Football Attendance Comparison

[CouillonCinema]

Those traditions have to happen organically. Schools that try to force tradition seem cheesey. Problem is we have sucked for 40 of the last 50 years if we keep winning those traditions will develop.

I agree things come best when they come organically BUT nothing organic is going to grow if students aren’t tantalized and incentivized come to the games. An analogy for the sit and wait thought is like, having good and fertile soil but sitting a chair and saying "something will grow eventually." Which would be correct, but it might be weeds, when you need crops. Instead, seeds should be planted, and then nourished. Some seeds will take, some won’t . But at least at the end of season, you’ll have something to harvest.

[SMD7636]

The words to our fight song, alma mater, and crowd cheers can to displayed on the Jumbotron like karaoke for fans to sing together.

[Cajunsmike]

We only average what, about 20,000 per game? That is terrible for a program that has accomplished what it has over the past 4 years, with an enrollment of almost 20,000 and for the number of people in Acadiana. Why won't people attend our games? Why don't we have more season ticket holders? Why don't more students attend and get more engaged in UL athletics? This is about football, but can extend to all sports. That is the subject of this thread. UL needs to recognize and address this problem.

The folks who still follow the program but prefer to do so on TV are a major reason for our support level. Were the team to have had the current success back in the 80's and 90's, the stadium would have been packed in those days. Once again, that is a factor throughout all of college sports other than the blueblood programs. It does show how much of a challenge we have to improve the gameday experience.

[SMD7636]

It’s hard to use the excuse that other programs are suffering too when this whole discussion started because our eastern conference mates, like App State & Marshall, are setting football season ticket records. These universities have the same television deal as UL.

UL has the right environment to increase ticket sales and attendance records despite neighboring programs. We do it in baseball and softball consistently. With baseball & softball, fans were sold a dream and vision with the methods to make it a reality. It was known that Cajun fans were needed to build our program. We had charismatic, hard working leaders, who we knew personally and supported. They shared our Cajun values and left the results on the field, but UL needed the fans to win.

UL must have a fan cULture of pride for our teams. This can be communicated via a dynamic leader. This person can come from our administration, coaches, alumni association, or fans. Our Athletics Director of External Operations is a very articulate, excited visionary. Our coach could write a “call to action” letter to Cajun Nation or use social media to sell us the vision for the fans in the stands. We also have excellent opportunities to set fan expectations with our school and fan Podcasts. Let’s do this and more!

Yes, we need a mascot for fall! Let the fans and students vote on 3 options: bull gator, crawfish, or Cajun man & woman.

[ULGrad@HOU]

Yes, we need a mascot for fall! Let the fans and students vote on 3 options: bull gator, crawfish, or Cajun man & woman.

I like this idea.

[JMV JustMyView]

It’s hard to use the excuse that other programs are suffering too when this whole discussion started because our eastern conference mates, like App State & Marshall, are setting football season ticket records. These universities have the same television deal as UL.

UL has the right environment to increase ticket sales and attendance records despite neighboring programs. We do it in baseball and softball consistently. With baseball & softball, fans were sold a dream and vision with the methods to make it a reality. It was known that Cajun fans were needed to build our program. We had charismatic, hard working leaders, who we knew personally and supported. They shared our Cajun values and left the results on the field, but UL needed the fans to win.

UL must have a fan cULture of pride for our teams. This can be communicated via a dynamic leader. This person can come from our administration, coaches, alumni association, or fans. Our Athletics Director of External Operations is a very articulate, excited visionary. Our coach could write a “call to action” letter to Cajun Nation or use social media to sell us the vision for the fans in the stands. We also have excellent opportunities to set fan expectations with our school and fan Podcasts. Let’s do this and more!

Yes, we need a mascot for fall! Let the fans and students vote on 3 options: bull gator, crawfish, or Cajun man & woman.

Great post. I wish the school would get behind the fans podcast. RaginReview, Melrock and Roarman do a great job but get no support from UL.

[CrazyCajun]

It’s hard to use the excuse that other programs are suffering too when this whole discussion started because our eastern conference mates, like App State & Marshall, are setting football season ticket records. These universities have the same television deal as UL.

UL has the right environment to increase ticket sales and attendance records despite neighboring programs. We do it in baseball and softball consistently. With baseball & softball, fans were sold a dream and vision with the methods to make it a reality. It was known that Cajun fans were needed to build our program. We had charismatic, hard working leaders, who we knew personally and supported. They shared our Cajun values and left the results on the field, but UL needed the fans to win.

UL must have a fan cULture of pride for our teams. This can be communicated via a dynamic leader. This person can come from our administration, coaches, alumni association, or fans. Our Athletics Director of External Operations is a very articulate, excited visionary. Our coach could write a “call to action” letter to Cajun Nation or use social media to sell us the vision for the fans in the stands. We also have excellent opportunities to set fan expectations with our school and fan Podcasts. Let’s do this and more!

Yes, we need a mascot for fall! Let the fans and students vote on 3 options: bull gator, crawfish, or Cajun man & woman.

