The Event Experience

[Big Poppa]

See, this is part of the problem. If you aren't willing to park for $10 inside the fences, there is a very, very good chance you have no intention of going into the game.

Correct. There is no college stadium in the US that you can park in as premium of a spot as inside Cajun field for free. If that is one’s beef then one really isn’t a fan and is looking for reasons not to go.

[Big Poppa]

We get more people for HS battle of the bands than we do for football games at Cajun Field.

I understand your point though. It's not JUST football. And it's not JUST the gimmicks. And it's not JUST the in-game atmosphere... It's all of it. You need a symbiotic relationship between all of the above. Including good opponents in a conference that matters.

I'll keep saying it: SHARED ENERGY

I’ve been to battle of the bands and they might get what is the worst crowds of each year are. Not the average. If each band member brings 2 parents, a grand parent or 2 and a sibling you’ve got a decent crowd because there’s so many of them. There aren’t any “casual” fans just walking up to watch.

[CajunNation]

We are chasing our tail here. Most schools have trouble getting people to come to the stadium. We don't have that problem. Our issue has always been that a lot of these people refuse to enter the stadium.

We are not just selling a football game. We are selling an experience. That includes the game and the tailgating. The Game ticket should be the Gameday ticket. The fence around the stadium should be considered the outer wall of the Outer Stadium. No entry without Gameday ticket. Scan them there.

Official attendance would average near 30K most years. There would be no long lines of people cramming the entry to the Inner Stadium. People would be free to come and go from the Playing area to the Tailgating area as they please.

[ManAboutTown]

I’ve been to battle of the bands and they might get what is the worst crowds of each year are. Not the average. If each band member brings 2 parents, a grand parent or 2 and a sibling you’ve got a decent crowd because there’s so many of them. There aren’t any “casual” fans just walking up to watch.

I live across the street. I see the crowds every year. I know what they bring.

Not many "casual fans" going to CF right now either, and that's the point. I guess the good news is, the people that do show up or there to support the Cajuns. Maybe that's a silver lining.

To your point about premium parking: Not many people are interested in premium parking to an event that has no premium amenities, no premium product (outside of the Napier years) and an overall lack luster experience. The premium crowds that are willing to pay premium dollars have nothing 'premium' to pay for at CF. So once again, you've missed your target demo.

[ManAboutTown]

We are chasing our tail here. Most schools have trouble getting people to come to the stadium. We don't have that problem. Our issue has always been that a lot of these people refuse to enter the stadium.

We are not just selling a football game. We are selling an experience. That includes the game and the tailgating. The Game ticket should be the Gameday ticket. The fence around the stadium should be considered the outer wall of the Outer Stadium. No entry without Gameday ticket. Scan them there.

Official attendance would average near 30K most years. There would be no long lines of people cramming the entry to the Inner Stadium. People would be free to come and go from the Playing area to the Tailgating area as they please.

Yes.

[Big Poppa]

I live across the street. I see the crowds every year. I know what they bring.

Not many "casual fans" going to CF right now either, and that's the point. I guess the good news is, the people that do show up or there to support the Cajuns. Maybe that's a silver lining.

To your point about premium parking: Not many people are interested in premium parking to an event that has no premium amenities, no premium product (outside of the Napier years) and an overall lack luster experience. The premium crowds that are willing to pay premium dollars have nothing 'premium' to pay for at CF. So once again, you've missed your target demo.

I can see Cajun field the Cajun dome and the Hilton from the back of my neighborhood. I pass Cajun field at least 3 times every day of my life. I see the band crowds every year for the last 18 years. I know exactly what they look like.

On a Saturday afternoon in October Ricky Bustle got 31k in Cajun field against a mediocre FIU team. The parking lots across the streets were full. The RCAF lots looked like they do today. What was the attraction then that is not there today. The amenities are all the same inside the stadium. Asking a serious question. It really is puzzling.

[Big Poppa]

We are chasing our tail here. Most schools have trouble getting people to come to the stadium. We don't have that problem. Our issue has always been that a lot of these people refuse to enter the stadium.

