Reasons for 2023 Football Optimism

[Big Buds]

Define ‘big time’.

P5 status or perception. BYU / Boise State caliber program at the very least. Legit National Title contender ever few years.

[fanof71]

P5 status or perception. BYU / Boise State caliber program at the very least. Legit National Title contender ever few years.

Won't happen with the current athletic, administration, and fundraising model and the folks in charge...they really screwed the pooch not taking a step forward after last year's success. Most places, after this year's fail (attendance, etc,) would get you fired.

[cajunref]

Won't happen with the current athletic, administration, and fundraising model and the folks in charge...they really screwed the pooch not taking a step forward after last year's success. Most places, after this year's fail (attendance, etc,) would get you fired.

Tend to agree, Maggard has become one of the Martin Hall crowd I am afraid. Prove me wrong Bryan, PLEASE!

[Big Buds]

Won't happen with the current athletic, administration, and fundraising model and the folks in charge...they really screwed the pooch not taking a step forward after last year's success. Most places, after this year's fail (attendance, etc,) would get you fired.

Again…it’s not a sprint but a marathon. Our great grandchildren will enjoy the fruits of our sweat and labor. Think of how much we have accomplished since winning the Louisiana brand war. I’m talking after we are dead. Think long term big picture here.

[ZoomZoom]

End of the year rant…getting out the bad juju…

I’m not optimistic simply because we, as fans, see a credibility issue from leadership. There is nothing exciting about last FB season that creates new fans.

This year’s product was meh at best. And “but if we had” are still are failures at the end of the day.

Martin Hall needs to quit USLing this athletic department. A lot of hard work went into become R-1. They are to be commended. That said…

It is past time to fix the “front porch” of the university. It starts with FB. The effort displayed the past few years has been akin to a Section 8 slumlord ducking his tenant complaining about a stopped up toilet. Everyone knows it stinks but it’s not getting fixed.

Yeah, Covid, we all heard it. We get it. That doesn’t mean you basically shut things down via attrition and blame Napier for months. It’s happened at other programs, so why it’s like a great surprise here? When it gets tough, suck it up, fix it. It feels we’re headed to a stAte or ULM future at times.

For example, we hear things on RP in bits regarding the stadium. But nothing from the administration.

There’s been roundabout suggestions on RP regarding misappropriation of RCAF funds, or at least not spent on what stakeholders were told, nothing from the administration. Clean up whatever may be an issue and make it known.

We heard Des was supposedly all they could afford. Before I go further, I do NOT fault Des for taking the job, pretty much we all would. But what was offered as compensation, just look at the company that pay range keeps. A nationwide search and interview process, even if done electronically, doesn’t happen in a week or so. This comes off, to some, the administration took a lot of things for granted, and they were wrong.

Again, the RCAF donor base is horrible and aging out. This site has documented a few…Frenchie and Fisher just to name a few…who is stepping in those voids? Who is recruiting new long term fans? Who is marketing our programs?

MBB has a multitude of problems. We play in an oversized arena, with oversized concession prices, oversized Ticketmaster charges, oversized memory of our history (haven’t been in the mix multiple years in a row in decades), and a coach that has overstayed. Marlin is a good man, but sometimes change is necessary. There is absolutely NOBODY out there that can overcome the oversized obstacles MBB faces. Marlin hasn’t helped, but the costs of basketball attendance is an issue, Heck they even tried a play area in the NEZ at the dome and that didn’t work. Administration needs to figure this one out, because, once again, nobody young on the horizon cares about dumping major coin in MBB. And hiring a Boyd, Starks, etc won’t fix the financial hindrance illustrated by 40 years of declining attendance at the dome.

UL needs transparency…yesterday. Decades ago TDP started a movement to be a D1/FBS/CFP program. Some say Napier wasn’t charismatic as Hud. We are not a high school. The coach’s job is not sales. Yes, speaking engagements are needed but being rah-rah here, there, and everywhere at a D1 program is so small time. The foundation is there. There is no going back to the SLC or, at times the level of care exhibited felt back to the days of the GCC.

So Martin Hall, lead in 2023. Otherwise, this slide will continue, and will eventually trickle over to the few successful things we have.

Live, breathe, wear and speak THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA.

