ULM attendance

[TammanyCajun]

The economy is not the same as it was when oil was black gold. I’m not saying that’s the only reason attendance stinks but it certainly is a factor. I used to think winning would cure attendance woes. Clearly, that’s not the case. I can imagine how frustrating it is as a player to run out on that field to a crowd as small as that. It is probably demoralizing.

[RedTails]

On top of economic and post-COVID socioeconomic issues, attendance is becoming an issue for all leagues (professional & amateur) and sports. Outside of a longstanding history of on-the-field success, we need some serious attention to marketing/fan engagement. TVs just make it too easy for the casual to stay home. The product on the field is great. Facility investments are ongoing and on the way. I know it's easy to say throw money at a problem, but we need some innovative minds around marketing in the athletic department.

I see that we have a Director of Marketing & Ticket Sales, but I have to imagine that's more of an operational role than actual marketing efforts (outside of the Lamar/BASS billboards and social media ads). I feel like marketing departments of each SBC school should be in a booth at Corner Bar every week brainstorming on ways to address attendance.

Anecdotally, my wife is a teacher and a few weeks ago her school won some kind of UL/CFP payout, and they were invited to the game. That was a great idea, probably the first time the majority of those teachers had been to a game in years.

That event made me think of some missed opportunities cultivating young fans in our surrounding schools. Think of all of the future undergrads growing up in Acadiana region. We can't toss a few hundred GA tickets to each school (or concession vouchers) to award for K-12 academic success and get kids and their families into the games?

I'm just on a tangent now, but it's frustrating for all of us to be 11-1 and fans not showing up on senior night.

I do feel like a hypocrite though, because I couldn't go (illness running through my family).

[Big Buds]

Zero excuses for the lack of support on Senior night.

[ultracajun]

Hopefully folks were saving for next Saturday. Tough to ask the casual fan to do two Saturdays back to back

[Turbine]

All I do is watch YouTube and I haven't see a single UL produced video or montague or game highlight this season promoting Louisiana football.

[Mark Hemphill]

I admit that I am a casual UL football fan and that I follow other UL sports more closely than football. Reading some of the posts on here, I don’t understand why some of you are so jacked that attendance is lacking. I mean I get why you’re jacked because you are passionate about the program and can’t understand why people don’t share the same passion that you have. IMO, some of the other posters hit the nail on the head. People in Lafayette are finicky about how they spend their disposable income. UL is a victim of the modern day. All of their games are on tv, as are all of the other big games in the SEC, ACC, BIG 12, etc. Given that choice, I believe a good majority of people are going to either stay home and watch the game(s) or go to a Pete’s or Buffalo Wild Wings type venue to watch the UL game and the other big games playing that day. My daughter had some lessons this afternoon and I went to work with her. The lessons ended at 3:30 and we went to Buffalo Wild Wings to eat a late lunch and watch some games. There were several people in there decked out in UL gear watching the game, as well as other games. Several had kids with them. They were cheering for UL but chose to spend their time and money at BWW instead of going to the game. Maybe the weather had something to do with them being there. Or maybe that’s just they way they choose to spend their extra income. Again, this is just the perspective of a casual UL football fan.

[HOUCajun]

Disappointing crowd for sure. I’m sure the weather kept some folks away. One thing it tells you for sure, is that ULM does ZERO to move the needle for Cajun fans. If this was a rivalry game it would attract opposing fans (they had almost none) and compel our fans to attend. Time to put the stAte game last on the schedule For rivalry week.

[CajunT]

I admit that I am a casual UL football fan and that I follow other UL sports more closely than football. Reading some of the posts on here, I don’t understand why some of you are so jacked that attendance is lacking. I mean I get why you’re jacked because you are passionate about the program and can’t understand why people don’t share the same passion that you have. IMO, some of the other posters hit the nail on the head. People in Lafayette are finicky about how they spend their disposable income. UL is a victim of the modern day. All of their games are on tv, as are all of the other big games in the SEC, ACC, BIG 12, etc. Given that choice, I believe a good majority of people are going to either stay home and watch the game(s) or go to a Pete’s or Buffalo Wild Wings type venue to watch the UL game and the other big games playing that day. My daughter had some lessons this afternoon and I went to work with her. The lessons ended at 3:30 and we went to Buffalo Wild Wings to eat a late lunch and watch some games. There were several people in there decked out in UL gear watching the game, as well as other games. Several had kids with them. They were cheering for UL but chose to spend their time and money at BWW instead of going to the game. Maybe the weather had something to do with them being there. Or maybe that’s just they way they choose to spend their extra income. Again, this is just the perspective of a casual UL football fan.

Good points. Let me also say the 3 Greatest Years in the history of the Ragin Cajun Football program does not make a tradition. If you don't believe that, go back and look at Appalachian States record over the past 20 years and compare it to UL. They didn't build tradition with 3 great seasons. We are laying the foundation for a great tradition and a cULture of winning.

[facelessjonmoon]

All I do is watch YouTube and I haven't see a single UL produced video or montague or game highlight this season promoting Louisiana football.

Twitter is where to go for that

The videos the A.D. has been putting out the few years are top notch

[leeman]

Last I checked on Ticket Master before the game it looked like 3/4 of the stadium was sold for ULM. Seems fishy. If I buy a 40- 60 ticket, I'm going rain or shine.