Louisiana athletics operated at $8 million deficit during 2023 fiscal year

[ULvictory]

While I personally give and attend partially because I think I should and it’s the right thing to do, it is high time our admin divorced from this line of thinking in terms of running a business. We’re never gonna get people to treat this as a moral obligation. We are competing for their entertainment dollar. Look at McNeese basketball. People didn’t magically wake up one day and decide they should support the program they’ve largely ignored the last 30+ years. McNeese finally gave them something they were willing to spend their money on. It’s disheartening to see the amount of longtime fans I’ve seen walk away over the last few years. It’s equally disheartening to watch our floundering administration be completely incapable or unwilling to reengage them (it’s mainly unwilling).

It's no longer a moral obligation nor is it a charity. It's entertainment which means the sporting events now compete with the Topgolf's, Dave and Buster's, Moncus Park's, and festivals of the area. It's now a competition. What are we doing to attract those people to our events over those other places?

The issue is that there's people in the admin that saw the Napier era and believed that the crowds didn't pan out as they hoped for like the early Hudspeth era. What they're missing is that an 8-win season was unheard of in our history when Hud started that run where we had already seen that by the time Napier came around. Add in COVID, increased tailgate costs, and the midweek home games; and we ended up averaging just over 20k during a top 25 run in 2021.

Rome wasn't built in a day. Sometimes when you roll out a new plan, one can't expect people to just flock to the idea at the start. It takes time to simmer within the community. Rhythms on the River never started out as this "to-do" in Lafayette. It took time and caught on before eventually becoming a cool attraction for the locals. We need to try this same approach here. It can't hurt at this point.

***I notice that jax and I have the same way of thinking on this as I read his post above lol

[Kid Rock]

I have a great idea, lets go up on baseball season tickets next year.

The oil field is booming, there is no inflation.


Grocery and gas prices are not high at all.

Perfect timing to increase prices on life long season ticket holders!

Do these people know how much it cost a family of four to go to a game?

Who in their right mind would suggest such a thing.

[ZoomZoom]

While I personally give and attend partially because I think I should and it’s the right thing to do, it is high time our admin divorced from this line of thinking in terms of running a business. We’re never gonna get people to treat this as a moral obligation. We are competing for their entertainment dollar. Look at McNeese basketball. People didn’t magically wake up one day and decide they should support the program they’ve largely ignored the last 30+ years. McNeese finally gave them something they were willing to spend their money on. It’s disheartening to see the amount of longtime fans I’ve seen walk away over the last few years. It’s equally disheartening to watch our floundering administration be completely incapable or unwilling to reengage them (it’s mainly unwilling).

McNeese arguably is having their best MBB ever. You’d think their arena would be packed. Nope, not even close. Under 3k average. WW already pleaded for fans, now their SID.

“McNeese is averaging nearly 2,900 fans per home game, more than 1,200 more than the next conference team. And its 65% capacity mark is ranked in the top 65 in the nation. In Southland games only, that average rises to almost 4,000 per game. Seating capacity in Legacy is 4,200.”

https://mcneesesports.com/news/2024/...UAJEYTQl2nupWI

Using capacity % as a measuring stick is a fallacy with small arenas.

[CajunT]

It's no longer a moral obligation nor is it a charity. It's entertainment which means the sporting events now compete with the Topgolf's, Dave and Buster's, Moncus Park's, and festivals of the area. It's now a competition. What are we doing to attract those people to our events over those other places?

The issue is that there's people in the admin that saw the Napier era and believed that the crowds didn't pan out as they hoped for like the early Hudspeth era. What they're missing is that an 8-win season was unheard of in our history when Hud started that run where we had already seen that by the time Napier came around. Add in COVID, increased tailgate costs, and the midweek home games; and we ended up averaging just over 20k during a top 25 run in 2021.

Rome wasn't built in a day. Sometimes when you roll out a new plan, one can't expect people to just flock to the idea at the start. It takes time to simmer within the community. Rhythms on the River never started out as this "to-do" in Lafayette. It took time and caught on before eventually becoming a cool attraction for the locals. We need to try this same approach here. It can't hurt at this point.

***I notice that jax and I have the same way of thinking on this as I read his post above lol

I agree with your first sentence. But there is nothing new about your second sentence when it comes to other interest in the area although it may be for you now because you have a child. Many of us had dance recitals, soccer tournaments, volleyball, softball, baseball and Tykwon do for a number of years. There was always the Crawfish Festival, Festival Acadian, Mardi Gras and many others. The golf courses were always there as well as Cart Ranch and many other activities. In the end, most of the time I still found my way to Cajun Field. Not out of obligation, because I love college football and the Ragin' Cajuns. That has not changed for the most part, and family obligations are exactly that, but otherwise I was at Cajun Field. You will have to make choices just like the rest of us, but the entertainment options have always been there and outside of sports, family events and dance recitals, you will have to make decisions. As for new concepts for this area like Dave & Busters, they were available to visit on family trips from Nashville, Atlanta, Orlando, San Antonio, Dallas, San Diego and other destinations.

For me it's simple, I never needed a mascot, fun jumps or other activities for my kids to come to games or tailgate when they didn't have other obligations. I was there because I love college football and the Ragin Cajuns. I really didn't want to be anywhere else outside of my children sports events.

