Attendance Decline

[CajunFun]

We can do our thing and play to our strengths it doesnt have to be like LSU. Without going into details there is alot the administration can do to improve attendance they dont listen !

BINGO. I'm with you.

So what are our strengths?

How do we play to them?

And how— specifically, please— does football attendance contribute to that?

[Ragin9221]

OK, we connect our kids; but connect them to what, exactly? No one ever explains the steps from football, to a robust education, to a thriving economy.

That's my concern here: we connect them to football, and then... voilá! The whole world becomes great?

That has been LSU's proposition for about a century.

And I don't see how it has improved our state.

Do I need to include my 10 page paper? I can go into it but it would take the majority of this page and has been discussed ad nauseum.

Something as simple as having Al the Albineaux Gator for one. Its one of the easiest thing we can do and wont.

[Turbine]

If you break down the population of Louisiana and consider that LSU's popularity is equal throughout the state and greater in parts where there is no option.... Then Tiger Stadium only has room for 14,000 from Acadiana.

[CajunFun]

Give us winning seasons and 6pm kickoffs on Saturdays with great weather and our attendance would go up.

Many people agree with you. Do you have any numbers to support that?

And let me continue to flog the dead horse: a lot of people attend our games and... what? How does that improve our community & state?

[zeppelincajun]

Many people agree with you. Do you have any numbers to support that?

And let me continue to flog the dead horse: a lot of people attend our games and... what? How does that improve our community & state?

How would improving our gameday operations/atmosphere and maintaining a level of success on the field hurt our community and state?

[CajunFun]

Do I need to include my 10 page paper? I can go into it but it would take the majority of this page and has been discussed ad nauseum

No, you're a smart guy. I suspect you could make valid points in two or three paragraphs.

It has been discussed ad nauseum... without resolution. And, as I am trying to point out here, without clear explanation.

How does increased football attendance improve our students, their education, and our world? Please be brief, and to the point.*

*I once saw a parody of the bar exam. One question was, "Describe the history of the Roman Catholic church, and all of its impacts on philosophy, government, economy, and the arts.

"Be brief, and to the point."

[CajunFun]

How would improving our gameday operations/atmosphere and maintaining a level of success on the field hurt our community and state?

That's my point. If we aren't explicit about how that leads to a better and more effective university, then we will become like so many other sports-addled colleges, pouring money and attention into athletics to the detriment of the central mission.

You can see it across the country. I will say it again: We have 1/3 of LSU's faculty, 1/4 of her funding, 1/5 of her doctoral programs, and we have passed them up in research funding.

Ask yourself how that could possibly happen. I believe it happened because of what I am proposing: If we don't clearly articulate how athletics supports our core mission, it won't.

Which means that while we are focusing on sports, we are ignoring our core mission.

[Cajunrunner]

Should we design UL around football?

That's what started this discussion in the other thread: We hate LSU we want to be just like them. Some people here seem to advocate that approach, but I may be misinterpreting.

Me, I prefer UL, the way we are now. I love this place, I love this community. I love our priorities: students, and education, and leadership. So I want UL to play to our strengths, so that we might in turn strengthen our state and our world.

And I'm sorry, I don't see how that works by putting football first.

I just don't see that with the LSU model.

Here we go again. We’re “putting football first”. Certainly not at UL, nor will we ever.

[Cajunrunner]

I’ve never seen a reach quite like this one. Makes you wonder what sort of Lucy pulling the football away moves are upcoming from Martin Hall.

Some folks just liked it better when Martin Hall actively strangled and suppressed athletics, even to the point of telling coaches they were not allowed to approach certain people for athletic donations.

[CajunFun]

Here we go again. We’re “putting football first”. Certainly not at UL, nor will we ever.

You're new here, aren't you?

[CajunFun]

Some folks just liked it better when Martin Hall actively strangled and suppressed athletics, even to the point of telling coaches they were not allowed to approach certain people for athletic donations.

Perhaps some did. I'm not one.

What I'm pushing for is that we be very clear about how athletics supports our mission. I think it could be done.

But if we don't clearly explain how that works, and if we don't place a high priority on making it work...

...it won't happen.

[Ragin9221]

Make tailgating like a festival. Get a mascot. Have competitions with different tailgating groups. Introduce food trucks and vendors outside of Cajun Field. Have a designated tailgate area for people who don't want to spend $1,500 a year to tailgate. Get with local artists and come up with songs that appeal to Ragin' Cajun Athletics, and introduce them at the games. Have more interactions with fans, more meet-and-greets, and get out into the community to outreach. Have things for kids like a field day for a elementary school.

Imagine themed game nights, where fans dress up according to different themes—Pirates, 80s, Superheroes. Introduce loyalty programs where attending games and participating in events earns points that can be redeemed for exclusive merch or experiences. Social media challenges and fan content features can keep the community buzzing.

You could even have a “Ragin' Cajun Game Day” app with interactive features like live polling, trivia, and behind-the-scenes content. Make it more than a game; make it an experience.