Louisiana Football Attendance & "The Money Tree"

[CajunNation]

We have to take into contention that during the beginning of the Hud years, winning was a new thing. We never experienced consistent winning like that at the time, so our fans were hungry to see it in person. Factor in the school to the east dominating that particular year (2011), yet we still broke a record for the highest attendance average in school history.

I still believe that community outreach is crucial regardless of the money tree. Coach Hud toured Acadiana his first few years and made the community feel like they were playing a role in the success. I attended one of his first RCAF events right after he was hired as the new coach and remember him distinctly saying, "This program is like a ticking time bomb ready to explode, and we are ready to light the fuse. But I need YOUR help in lighting this fuse. I can't do this alone. We all need to join and light this fuse together."

Whether it is Des or someone within the administration, we still need to go to the different surrounding areas and sell the message that the people are just as much a part of this program as the team itself.

YES!

Community outreach is key. Youth outreach is even more important. This is a journey. This is a life commitment. This is a cULture. We have to continually nurture and build it up. If people are truly living the cULture, like most people here, they don't need to be invited. They don't need special promotions. They just show up because the cULture is WHO WE ARE.

Permanently fix the gameday issues like concessions and music, but focus should be placed on building the cULture, always.

[zeppelincajun]

My conclusion was with respect to end results, no matter the cause. The "Money Tree" was extended for a period of time and during that period, for whatever reason, the results were not satisfactory for the "Money Tree" to remain available. That in addition to the fact that the "Money Tree" no longer bears as much fruit as it might have once beared.

Regardless of each of the minute or not so minute details which contributed to the end result, the end result is the end result and that appears to be upon what Dr. M has been judged.

While this way of thinking is not something I agree with, this is a fair point, and it would not surprise me in the least to learn this is the way it happened. In fact, this seems to be standard operating procedure for the university and RCAF. We don't seem to want to know the reasons why support is absent. I think it's safe to say most of us have seen personally or through the board examples of people who have slashed all of or most of their donations in recent years, along with tickets. What you will find very few examples of is instances where the RCAF and athletic department have reached out to these people to find out WHY they stopped giving. You can do very little with the knowledge that a 15+ year tailgater and RCAF member since the inception stopped giving without knowing why. The same with an unengaged student/fraternity base. My speculation is we don't want to look in to these things because the real reasons call for more work, more self reflection, and more challenging of closely held preconceived notions. It's easier to just assume the fan can't give right now due to Covid/economic downtown than to reach out and learn that our treatment of this fan over the years has driven them away. It's easier just to assume that young people are no longer as interested in supporting their university as they once were than focus grouping and finding out that they feel policed and like walking on eggshells in the stadium OR that they are just flat out unaware of upcoming sporting events due to there being zero promotion on campus. External blame solves all problems for those just looking to collect a paycheck and not rock the boat. Ignorance is bliss right? It's also costly and when it becomes willful it's also negligent. That's what this university is right now. Neglected.

[fanof71]

YES!

Community outreach is key. Youth outreach is even more important. This is a journey. This is a life commitment. This is a cULture. We have to continually nurture and build it up. If people are truly living the cULture, like most people here, they don't need to be invited. They don't need special promotions. They just show up because the cULture is WHO WE ARE.

Permanently fix the gameday issues like concessions and music, but focus should be placed on building the cULture, always.

But here's the problem, UL has yet to figure out how (or if) to fix the multitude of game day problems. We keep getting the same old, same old, game after game after game...Is it any wonder students don't show up? What about the thousands of alumni who won't go to a game, because they feel the value of the experience is not worth the trouble or expense. That's been going on for years...has it been addressed with any worthwhile solution? They may try, but nothing has changed. We can't even run a championship banner up one of the flagpoles...Like I've said, outside of the team, there is nothing ragin or cajun about being in CF. You can hire all the hyphonated title guys in the world, if they can't fix it, are they worth the $$ they're being paid? And I'll include Maggard in that statement, the buck stops with him, from scheduling (disaster) to the in-game experience, the parking fiasco, the tailgating fiasco, using ticketmaster to rape $$ from people, all of it, the whole DAMN thing needs to be overhauled.

[LouisianaB]

Exactly anyone basing decisions on attendance during the last two years is just using that as a convenient excuse to do what they already wanted to do.

