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

[VObserver]

I have been scratching my head about the attendance drop here. It doesn't make sense. We have been a leader in attendance in the SBC in every major sport and in all of the G5 in the diamond sports and sometimes football even when Hud was here.

While other SBC members have either stayed the same or improved, our attendance has fallen off of a cliff in football in the face of major successes and now even our diamond sports are taking a hit.

What is happening here that isn't happening elsewhere? It isn't play on the field. Has inflation hurt our fan base more than others? Has streaming hurt us more? Does an in state P4 hurt us more? Is our fan experience worse than others? Have the youth given up on sports more around here? Has the university failed to keep the fan base engaged?

I really am perplexed here. Whatever is though, it seems to be happening here and not at places like APP and Southern Miss.

What is the difference?

Game day experience in football is horrendous; it is more like watching a video game with bad concessions than actually being at a college game.

The University has been an abject failure for 40 years or more in establishing a positive experience for students at athletic events; in fact, MH seems to actively discourage student fan participation.

The University has an entitlement attitude toward the fan base. They need to learn that the public does not owe them ____; it is their responsibility to enthusiastically pursue fan participation through every means available. Fans are earned, not gifted.

[anhil8tor]

I can tell you exactly what is going on. Perfect example is the Icegators.

When they changed the tailgate, ticket prices, and the overall experience, and over charging the average fan said I am done.

Same with the Icegators. Now you have to make good with the public.

The University will have to work work double to get these fans back.

They going to have to get out in the public domain they going to have to meet people shake people hands. They going to have to revamp tailgating, they going to have to actually get out in the community and invite them back into Cajun Field

This situation a new stadium will not fix, putting things on Facebook, or Twitter will not fix.

Until they start doing a complete change on how they look at fans. Only then it will start turning around.

I don’t think they will ever figure it out

100% Someone get this information to the leaders of our athletics.

[Scott Malkinson]

I wonder who in the media will do their jobs and corner Maggard on this. And then I wonder how hard Maggard et al will dodge every single question asked.

Didn't athletics just release a "state of the program" announcement just a few weeks ago? I don't recall addressing this at all. More brilliant communication.

SBC championship should have been the jumping off point. Instead they ignored it even told us they couldn't even afford a championship banner. Then spent double on an R1 banner for the CD.

[Turbine]

I have been scratching my head about the attendance drop here. It doesn't make sense. We have been a leader in attendance in the SBC in every major sport and in all of the G5 in the diamond sports and sometimes football even when Hud was here.

While other SBC members have either stayed the same or improved, our attendance has fallen off of a cliff in football in the face of major successes and now even our diamond sports are taking a hit.

What is happening here that isn't happening elsewhere? It isn't play on the field. Has inflation hurt our fan base more than others? Has streaming hurt us more? Does an in state P4 hurt us more? Is our fan experience worse than others? Have the youth given up on sports more around here? Has the university failed to keep the fan base engaged?

I really am perplexed here. Whatever is though, it seems to be happening here and not at places like APP and Southern Miss.

What is the difference?

"No all out ticket drive"

[Turbine]

"No all out ticket drive"

What do you lose with that?

"Hey I'm going to the game want to come?"

[Turbine]

"No all out ticket drive"

For years.

[anhil8tor]

There should be a 100% effort to sell out the stadium next year. $10 tix? $5 tix? Kids 10 and under free?

Whatever it takes. Get people inside the stadium.

Its also time to revamp tailgating. That should be a money grab, instead its a wasteland.

[CajunNation]

I imagine, at the very least, a well funded and supported effort should be undertaken to reach out to former ticket holders, RCAF members and fans in general to list the reasons they may have stopped attending Louisiana sporting events. It seems that before we launch a ticket drive of any kind, we should truly know the reasons for the attendance drop.

If the administration already knows these reasons, it would be a very important gesture to be transparent and tell us what they are to re-establish trust and a connection to the cULture.

This is a Come to Jesus moment here people. We HAVE TO fix this now. No more messin' around.

[facelessjonmoon]

…….I would guess all on here don’t know that reason…..best to me is all the above…..COVID, inflation, LSU rebound, the TV party is easier, the aging of UL’s greatest generation, the lack of interest by incoming students, administration not pushing the situation!!!!

The NIL/ transfer portal dynamic also has factored into apathy imo

[ManAboutTown]

Game day experience in football is horrendous; it is more like watching a video game with bad concessions than actually being at a college game.

The University has been an abject failure for 40 years or more in establishing a positive experience for students at athletic events; in fact, MH seems to actively discourage student fan participation.

The University has an entitlement attitude toward the fan base. They need to learn that the public does not owe them ____; it is their responsibility to enthusiastically pursue fan participation through every means available. Fans are earned, not gifted.

Absolutely.

[RaginScotsman]

SBC championship should have been the jumping off point. Instead they ignored it even told us they couldn't even afford a championship banner. Then spent double on an R1 banner for the CD.

I'm with you on the SBC Championship. You sold 30k plus tickets from scratch for that. No other school came close since they've started the Championship game. I remember after that thinking that this is our time. The community was buzzing.

...then, nothing. Not an effort. I mean, the fact that no one has even addressed the lack of a banner or acknowledgment of any sort is just mind numbing.

[fanof71]

Game day experience in football is horrendous; it is more like watching a video game with bad concessions than actually being at a college game.

The University has been an abject failure for 40 years or more in establishing a positive experience for students at athletic events; in fact, MH seems to actively discourage student fan participation.

The University has an entitlement attitude toward the fan base. They need to learn that the public does not owe them ____; it is their responsibility to enthusiastically pursue fan participation through every means available. Fans are earned, not gifted.

True This

[facelessjonmoon]

I'm with you on the SBC Championship. You sold 30k plus tickets from scratch for that. No other school came close since they've started the Championship game. I remember after that thinking that this is our time. The community was buzzing.

...then, nothing. Not an effort. I mean, the fact that no one has even addressed the lack of a banner or acknowledgment of any sort is just mind numbing.

Only way to fix that now is for Des to go out and prove casual fans wrong.... An actual Revenge tour is needed

[ManAboutTown]

I'm with you on the SBC Championship. You sold 30k plus tickets from scratch for that. No other school came close since they've started the Championship game. I remember after that thinking that this is our time. The community was buzzing.

...then, nothing. Not an effort. I mean, the fact that no one has even addressed the lack of a banner or acknowledgment of any sort is just mind numbing.

The exact same thing happened in 2014 when we won the conference and competed in national postseasons in all major sports. It's like MH says, "Ooops. Too much success. Let's tamper that down now."

[Rainman66]

After reading all this … two questions:

1. Who was the last AD that that connected with our community?

2. Anyone have actual financial numbers on other Sunbelt schools?


The G5 model is broken and gonna get worse, as P5s are getting ready to have nine conference games and be pushed to have at least one non-conference P5 opponent as well. The ‘money’ road games for G5 teams are going to be fewer. Yes, this only discussing football, because that is where the majority of the revenue & expenses reside.