Rant off.

[Duckster]

This end of season thread is actually healthy for RP'ers. All good points. Look based upon the weak schedule I predicted 10 win season. And despite the early off season challenges it was there for the taking if the ball bounces your way. So we took a big step back, not uncommon for new coaching staff. Still 8 wins plus the bowl game was very much in reach so the end results are disappointing. To sum things up, Tulane, freaking Tulane is in the Cotton Bowl this year. We were ahead of them, now they've passed us up made the NY6 reaping tons of free publicity. This alone should set every Cajuns' hair on fire! Our program and athletic admin needs to get the lead out, promote the program at every turn. The mentality/alignment top to bottom including fan base must become make expanded CFB playoff in 2024!! If Tulane can do it, we darn sure can do it.

[fanof71]

Again…it’s not a sprint but a marathon. Our great grandchildren will enjoy the fruits of our sweat and labor. Think of how much we have accomplished since winning the Louisiana brand war. I’m talking after we are dead. Think long term big picture here.

UL TOOK STEPS BACKWARDS ! YOU don't take a step back after having historic success...I agree it's more of a marathon than a sprint, but if running backwards was an Olympic sport, then the Athletic, Administrative, and RCAF would win gold, silver, and bronze...

[Turbine]

UL TOOK STEPS BACKWARDS ! YOU don't take a step back after having historic success...I agree it's more of a marathon than a sprint, but if running backwards was an Olympic sport, then the Athletic, Administrative, and RCAF would win gold, silver, and bronze...

Ok so they took a victory lap and did a Two-Step in the middle of a Marathon.

Hey it was uncharted territory.

[lafman1]

P5 status or perception. BYU / Boise State caliber program at the very least. Legit National Title contender ever few years.

Now that you have defined what big time is in your opinion, let’s break it down.

P5 status
Won’t happen in anyones lifetime with the current makeup of college football.

BYU/Boise State-

Possible every few years to achieve a year end Top 20 ranking. It’s been done twice by UL in the past 50 years.

Legit National Title Contender-

Won’t happen due to talent available to P5 universities and the lack of talent available to UL.

[CrazyCajun]

Now that you have defined what big time is in your opinion, let’s break it down.

P5 status
Won’t happen in anyones lifetime with the current makeup of college football.

BYU/Boise State-

Possible every few years to achieve a year end Top 20 ranking. It’s been done twice by UL in the past 50 years.

Legit National Title Contender-

Won’t happen due to talent available to P5 universities and the lack of talent available to UL.

Recruiting changes with 12 seats at the table, right now about 8 schools have 4 seats and half are in the same conference. The new setup will allow schools to actually sell a seat at the table, right now outside of 8 maybe 10 schools, that seat is a myth.

[Big Buds]

This end of season thread is actually healthy for RP'ers. All good points. Look based upon the weak schedule I predicted 10 win season.

Did the schedule end up being weak though? Everyone keeps saying that but ULM was the only weak team on it.

[Big Buds]

UL TOOK STEPS BACKWARDS ! YOU don't take a step back after having historic success...I agree it's more of a marathon than a sprint, but if running backwards was an Olympic sport, then the Athletic, Administrative, and RCAF would win gold, silver, and bronze...

I understand that but sometimes when running a marathon you suffer cramps. It happens to everyone. Just look at Louisiana State after 2019.

[Big Buds]

Now that you have defined what big time is in your opinion, let’s break it down.

P5 status
Won’t happen in anyones lifetime with the current makeup of college football.

BYU/Boise State-

Possible every few years to achieve a year end Top 20 ranking. It’s been done twice by UL in the past 50 years.

Legit National Title Contender-

Won’t happen due to talent available to P5 universities and the lack of talent available to UL.

Very shortsighted viewpoint right here. You just make these generalizations based off of today’s outlook. Gotta have a vision and some don’t have it.

[CrazyCajun]

Very shortsighted viewpoint right here. You just make these generalizations based off of today’s outlook. Gotta have a vision and some don’t have it.

22 years ago TCU was in the WAC and Saturday they are in the 4 team playoff.

[Big Buds]

22 years ago TCU was in the WAC and Saturday they are in the 4 team playoff.

UCF started their football program roughly 25 years ago…they are now P5.