Idk. This year should be used. I can see an argument about last year shouldn’t, but we are in Louisiana. most people didn’t listen to the gov unless they were forced to

[CajunNation]

But here's the problem, UL has yet to figure out how (or if) to fix the multitude of game day problems. We keep getting the same old, same old, game after game after game...Is it any wonder students don't show up? What about the thousands of alumni who won't go to a game, because they feel the value of the experience is not worth the trouble or expense. That's been going on for years...has it been addressed with any worthwhile solution? They may try, but nothing has changed. We can't even run a championship banner up one of the flagpoles...Like I've said, outside of the team, there is nothing ragin or cajun about being in CF. You can hire all the hyphonated title guys in the world, if they can't fix it, are they worth the $$ they're being paid? And I'll include Maggard in that statement, the buck stops with him, from scheduling (disaster) to the in-game experience, the parking fiasco, the tailgating fiasco, using ticketmaster to rape $$ from people, all of it, the whole DAMN thing needs to be overhauled.

I agree. Needs to be overhauled. Most of the overhauling needed requires little money, but a lot of soul searching. We are a lower middle class fanbase. Cajun cULture begins with them. Cater to them. The big donors will get their suites in the new renovation. We must reconnect with the Cajun Nation. Focus on maximizing loyalty and family, not revenues.

If that means we won't have nice things, so be it. We'll have a fanbase. We'll have a family. We'll have a cULture.

[Turbine]

BTW, our game with USM drew around 190,000 total viewers, average.

What accounts for Louisiana drawing better on ESPN3 than they do on ESPN2?

Is there more access to ESPN3, as some on RP have alluded to?

[fanof71]

Game was on Espn2

[CharlieK]

Idk. This year should be used. I can see an argument about last year shouldn’t, but we are in Louisiana. most people didn’t listen to the gov unless they were forced to

The argument was the last two years we had great teams, but poor fan support. But that also coincided with the pandemic. This year the team is not as good.

[JMV JustMyView]

I was thinking about the point that Vic has made a couple times with the possibility of Maggard being given access to "the money tree", not showing returns in a few key areas (football attendance, RCAF fundraising, etc.), and having the funding eventually pulled. First: I'd like to say I'm not necessarily challenging Vic's contention. I have no idea if this actually happened. I'd just like to point out the reasons why this logic, if used as rationale to cut funding, was somewhat shortsighted, at least in terms of football attendance. I looked up attendance figures for the last 6 seasons (throwing out the Covid year):

2021: 3/6 Saturday home games; total attendance 126,440; average 21,073; SBC championship game not considered

2019: 5/6 Saturday home games; total attendance 104,978; average 17,496

2018: 6/6 Saturday home games; total attendance 111,303; average 18,551; this includes the opening home game against Grambling with attendance of 28,866

2017: 4/5 Saturday home games; total attendance 78,754; average 15,751

2016: 5/6 Saturday home games; total attendance 121,346; average 20,224; home games against Boise State & McNeese

2015: 6/6 Saturday home games; total attendance 129,577; average 21,596; this season's average was saved by a 22k+ crowd on Senior Day for a 4-7 team

Adding in the SBC title game for last year would put 2021 as the highest attendance season. This was with one of the worst home schedules imaginable with only 3 Saturday home games. The 2021 season saw a 20%+ increase in average attendance over 2019, a 13%+ increase in average attendance over 2018 (again this year was aided by 6 Saturday home games and a game where a significant portion of attendance was not Cajun fans), and a 33.8% increase over 2017. I fully understand the attendance is nothing like we would have liked to see. 21k average attendance for the most successful team in school history still stinks, but when you consider the whole picture, we seemed to be headed in the right direction.

Nice work.

[Turbine]

Game was on Espn2

Right, and Louisiana drew almost a half million for the last game that was on ESPN3 against a lesser known national opponent. Whilst an MLB playoff game was on

On ESPN2 against a better known opponent only 200G.

What do you think accounts for that?

[fanof71]

I have no idea..... viewing numbers are mathematically extrapolated... and they are average viewing over a 2 hour plus window... it is what it is... and, you never know what sports programming is airing as well..

[CajunVic]

MLB Playoffs?