Now I'm not saying those attractions aren't necessarily needed for some to come and make it a family event or grow attendance. So, I guess I am old school but my family that attended Arkansas Razorbacks games, LSU games or even McNeese games never needed mascots or fun jumps to attend games, they loved their college football.

My point, there is different levels of fandom.

[zeppelincajun]

McNeese arguably is having their best MBB ever. You’d think their arena would be packed. Nope, not even close. Under 3k average. WW already pleaded for fans, now their SID.

“McNeese is averaging nearly 2,900 fans per home game, more than 1,200 more than the next conference team. And its 65% capacity mark is ranked in the top 65 in the nation. In Southland games only, that average rises to almost 4,000 per game. Seating capacity in Legacy is 4,200.”

https://mcneesesports.com/news/2024/...UAJEYTQl2nupWI

Using capacity % as a measuring stick is a fallacy with small arenas.

1,200 more than your next closest conference peer is nothing to sneeze at. Go back and look at some of the attendance figures from when McNeese was playing in Burton. 4K fans at a McNeese basketball game is a huge achievement.

That 2,900 number is currently being held down by 4 early season games against non-D1 opponents. It’s only going up.

[Geaux]

I don’t even click on their articles anymore, but I checked the online version. Stopped counting at 7 tsab stories to 1 UL. And it was about the finances.

While we pretty much live in a world where people get their news electronically, this lack of coverage has to contribute to UL’s decreasing visibility in its own region. No radio, no paper, still some local tv coverage. You’re missing people. How many? Who knows.

The problems run a lot deeper than that, of course. Thank goodness we’ve been winning and staying relevant in most sports. But how long can you sustain it when you’re taking a financial loss year after year?

…and not just the financial losses. You have an administration that knew we had a problem last year and didn’t make any recognizable changes the next year! So, what will you do about it now now that your jobs may be at stake?

You are correct. Just Google "Ragin Cajun Football or Basketball" and it's hard to find consumable content outside of Ragin Review.

Shout out to Ragin Review!

[facelessjonmoon]

I have a great idea, lets go up on baseball season tickets next year.

The oil field is booming, there is no inflation.


Grocery and gas prices are not high at all.

Perfect timing to increase prices on life long season ticket holders!

Do these people know how much it cost a family of four to go to a game?

Who in their right mind would suggest such a thing.

I know that is sarcasm and I agree with the sentiment of your post in regards to price increases

but fortunately the local oil field business seems to be in it's best shape since around 2014 (or at least parts of it)

[ULvictory]

I agree with your first sentence. But there is nothing new about your second sentence when it comes to other interest in the area although it may be for you now because you have a child. Many of us had dance recitals, soccer tournaments, volleyball, softball, baseball and Tykwon do for a number of years. There was always the Crawfish Festival, Festival Acadian, Mardi Gras and many others. The golf courses were always there as well as Cart Ranch and many other activities. In the end, most of the time I still found my way to Cajun Field. Not out of obligation, because I love college football and the Ragin' Cajuns. That has not changed for the most part, and family obligations are exactly that, but otherwise I was at Cajun Field. You will have to make choices just like the rest of us, but the entertainment options have always been there and outside of sports, family events and dance recitals, you will have to make decisions. As for new concepts for this area like Dave & Busters, they were available to visit on family trips from Nashville, Atlanta, Orlando, San Antonio, Dallas, San Diego and other destinations.

For me it's simple, I never needed a mascot, fun jumps or other activities for my kids to come to games or tailgate when they didn't have other obligations. I was there because I love college football and the Ragin Cajuns. I really didn't want to be anywhere else outside of my children sports events.

Now I'm not saying those attractions aren't necessarily needed for some to come and make it a family event or grow attendance. So, I guess I am old school but my family that attended Arkansas Razorbacks games, LSU games or even McNeese games never needed mascots or fun jumps to attend games, they loved their college football.

My point, there is different levels of fandom.

What you're saying was that there was a passion that attracted you to the games. The problem here is that we don't have the generation of fans that share that same passion as your generation did. Add in all of the different levels of cost that never existed during the 1980s and 1990s from parking to tailgate, and now an ordinary family has trouble affording it with having the same passion to show up. Now, that does not mean those costs aren't necessary because we do need to make money. But the harsh reality is that we are charging prime rib prices for roast beef meat in gameday experience. And that's why people are spending their money elsewhere.

Like Jax mentioned, our biggest mistake in all of this is that we are putting price tags on products that have stayed the same over the last 30 years. What attracts people to Rhythms on the River and Festivals are the atmospheres. We don't even allow the atmosphere to happen unless we pay a premium to even get into that atmosphere. All in all, this is an evolving industry in college sports that we seem to have no adapted to. Other schools in the conference are figuring it out which is why our attendance in football and basketball are in the bottom 5. There's something that is not resonating in the program right now. Just a basic observation.

[jaxmc1023]

But the harsh reality is that we are charging prime rib prices for roast beef meat in gameday experience. And that's why people are spending their money elsewhere.

Agree with your entire post.. and to use your analogy, I have a bad feeling that the 'solution' they will come up with is to fix up the restaurant to make it more of a fine dining experience, charge prime rib (or higher) prices, and continue to serve roast beef

[cajun4life]

Agree with your entire post.. and to use your analogy, I have a bad feeling that the 'solution' they will come up with is to fix up the restaurant to make it more of a fine dining experience, charge prime rib (or higher) prices, and continue to serve roast beef

That’s exactly what they will do.