We are not just selling a football game. We are selling an experience. That includes the game and the tailgating. The Game ticket should be the Gameday ticket. The fence around the stadium should be considered the outer wall of the Outer Stadium. No entry without Gameday ticket. Scan them there.

Official attendance would average near 30K most years. There would be no long lines of people cramming the entry to the Inner Stadium. People would be free to come and go from the Playing area to the Tailgating area as they please.

Could you imagine the traffic jam if your trying to collect tickets while entering the parking lots.

[CajunNation]

Could you imagine the traffic jam if your trying to collect tickets while entering the parking lots.

People already have to stop for a few seconds before they can enter those gates. A few seconds more won't matter. People can enter those gates all day long. There really is no reason why a bottleneck should happen.

[ManAboutTown]

I can see Cajun field the Cajun dome and the Hilton from the back of my neighborhood. I pass Cajun field at least 3 times every day of my life. I see the band crowds every year for the last 18 years. I know exactly what they look like.

On a Saturday afternoon in October Ricky Bustle got 31k in Cajun field against a mediocre FIU team. The parking lots across the streets were full. The RCAF lots looked like they do today. What was the attraction then that is not there today. The amenities are all the same inside the stadium. Asking a serious question. It really is puzzling.

1) The cost was a third of the price that it is today.
2) Oil Field and Local economy was in much better shape.
3) ESPN+ didn't exist.
4) We weren't burned by a cheating scandal and our coach didn't get political.
5) Covid hadn't happened.
6) NIL and transfer portal hadn't happened.
7) A group of outsiders hadn't come in and "Shown our fans" how to be Cajun.
8) Expansion of of Amb Caffery, Broussard, Youngsville and Carencro hadn't happened.
9) Tailgating was free and this was before they rearranged everything.
10) Greeks and students weren't actively being pushed away.

I'm sure there are more.

[CajunNation]

1) The cost was a third of the price that it is today.
2) Oil Field and Local economy was in much better shape.
3) ESPN+ didn't exist.
4) We weren't burned by a cheating scandal and our coach didn't get political.
5) Covid hadn't happened.
6) NIL and transfer portal hadn't happened.
7) A group of outsiders hadn't come in and "Shown our fans" how to be Cajun.
8) Expansion of of Amb Caffery, Broussard, Youngsville and Carencro hadn't happened.
9) Tailgating was free and this was before they rearranged everything.
10) Greeks and students weren't actively being pushed away.

I'm sure there are more.

When Lazerus was raised from the dead, it drew a crowd. (Bustle winning)

When Charlie Brown finally got to kick the football, it drew a crowd. (NOLA Bowl)

When Wylie Coyote finally caught the Road Runner (National ranking, Champ), few noticed. Why?

From your list, 2, 3, 4 and 5.

[ManAboutTown]

When Lazerus was raised from the dead, it drew a crowd. (Bustle winning)

When Charlie Brown finally got to kick the football, it drew a crowd. (NOLA Bowl)

When Wylie Coyote finally caught the Road Runner (National ranking, Champ), few noticed. Why?

From your list, 2, 3, 4 and 5.

True, but think about this: In every bowl game we played in, we brought more people than our season high in Cajun Field. In the first two, we legitimately had 40k+.

That should be a big piece of the puzzle to many here wondering "why..."

[SlickRick]

We are chasing our tail here. Most schools have trouble getting people to come to the stadium. We don't have that problem. Our issue has always been that a lot of these people refuse to enter the stadium.

We are not just selling a football game. We are selling an experience. That includes the game and the tailgating. The Game ticket should be the Gameday ticket. The fence around the stadium should be considered the outer wall of the Outer Stadium. No entry without Gameday ticket. Scan them there.

Official attendance would average near 30K most years. There would be no long lines of people cramming the entry to the Inner Stadium. People would be free to come and go from the Playing area to the Tailgating area as they please.

Just a quick take on this idea...but I like it.