Tailgate spot wanted

[JayWalker]

https://www.d1ticker.com/2022-fbs-attendance-trends/

Interesting data here. We had the largest drop attendance between 2021 and 2022 in any school in FBS. We have the 7th largest drop compared to 5 year attendance average (which, the 5 year numbers are abnormal based on the covid year, but still worth something for trend tracking).

It wouldn't make sense to say that the drop from 2021 to 2022 had something to do with covid (2020), FDJT videos (20...17?), or BLM (2020).

Of course it makes sense. Compare 2019 to 2021. 2021 was our best year ever. Then we lost our coach… And a ton of players… Which precipitated another decline.

Other schools survived Covid plus television. We have not.

[KajunKrazy]

COVID + ESPN+ has made it easy to stay home, barbecue and get Cajun Sports for 10 bucks a month.

The other opinions are valid. But COVID forced people to stay home in 2020.

We never recovered

You would know better than me as you travel with the team. How did the rest of the league recover from covid. Were most able to bounce back to pre covid numbers or are they experiencing the same. I know App st from the facebook page are always listing sell outs. They were in the same covid boats. How about the rest?

[BananaHammock]

We need to stop worrying about people tailgating and not coming inside the stadium. At every school there are people that do this and that's their prerogative, we need to stop trying to police every aspect of gameday. Having a bigger tailgate crowd will draw more people to attend tailgating and/or the game. When an event looks to be underattended the avg person will keep on driving. When an event looks to be well attended the avg person will be intrigued and attend.

I'm totally fine with a small area of the parking lot being available for first come-first serve to non-RCAF or season ticket holders. Make tailgating more accessible, make parking a tad bit more friendly for the casual fans and I believe you see better attendance as a whole. Perhaps not a sold out stadium but it should be better.

[JayWalker]

You would know better than me as you travel with the team. How did the rest of the league recover from covid. Were most able to bounce back to pre covid numbers or are they experiencing the same. I know App st from the facebook page are always listing sell outs. They were in the same covid boats. How about the rest?

In my opinion, we have been hurt more by that than any other team in the league. I think the reasons are twofold… Our Fanbase is not as passionate as some other schools… Combine that with a stadium that has absolutely no amenities whatsoever and you’ve got a lot of reason to stay home.

[CajunNation]

Of course it makes sense. Compare 2019 to 2021. 2021 was our best year ever. Then we lost our coach… And a ton of players… Which precipitated another decline.

Other schools survived Covid plus television. We have not.

Correct. COVID did a number on attendance. Then, Billy gutted the program with NIL and the Portal helping with the plunder.

The miracle is that we made a Bowl game last year. The next miracle will be getting back to 10 wins and 20k+ avg. attendance with a new stadium.

Not many people see it, but I do. We are on the precipice of a Cajun revival. What Martin Hall has to do is not F this up with harassment or overpricing of students or fans.

[Turbine]

... Having a bigger tailgate crowd will draw more people to attend tailgating and/or the game. When an event looks to be underattended the avg person will keep on driving. When an event looks to be well attended the avg person will be intrigued and attend.

Which is why, I hope the upper deck is quickly filled.

I feel as you do besides parking, for decades passers by have looked at a mostly empty upper deck so their perception is sort of "nothing worth seeing."

[cajun4life]

“The next is when Billy’s team had the BLM (self proclaimed Marxist’s) march that ended at the police station that really p!$$€d some people off including the Lafayette PD. Several people have vowed to never come back after that incident.”

Should this new football team & coaches have a law enforcement appreciation day similar to military appreciation day? Would this help to bring back those disgruntled fans?

People forget that this F the Police March was led by the team captain of the basketball team.

[Big Poppa]

Of course it makes sense. Compare 2019 to 2021. 2021 was our best year ever. Then we lost our coach… And a ton of players… Which precipitated another decline.

Other schools survived Covid plus television. We have not.

If others were able to “survive Covid” but UL was not, even though we were all in the same boat, that would make Covid the scapegoat and not the actual reason. That’s an easy out and any administration that would say attendance is down due to Covid, while others are selling out, has their head in the sand.

Maybe the reason is because the in game experience has been horrible the last few years from concession lines to concession choices I could go on and on. That’s why only the die hard show up.

To the admin don’t look to Covid for your answer as to why crowds are down. In the mirror is where you will find your answer.

[Big Poppa]

People forget that this F the Police March was led by the team captain of the basketball team.

Not the one I saw.

[KajunKrazy]

In my opinion, we have been hurt more by that than any other team in the league. I think the reasons are twofold… Our Fanbase is not as passionate as some other schools… Combine that with a stadium that has absolutely no amenities whatsoever and you’ve got a lot of reason to stay home.

You are correct about the antiquated stadium. IMO people will come back to games out of curiosity to see the new stadium once completed. It will be very important everything goes well and makes them want to come back.

[RaisingCajun08]

You are correct about the antiquated stadium. IMO people will come back to games out of curiosity to see the new stadium once completed. It will be very important everything goes well and makes them want to come back.

This will be huge. We are our worst enemy majority of the time.

[BananaHammock]

Which is why, I hope the upper deck is quickly filled.

I feel as you do besides parking, for decades passers by have looked at a mostly empty upper deck so their perception is sort of "nothing worth seeing."

I can understand your point with the upper deck and I do believe there is credence to that argument. Even in our best years of attendance the upper deck wasn't really very full (from what I can recall) but the tailgating area and parking was seemingly full.