Basketball Attendance

[zeppelincajun]

That was a direct correlation to yesterdays game. We all know season ticket sales are bad. I have made a single observation about Cajuns basketball this year.

We're a kick ass Basketball program, historically. This year blows.

There is a direct correlation between the butts in seats being awful yesterday and the events happening. The events happening have nothing to do with us selling less than 1,000 season tickets.

[ZoomZoom]

Zoom, we have been talking about this for a few years now. We do a poor job creating new fans and cultivating the fan base that we have now. No mascot. No big marketing push. No media presence in the area. And now, we are selling less than 1,000 season tickets to basketball while drawing that number to games. It's not good.

I wouldn’t be surprised the pep band could be on double secret probation for cheering for the fan escorted out from the Georgia State game.

‘77 probably would concur with this correlation. UL administration is like an addict in recovery. Time and time again, many work the program, and time and time again, just when the patient is about to cross the hump to freedom and success, they fail by blowing it up or just quitting.

UL athletic department is the same, they’re afraid of real success.

Napier left UL with a roadmap. Scared money don’t make money.

[cajun4life]

There is a direct correlation between the butts in seats being awful yesterday and the events happening. The events happening have nothing to do with us selling less than 1,000 season tickets.

Bingo

[Swamp]

There is a direct correlation between the butts in seats being awful yesterday and the events happening. The events happening have nothing to do with us selling less than 1,000 season tickets.

Once again. The correlation was between yesterdays game and the Superbowl, Mardi Gras, Fair, Softball. Were we selling season tickets yesterday? No, there was a game in the dome. Matter of fact, I bet one could look at the Season Ticket holders seats that were empty yesterday and the reason being... Super Bowl Sunday and Mardi Gras

I'm not making no f*(&ing excuse.

[Swamp]

Bingo

You're talking about SEASON TICKETS!

I'm talking about YESTERDAY

[UL_Cajuns]

The effort that the team is showing is definitely there. It's just a shame that no one is there to see it.

Glad I was able to go. It was a solid performance by these young men. Y’all try and support these young men. They deserve support.
Geaux Cajuns!

[BBcajun]

Softball attendance was spotty this weekend. Lots of empty Grandstand seats for the Thursday game & Friday doubleheader.

[cajun4life]

You're talking about SEASON TICKETS!

I'm talking about YESTERDAY

I’m talking about being the former crown jewel of SBC basketball in every aspect. To now, a laughing stock with a lame duck coach who meets the minimal requirements to remain here.

Marlin is the HC, he is the face of the program as it sinks into irrelevancy. Make no mistake, the program is irrelevant.

[Duckster]

Seems like good business decision planning if the Athletic Dept will go out of their way to avoid scheduling home games of any sport or at least revenue producing sports on Mardi Gras weekends. Next year Mardi Gras is March 4th. Anyone can look up future Mardi Gras dates 30 years in advance to avoid these logistical conflicts. Good grief, its easy.

[zeppelincajun]

You're talking about SEASON TICKETS!

I'm talking about YESTERDAY

The thing is that on days like YESTERDAY we should still be able to report 2,000+ in attendance. Why? Because of SEASON TICKETS. Look at baseball when they play a travel day game at 10 AM. Seats may be empty, but we still sell 3,000+ tickets to those games. I personally have zero faith in Bryan Maggard to fix this situation.

[RedTails]

The thing is that on days like YESTERDAY we should still be able to report 2,000+ in attendance. Why? Because of SEASON TICKETS. Look at baseball when they play a travel day game at 10 AM. Seats may be empty, but we still sell 3,000+ tickets to those games. I personally have zero faith in Bryan Maggard to fix this situation.

He's already completed step 1 of addressing this situation. Outbound ticket sales team as well as controlling our destiny by moving our ticket ops in-house. Will that be enough? Don't know.

I know some people might say why did it take this long to do that and finally have a fully staffed RCAF, but it wasn't long ago we had to have volunteers pressure washing and painting athletic facilities.

I was interested to see what other industries are doing to battle similar issues (low attendance in the face of streaming) and looked up what movie theatres are doing, like AMC. One questionnaire returned these answers as to what movie-goers cited as barriers to entry:

14% high concession prices
28% inconvenient showtimes
47% distance to theater
60% high ticket prices

We can control ticket prices now, but Cajundome controls schedule and concession prices. So not sure how you work with those people that don't seem to know how to operate a big event facility like that.

Seeing 47% say distance to the theater seemed nuts to me, until I realized distance to the theater wasn't historically a barrier...until streaming became available. So I know a lot of people here are against lowering the cost of tickets...but we have to compete with streaming somehow.

[RaginReview]

He's already completed step 1 of addressing this situation. Outbound ticket sales team as well as controlling our destiny by moving our ticket ops in-house. Will that be enough? Don't know.

I know some people might say why did it take this long to do that and finally have a fully staffed RCAF, but it wasn't long ago we had to have volunteers pressure washing and painting athletic facilities.

Ironically, when people were volunteering, we were also drawing good crowds to games.

[Marvin]

I attended the game against Georgia State. The crowd was sparse at best minus the athletes. It surely didn't look like more than 1000.

[zeppelincajun]

He's already completed step 1 of addressing this situation. Outbound ticket sales team as well as controlling our destiny by moving our ticket ops in-house. Will that be enough? Don't know.

I know some people might say why did it take this long to do that and finally have a fully staffed RCAF, but it wasn't long ago we had to have volunteers pressure washing and painting athletic facilities.