App state also has 3 national titles and 22 conference championships. 4 losing seasons in 40 years. Their stadium capacity until 2017 was 24k and now is 30k. Their current attendance record would be 5th on our list…just for some perspective. This isn’t suggesting we can’t do much better, just some things to think about.

[moorecajun]

Those traditions have to happen organically. Schools that try to force tradition seem cheesey. Problem is we have sucked for 40 of the last 50 years if we keep winning those traditions will develop.

This I believe.

[fanof71]

App state also has 3 national titles and 22 conference championships. 4 losing seasons in 40 years. Their stadium capacity until 2017 was 24k and now is 30k. Their current attendance record would be 5th on our list…just for some perspective. This isn’t suggesting we can’t do much better, just some things to think about.

Having been to a ton of App games, its a program that has been built on success and tradition. App state athletic does a much better job with fan engagement through out the year, particularly with football. In reality, App is a one sport school, football. The biggest advantage they have is the stadium is on campus. It makes a huge difference. Games at App are a happening...fans and students don't want to miss any of it. Students pack their spots hours (limited seating) before kick. There is a ton of tradition inside the stadium, it is hollowed ground to App fan. Important games are given thier own brand names, like the Miracle on the Mountain, it is steeped in lore. Honestly, in comparision, App does a lot right that we get wrong. Yet, the pre-game isn't that different than UL's. They do a better use of the jumbotron, play a ton of Luke Combs, since he's an App guy, etc. They leverage what they have that makes them unique. We don't do that, and when we do it isn't done well. It's just a more professional production. Lots of new bells and whisles at the stadium that were paid for by App alums or by Public/private deals. App just does a better job cultivating "school pride" with current and past students. Of course, they are the only game in town, they don't have the 500 pound gorillia 40 miles down the road. This year, they open at home against UNC, we have Southeastern...there's the proof...

[moorecajun]

Having been to a ton of App games, its a program that has been built on success and tradition. App state athletic does a much better job with fan engagement through out the year, particularly with football. In reality, App is a one sport school, football. The biggest advantage they have is the stadium is on campus. It makes a huge difference. Games at App are a happening...fans and students don't want to miss any of it. Students pack their spots hours (limited seating) before kick. There is a ton of tradition inside the stadium, it is hollowed ground to App fan. Important games are given thier own brand names, like the Miracle on the Mountain, it is steeped in lore. Honestly, in comparision, App does a lot right that we get wrong. Yet, the pre-game isn't that different than UL's. They do a better use of the jumbotron, play a ton of Luke Combs, since he's an App guy, etc. They leverage what they have that makes them unique. We don't do that, and when we do it isn't done well. It's just a more professional production. Lots of new bells and whisles at the stadium that were paid for by App alums or by Public/private deals. App just does a better job cultivating "school pride" with current and past students. Of course, they are the only game in town, they don't have the 500 pound gorillia 40 miles down the road. This year, they open at home against UNC, we have Southeastern...there's the proof...

I think your post is an excellent starting point for discussion! I am going to try and disect your post into individual points for comparison in order that we may clarify what our problem is here, because many posters say everything is bad here.

I, along with most of our posters, want the best we can get as fans of the university. So, let's compare ourselves to App St.

Item 1. App State is a program that has been built on success and tradition. Their succsess (taken from an earlier post; 4 losing seasons in 40 years). We have basically the opposite; 4 winning seasons in 40 years. It is very hard to build tradition until you are winning. We are in the winning phase of our program now.

Item 2. Fan engagement. I would like more specifics about this as we don't need to reinvent the wheel, just get it rolling.

Item 3. App is a one sport school, football. We are capable of running several winning programs and are doing so now. I think this is in our favor. If we are comparing football average attendance , they are first in the conference and we are in the top five. Let's see how this plays out as we ahve begun a good rivalry with them.

Item four. The App State stadium is on campus. Big advantage and no way to change that. However, with our stadium off campus we have been able to create a tailgating experience that is rivaled by our peers. We do need to get students to the games. There are more students living on campus now that when I was in school but we brought more to the games.

Item five. There is a ton of tradition inside the stadium. This goes back to item one. IMO, tradition is created from winning. We are in our infancy. Let's be creative out there. Our baseball traditions took time to develope.

Item six. App just does a better job cultivating "school pride". If this is so, we all need to own up to this. This is more than a university employee issue, this is on all of us fans. Now there are things that can be / should be done. I would love to see student pep rallies, yell practice, etc.

Itme seven and last. This year, they open at home against UNC, we have Southeastern. lsu does not need to come here and probably never will in my lifetime. They are the spoiled brats of this state. Tulane and la tech want to be uppity but we are movin' on up!

So, let's fix it! I do believe there are some great ideas out there!

[John Cocktolstoy]

Apps biggest crowd was 35K against Wake Forest an in state ACC school. They drew 31k against in state FCS Elon equivalent to our SU or McNeese. Those were 2 of the to 3 biggest crowds. The other was against the university of Miami.

The cajuns drew 31K against FIU on a Saturday in October when they brought no one here. And that wasn’t a top 5 crowd.

[RaginCajun309]

This is exactly why we need no more than 25-30k seats. Yes, Apps best is barely in our top five of all time, but their average is within our top ten attendance. Make it a ticket that people want.