Live Game Talk: Louisiana 17, Georgia State 20

[Cajunsmike]

I have to say this. My original reply was about attendance, not financials.

Every game available on TV is a major reason our attendance is down.

[JMV JustMyView]

Every game available on TV is a major reason our attendance is down.

The TV isn't effecting Texas State and App.

[Duggie35]

Every game available on TV is a major reason our attendance is down.

Ragin Cajun Football is being watched by more people than ever before. But, as Mike said, most are watching on TV rather than inside Cajun Field! Obviously, no one has a definitive solution. All I can do is to keep showing up just as I have been doing for decades. I can only control what I do, and refuse to beat my head against a wall trying to convince those that just don't get it to come and enjoy the games in person.

[RaginCajun77]

Every game available on TV is a major reason our attendance is down.

I don't believe this is a major reason. Reasons that stand out to me:
1. Failure to create new loyal fans via the student pipeline.
2. Current fans getting older and are no longer physically able to get out to games or they don't want to attend games for 4 hours, especially with 7PM kickoffs.

Data analytics on ticket utilization should let us know the number of students, season ticket holders, and casual fans attending games. This should give leadership insight on where to target marketing.

Games on TV via cable or streaming won't change.

[jaxmc1023]

Finally, we need to show the community that we have a higher ceiling for UL football. That will require time. The excitement of our first New Orleans Bowl in 2011 was high but after a few years the excitment decreased. Why? The community believes our ceiling is a potential conference championship and a minor bowl game. THe community wants to see more and we have to figure out how to do that.

That's VERY unlikely to happen. We strung together our two best seasons in team history (consecutively) and it netted us the same result-- conference championship and a minor bowl game.

In my opinion, you have to convince the community that UL has a higher ceiling for ENTERTAINMENT. GameDay should be like any other festival this town puts on. Close/high scores, good music, good food, good tailgating, people slugging $2 nattys and getting rowdy in the game, students making life hell on opposing players

Our current approach of "gahhh lee! we're a real football team too!" isn't working. To most of Acadiana we are the Ice Gators or the Cane Cutters -- low stakes sports that costs too much and has highschool production value

[fanof71]

...To most of Acadiana we are the Ice Gators or the Cane Cutters -- low stakes sports that costs too much and has highschool production value...

Yea you rite,!

[JamesTheJeweler]

That’s not funny. An accurate passer would cut them up.

Dude, I normally respect your takes, but that was a terrible take. I get it, you were all in on Ben. But saying we win by three scores is myopic...and I'm being kind there. Ben gets sacked 10 times in that game. At best, we have the same record this season, regardless of who the QB is, Ben is gone, and now we're starting a green QB next season all over again. Ben is a mediocre QB at best.

[CajunJack55]

That's VERY unlikely to happen. We strung together our two best seasons in team history (consecutively) and it netted us the same result-- conference championship and a minor bowl game.

In my opinion, you have to convince the community that UL has a higher ceiling for ENTERTAINMENT. GameDay should be like any other festival this town puts on. Close/high scores, good music, good food, good tailgating, people slugging $2 nattys and getting rowdy in the game, students making life hell on opposing players

Our current approach of "gahhh lee! we're a real football team too!" isn't working. To most of Acadiana we are the Ice Gators or the Cane Cutters -- low stakes sports that costs too much and has highschool production value

With 12 team playoff this will change. With SBC being best G5 conference this will change. Next year 2 G5 will get a shot at it. After that will be back to one. We will have the best chances ever to be on national stage after this season. I bet we don’t market that at all…but you know who will…the Tulanes, Boises, SDSU, Mamphis of the world…

[Turbine]

Our current approach of "gahhh lee! we're a real football team too!" isn't working. To most of Acadiana we are the Ice Gators or the Cane Cutters -- low stakes sports that costs too much and has highschool production value

On production value you have a point.

On the rest you are off base. Not far off base, just off base.

Ice Gators and Cane Cutters have/had a perception ceiling they could never hope to crack.

Louisiana has the opportunity (however small) (if they so desired) (with work) to play in New Years Day Bowl Games.

[CajunVic]

Dude, I normally respect your takes, but that was a terrible take. I get it, you were all in on Ben. But saying we win by three scores is myopic...and I'm being kind there. Ben gets sacked 10 times in that game. At best, we have the same record this season, regardless of who the QB is, Ben is gone, and now we're starting a green QB next season all over again. Ben is a mediocre QB at best.

. . . he has already hung his hat on the dorm thing . . . how can one QB who didn’t sleep in the dorm be better than another who didn’t sleep in the dorm . . . oh, maybe it’s that Ben was not there for camp . . . and by the way, there is probably almost as much of a chance that ZC is not here next year as there is that BW is not here . . . can’t just forget NIL and the portal . . .

[Bandwagon King]

Every game available on TV is a major reason our attendance is down.

The main reason attendance is down is because every time UL has a big game they crap their pants & act like They never played football before. I didn't attend the game, didn't see the game on TV & didn't listen to the game. But from reading this thread it sounds almost like an exact carbon copy of last year's homecoming game. Wasn't that South Alabama? Wasn't the score 20-17? Didn't the team look like complete dog crap the whole miserable first half? Didn't they try to mount a comeback after half the crowd had left? Didn't they only mount that comeback only to fall flat on their faces & lose in the end giving everyone in the stadium the feeling of OMG, why do I put myself through this year after, after year, after year game, after game, after game?

It's a merry go round of misery. And you could give away the tickets & charge 50 cents a beer & free hot dogs for people as long as they attend the whole game & they still won't go. Why? Because people absolutely can not stand getting their hopes up only to know for a fact that they are going to be completely let down & disappointed.

So you can blame the administration, you can blame the alumni, you can blame the community, you can blame the city, you can blame the state. But at some point the coaches & the players on the field are ultimately responsible for not getting the job done. This team has passed that point a long, long, long time ago. Change your ways on the field & you might eventually regain the trust of the community. Win the games you must win & put forth an exciting product on the field & people won't be able to stop talking about you. Do it not & the results are overwhelmingly evident to behold.

[CajunVic]

The main reason attendance is down is because every time UL has a big game they crap their pants & act like They never played football before. I didn't attend the game, didn't see the game on TV & didn't listen to the game. But from reading this thread it sounds almost like an exact carbon copy of last year's homecoming game. Wasn't that South Alabama? Wasn't the score 20-17? Didn't the team look like complete dog crap the whole miserable first half? Didn't they try to mount a comeback after half the crowd had left? Didn't they only mount that comeback only to fall flat on their faces & lose in the end giving everyone in the stadium the feeling of OMG, why do I put myself through this year after, after year, after year game, after game, after game?

It's a merry go round of misery. And you could give away the tickets & charge 50 cents a beer & free hot dogs for people as long as they attend the whole game & they still won't go. Why? Because people absolutely can not stand getting their hopes up only to know for a fact that they are going to be completely let down & disappointed.

So you can blame the administration, you can blame the alumni, you can blame the community, you can blame the city, you can blame the state. But at some point the coaches & the players on the field are ultimately responsible for not getting the job done. This team has passed that point a long, long, long time ago. Change your ways on the field & you might eventually regain the trust of the community. Win the games you must win & put forth an exciting product on the field & people won't be able to stop talking about you. Do it not & the results are overwhelmingly evident to behold.

. . . now do Napier's last two years . . .