just some observations.

First off, I agree with many, if not most, of the points made here.

I don't think anybody is saying tickets should be dirt cheap, and parking as well as tailgating spots should be free. But people in Lafayette do tend to want a whole lot for free and/or cheap.

Many of the RV spots aren't rented. I know for a fact a friend was able to negotiate for a spot next to my hosts' last year for homecoming and will probably do the same this year.

The overflow lot (student side parking) is poorly managed. A HUGE chunkc of spots is reserved for media and only a handful are used. Personlly, I think the media should be parking on the public side, for their convenienice.

My host, who makes a donation to the RCAF far in excess of what he needs to do to get an RV spot, was told to move his car to the overflow lot. He and his wife have been parking next to the RV for years; they've alway been alotted two parking passes next to the RV. This year, that privilege has been revoked.

He may reduce his contribution because of this.

By the way, he also gets a 5-pak of the tickets so he can pass a few out if somebody needs/wants.

Its been said a few times: I think there is a happy medium, whether it is for tailgating sports in the grass, RV sports, or even just ticket sales.

Yes I do understand cost and kids and traveling >than an hour to get here, lodging, etc.

And admittedly, I am a crappy measure of how people feel. I went thru the "Married with Children" period but as our kids aged, my wife and I (and our friends) are getting our second wind. So I don't understand how somebody in a similar position who loves Lafayette and UL can look for and find excuses to not attend.

Pardon my being angry about attendance (and my whining) but my eyes have deteriorated to the point I cant see the difference between our red unis and the green field. I can make out the oppostion in white.

BTW, you want a definition of a great fan?

It's the woman who holds my hand into and out of the stadium and does her damndest to let me know whats going on.

She even knows the difference between the 46 yard line and the 54 yard line now, bless her heart.

[BillysBalls]

Lots of good points made there. Although things are improving in Lafayette, the economy is nowhere near what it was four years ago. It will be slow improvement here. There are few producing energy companies left while the service companies generally are geared to the Gulf of Mexico. That basin simply cannot compete with the shale plays of West Texas so don't expect a real turnaround in the area anytime soon. Add the poor economy to the ability to watch on ESPN plus to the rain and it is no surprise support Saturday was lacking. Improved product on the field is of course a must. It has to be tremendously improved before a significant bump in support comes. I am talking about consistently winning 9 or more games every year with notable upsets happening occasionally. We need to have that big year and perhaps 2 before we see the support make a big jump. Unfortunately I don't see that turnaround occurring anytime soon and that is what frustrates so many.

I didn’t want to be the one to bring up this elephant in the room, but it is the inconvenient truth.

With disposable income being less available in Lafayette than the recent past, maximizing our fan base is more important than ever

[naF nujaC]

Well, at great risk, I will stick my neck out and offer my list. You asked us to list the reasons why we didn’t go to last weekend’s game so here are some of the reasons:
1) In my best Dr. Seuss voice “Rich I’m not a Fan I Am”. We had tickets for years and if we showed up early enough so we could park inside the fences and tailgate with friends. Now that UL has gone to the LSU lite program I can’t afford a parking pass so we have to lug our stuff in from near Drug Emporium. As a side note, now that they are charging $10 to park in the mud I’m waiting to see the tow trucks by Drug Emporium. I know if I lived over there it would get on my nerves.
2) I was at a men’s business meeting at church one time and another man there asked “why is it people will stay overtime at a football game but get mad if the sermon goes long/bad”. I told him I totally agreed but, I also said, I’ve left many football games early and I’ve stayed into overtime too, so my question to you is ok to leave a bad sermon early. Sadly I’ve left many UL games early.
3) I know many of you will not understand this but in the past you could leave the game at half time with a stamp on your wrist and re-enter the game. Smoke a little cigar and grab a beer from the cooler. Nope, not now. You need a second ticket.
4) I wouldn’t be a coach for UL or any other mid-major team. You start the season off with two embarrassing money game losses and then the fans expect you to have a winning season. I thought all the money raised from the RCAF we wouldn’t need to bend over and take it.
5) Previously someone made a point I had forgotten about. The students used to have nice seating on what was an otherwise empty side of the stadium. Now they have kicked the students to the corner. And, I’ve also heard from my daughter (previous student) the UL police department is hard on the students (language/alcohol).
6) Another point I agree with from an earlier post ”Half of the problem is that we are quite literally pushing away the casual fan.” BINGO you nailed it. I think we have out grown our britches. (This is also true of all sports Professional and College).
7) Well enough of my ranting for one night.

[BrockMeaux]

I can verify that EVERY SINGLE tent space from 257-275 was unused on Saturday! EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM WAS EMPTY!!! No clue if they are for sell or just not being used.
https://static.ragincajuns.com/custo...-13-Letter.jpg

We're in 222, they're almost never used.

[Tell The Truth]

Forget about playing TECH anytime soon...fleur de leis administration will never let that a _ _ kicking happen again...

[HelmutVII]

Fans came to Grambling, but not a conference opponent??? Was LSU game being at the same time the reason? The little bit of rain that we got? The cost of tickets? Cost of parking? WHAT?

For those that did not come, why did you not go? That was sad what we had in Cajun Field on Sat night, just plain SAD!!!

PM me reason if you don't want your reason posted in public and tied to who you are. I'll anonymously post them in the thread. Only PM, I have gotten was from someone out of the country for work. And that's a DAMN GOOD reason!

I drove from the other side of BR, tailgated in the rain and mud all day, and barely anyone can leave there house in Acadiana and come to the game? We are a sadder group of fans that I thought.

I think Grambling brought about 8000 of the 28000 that were there for that game. That leaves about 20000 of our fans at the Grambling game. We had 17100 fans at the last game. So that leaves us 3000 below Grambling. I would say half of that was on the student side the rest spread out around the rest of the stadium. Student side was almost empty by the time third quarter started. I sit first row upper deck and can see entire stadium from my seat.

I think a combination of weather ,the poor economy and knowing that our team will be struggling this year were the main culprits for the poor attendence. The atheletic department needs to understand inelastic versus elastic demand. I feel they are pricing the casual fan out of the stadium. Not to mention a PA system that blast the most God awful music so loud thad you feel like you are getting an internal heart massage.

[Turbine]

I think Grambling brought about 8000 of the 28000 that were there for that game. That leaves about 20000 of our fans at the Grambling game. We had 17100 fans at the last game. So that leaves us 3000 below Grambling. I would say half of that was on the student side the rest spread out around the rest of the stadium. Student side was almost empty by the time third quarter started. I sit first row upper deck and can see entire stadium from my seat.

Your numbers make sense

[suprcajun]

I actually took the game day survey this week for the sole reason of the music selection and timing. Low and behold it was on there, and marked as negative by myself. I told my group it felt like the AV tech had 3 songs on replay and was just playing with the mixer at random times.