I was interested to see what other industries are doing to battle similar issues (low attendance in the face of streaming) and looked up what movie theatres are doing, like AMC. One questionnaire returned these answers as to what movie-goers cited as barriers to entry:

14% high concession prices
28% inconvenient showtimes
47% distance to theater
60% high ticket prices

We can control ticket prices now, but Cajundome controls schedule and concession prices. So not sure how you work with those people that don't seem to know how to operate a big event facility like that.

I hope those things work and that Maggard does get the people back.

Personally I keep hearing about the sales team and fully staffed RCAF, but everything I’ve heard just sounds like fluff. I want to hear the goals of these new staffs. RCAF for example. Been stuck at 2,000 members for God knows how long. Simple goal: 20% a year improvement from that base number, and we’re at 3,000 in 5 years. Maybe that’s just me, but I like to see things spelled out in clear terms. Makes it easier to get invested in something when I know what the goal is. This program seems rudderless currently.

[Swamp]

Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns

2023-24 Men's Basketball Schedule


Overall 16-9 .640

Conference 8-4 .667

Streak W1

Home 10-2

Away 4-6

Neutral 2-1


Date Time At Opponent Location Tournament Result

Oct 30 (Mon) 7 p.m. Home UT Tyler Lafayette (Cajundome) W 80-57

Nov 6 (Mon) 7:30 p.m. Home Youngstown State Lafayette (Cajundome) W 72-62

Nov 11 (Sat) 6 p.m. (CST) Away Toledo Toledo, Ohio (Savage Arena) L 78-87

Nov 15 (Wed) 7 p.m. Home Louisiana Christian Lafayette (Cajundome) W 107-56

Nov 20 (Mon) 4 p.m. (CST) Neutral Wright State Estero, Fla. (Hertz Arena) L 85-91

Nov 21 (Tue) 12:30 p.m. (CST) Neutral Buffalo Estero, Fla. (Hertz Arena) W 68-60

Nov 22 (Wed) 12:30 p.m. (CST) Neutral Long Beach State Estero, Fla. (Hertz Arena) W 92-82

Nov 27 (Mon) 7:30 p.m. Home Loyola (N.O.) Lafayette (Cajundome) W 78-54

Nov 30 (Thu) 7 p.m. Away Samford Birmingham, Ala. (Pete Hanna Center) L 65-88

Dec 9 (Sat) 2 p.m. Away Louisiana Tech Ruston, La. (Thomas Assembly Center) L 67-72

Dec 13 (Wed) 7:30 p.m. Home Eastern Kentucky Lafayette (Cajundome) W 73-62

Dec 17 (Sun) 3 p.m. Away McNeese State Lake Charles, La. (Legacy Center) L 72-74

Dec 22 (Fri) 7 p.m. Away Rice Houston, Texas (Tudor Fieldhouse) W 84-67

Dec 30 (Sat) 3 p.m. (CST) Away Marshall Huntington, W. Va. (Cam Henderson Center) L 61-75

Jan 4 (Thu) 7 p.m. Home James Madison Lafayette (Cajundome) L 61-68

Jan 6 (Sat) 7 p.m. Home Coastal Carolina Lafayette (Cajundome) W 85-77

Jan 10 (Wed) 7:30 p.m. Away Troy Troy, Ala. (Trojan Arena) L 73-79

Jan 13 (Sat) 2:30 pm Away Arkansas State Jonesboro, Ark. (First National Bank Arena) W 84-77

Jan 17 (Wed) 7 p.m. Away Texas State San Marcos, Texas (Strahan Arena) W 86-68

Jan 20 (Sat) 3 p.m. Away South Alabama Mobile, Ala. (Mitchell Center) W 88-79

Jan 26 (Fri) 4 p.m. Home Arkansas State Lafayette (Cajundome) W 81-75

Jan 28 (Sun) 12 p.m. Home Texas State Lafayette (Cajundome) W 66-46

Jan 31 (Wed) 7 p.m. Home ULM Lafayette (Cajundome) W 80-72

Feb 3 (Sat) 7 p.m. Home South Alabama Lafayette (Cajundome) W 80-60

Feb 7 (Wed) 7 p.m. Home Georgia State Lafayette (Cajundome) L 69-78

Feb 11 (Sun) 2 p.m. Home Bowling Green YESTERDAY YESTERDAY MEANS SUPERBOWL SUNDAY AND MARDI GRAS. SINCE WE'RE SO HELL BENT ON NOT KNOWING WHAT YESTERDAY MEANS...... LETS INCLUDE SEASON TICKET HOLDERS.
I BET YESTERDAY ALSO HAD ONE OF ITS LOWEST, IF NOT LOWEST ATTENDENCE OF SEASON TICKET HOLDERS AS WELL. Lafayette (Cajundome) W 86-60

Feb 15 (Thu) 6 p.m. (CST) Away Old Dominion Norfolk, Va. (Chartway Arena)

Feb 17 (Sat) 3 p.m. (CST) Away Appalachian State Boone, N.C. (Holmes Convocation Center)

Feb 22 (Thu) 7:30 p.m. Away ULM Monroe, La. (Fant-Ewing Coliseum)

Feb 24 (Sat) 2 p.m. Away Southern Miss Hattiesburg, Miss. (Reed Green Coliseum)

Feb 28 (Wed) 7 p.m. Home Troy Lafayette (Cajundome)

Mar 1 (Fri) 7:30 p.m. Home Southern Miss Lafayette (Cajundome)

Mar 5 (Tue) TBD Neutral Sun Belt Conference Championships Pensacola, Fla. (Pensacola Bay Center)