14,945

[Cajunfanatico]

You guys keep asking the question why attendance is so poor but refuse to listen to the answer or just don't like the answer that you are getting. Props to the local kids for doing what they did this past weekend. The reality is that things like that don't happen too often with Cajun football. You, MAT and the rest of your ilk talk about "purging" Cajun football of casual fans and all that the Cajuns have to do is win on a consistent basis and the fans will fill the stadium. Let's say that the Cajuns go on a 4 year run where they win the Sun Belt each year. Do you think that that will be enough to draw an additional 25,000 fans to Cajun Field on a consistent basis for every home game? Where are these fans going to come from? What your seeing now attendance wise for football is the reality of things as the way it will be from now on. The attendance might jump up a few thousand per game depending on who the Cajuns are playing. But unless oil gets back up to $100/barrel again and drilling in the Gulf kicks off again big time, this the reality for football no matter how many "professionals" you have running things.

If you're going to call me out, mention my "ilk", at least get it right. I haven't called for the purging of anyone, nor even wondered why attendance is so poor. And even when MAT does recommend a purge, I suspect he's trolling you, and doing so quite successfully.

As I told Vic in another thread, and will tell you here, I'm not an AD, don't know the industry from an insider's perspective, nor do I intend to moon-light in it to learn it either. I don't know what the future holds for Cajun athletics as far as for how many fans will ultimately attend games, but I do believe that with the "professionals" we now have running the operation, whatever the maximum that can be attained in the current environment for athletic programs and in a city of Lafayette's size and makeup, this group is most likely to reach that maximum. I can't ask for much more than that.

And while I agree that Lafayette has long been heavily dependent on the oil industry, it has also diversified significantly over the last 20 years or more. As someone else pointed out, and having been heavily reliant on the oil industry myself, through all the ups and downs, I never felt the need to scale back on my hobbies. I'm convinced that the money is there, that Lafayette and the surrounding parishes are large enough to support an athletic program operating at the next level.

Having said all that, I'll slot you into category 3 as I believe that's your ilk.

[USL1970]

In addition to attendance, the athletic department should post "game day revenue" or some monetary equivalent.

[cajun_lannister]

KPEL News
Published by Rob Kirkpatrick · Just now ·
How can UL Lafayette the community to "buy in" to their athletics program? Has the excitement over the current Ragin' Cajun Athletic Association run its course? https://t.co/dJgPsyImMv

— NewsTalk 96.5 KPEL (@kpel965) November 12, 2018

[Cajunfanatico]

"How can UL Lafayette the community to "buy in" to their athletics program?"

This sentence no verb.

[CajunVic]

"How can UL Lafayette the community to "buy in" to their athletics program?"

This sentence no verb.

Used all the verbs in her interview. She is definitely an action person.

[Oiler]

In 4 ir 5 years a lot of FBS G5 programs will be finding out the same thing.....we have a legit shot of ending up where we want to be. A lot of different things have been instituted in the last 2 years that will bear fruit in the coming 5 years.....hell we've even accelerated the time frame for upgrading the stadium.....does anyone here really think that Maggard, his Staff and our consultants Rick Jones with Fishbait Marketing And Mike Alden don't know what's going on in the world of College football? Does anyone think that they aren't putting us in position for the coming mother of all realignments?

I don’t see how anyone can believe that any amount of realignment among G5 conferences will make a bit of difference in how disinterested John Q Public is in G5 football. Dreams of seeing an automatic playoff qualifier for the top G5 team each year are pipe dreams that I don’t believe will ever happen. I seriously doubt that the P5 conferences will do anything more to prop up G5 football than is being done today. In fact, I expect they’ll do less.

[Esqueleto]

I don’t see how anyone can believe that any amount of realignment among G5 conferences will make a bit of difference in how disinterested John Q Public is in G5 football. Dreams of seeing an automatic playoff qualifier for the top G5 team each year are pipe dreams that I don’t believe will ever happen. I seriously doubt that the P5 conferences will do anything more to prop up G5 football than is being done today. In fact, I expect they’ll do less.

Just stop. We all know that's what you're rooting for.

[Cajunfanatico]

I don’t see how anyone can believe that any amount of realignment among G5 conferences will make a bit of difference in how disinterested John Q Public is in G5 football. Dreams of seeing an automatic playoff qualifier for the top G5 team each year are pipe dreams that I don’t believe will ever happen. I seriously doubt that the P5 conferences will do anything more to prop up G5 football than is being done today. In fact, I expect they’ll do less.

I won't speak for Bear, but what I believe he's getting at is that, within the G5 group, most insiders see a further separation or split with the "haves" moving up in prestige and earning power, and the "have nots" going in the opposite direction. Think of it as the creme rising to the top. Keep in mind too that earning power isn't necessarily an extrapolation of John Q Public sitting at the ballgame, TV and other media rights earnings could a significant part of any realignment.

There may even be a situation where some P5's get bounced down to our level and a few, very few, G5's move up. Some G5's, perhaps many, may just opt to go FCS.

Nobody knows for sure exactly what will happen, but things rarely stay static for long in this business and the idea is to position oneself to take maximum advantage of whatever opportunities may present themselves.

So I would ask, would you prefer having a shot at being part of the cream, or would you prefer to just be part of the bottom sediment? If the latter, you might consider seeking out Scott Farmer and following his career.

[facelessjonmoon]

Let's stop it with the oil industry and no money in those peoples pockets...how many people here know a single person in the oil industry who gave up hunting and fishing because the industry was/is in the tank...every single guy I know who shares a ridiculously overpriced duck lease who is in the oilfield still went this past weekend...and will every weekend moving forward

I know several. I also know quite a few people who have moved away from the lafayette area as a direct result of the extended downturn

it is what it is.

[SportyCajun459]

Let’s stop it with the oil industry and no money in those peoples pockets...how many people here know a single person in the oil industry who gave up hunting and fishing because the industry was/is in the tank...every single guy I know who shares a ridiculously overpriced duck lease who is in the oilfield still went this past weekend...and will every weekend moving forward

You just provided the answer. T-boy ain't giving up his duck lease. All of his disposable income is going to keeping his duck lease. A choice had to be made where he is going to spend his money and duck hunting wins out every time. Like it or not, Reality Check is right. Budgets got tightened and some things had to get cut. UL sports are feeling the pinch.