Attendance Decline

[zeppelincajun]

Excellent points. Athletics can connect people to the university.

Is that connection one that grows the university, and its mission? Not if we aren't clear about it it won't

And is that the only connection people have to a university? Because that is one of the things that fascinates me about UL, and is unusual, perhaps unique: people love this place not because of athletics, but independent of athletics.

Stay with me a second.

I mentioned how we have surpassed LSU in research funding. I have a thought about how that works.

Ironically, it's what I think that Des is doing in football, and what Robe did with baseball, and what some of our other coaches, professors, and administrators do. When I'm hammering you folks to be clear about how athletics supports our university, I think first of those two coaches.

Listen to Des's post-game last night: this team succeeds because they believe in each other, because they care about each other.

And although Des didn't mention it, I think they share this belief, his belief: Michael believes in UL. He cares about this place. He loves it.

Not just the athletics, I suspect Michael loves what I love, and what President Savoie and Provost Hebert, and dozens of administrators and faculty love about this place.

Brace yourself, it's corny as hell.

They love this place because this place loved them first. They love it because faculty and administrators cared about them, believed in them, urged them to aim high, and not only told them they were capable of excellence, but demanded it.

And they excelled, and amazed all of us.

Think about that, and think about what you've heard about the 'big time' schools. Many, perhaps most, aren't centers of excellence, they're pits of over-funded sloth. Their athletes don't go to class; when the athletes and coaches commit crimes, the university covers for them; and unless the athletes go pro, nobody much cares about them after they can't play anymore.

Many schools are more reformatory than laboratory. Except, of course, it's a reformatory where the inmates are popular and handsomely paid.

So there is at least one answer to my question: athletics can make our university better if our coaches instill into their athletes, and if we insist from ourselves and everyone, the same virtues that make for a great university:

Excellence.

Think about that. Other schools stress superiority: "We're better than you."

But Des, and Robe, and so many others insist on excellence, instead: I am better than me. I am better today than I was yesterday. I will be even better than that tomorrow.

And in an odd contradiction, and in a repudiation of what many players and fans prioritize, excellence also prompts the opposite: I am less than I was.

Because in pursuing excellence, we must choose to become less than the things we love: people, ideals, and institutions. The competition to excel is within: aim high, while also pursuing humility.

Which is, again ironically, aiming low: 'humility' is related to 'humus', dirt. We can be great, if I put myself below everyone, in the dirt (think about that next Ash Wednesday). I seek excellence for all of us, because we are much more important than me.

True leadership isn't atop the ranking, it's below the team. It's supporting everyone from below, not ****ing on them from above. True leadership is the joy of belonging to a group where everyone sacrifices for everyone else.

You think Michael wouldn't throw himself in front of a speeding car to save one of his players? I strongly suspect he would.

Like I said, it's corny: Love.

But walk around campus, talk to the people who are moving us forward, in athletics, in the classroom, in the research center. What unites many of them is a love of this place.

Love pushes us to excel, and to connect, and to strive together.

The narcissism of many institutions pushes their people toward superiority, and exclusion, and from those, laziness. "As long as I'm atop the heap, I don't have to work hard. Who cares if it's a dung heap?" That perspective explains many things we see in the world.

If Michael wins a national championship, it won't be enough for him, because he demands excellence. Superiority has a clearly defined point of satisfaction.

Excellence has none.

So I push you to the same thing that the UL faculty, coaches, and administrators pushed all of us to, and the same thing that great coaches push their players toward: pursue excellence.

Not superiority.

It’s funny that you preach excellence as opposed to superiority, as you are clearly looking down your nose at other institutions. “Pits of over-funded sloth” “laziness” “narcissism” “exclusion” Not to say that any of those descriptors is incorrect. But your perception of UL as excellent is clearly tied closely to the inferiorities you perceive elsewhere.

We obviously run in very different circles because there certainly is a love associated with the people who feel strong ties to UL. But for most of the people I know that started with sports. For me, it is a huge part of my family. Going to Cajun basketball games as a kid to watch my cousin cheer in the Jazz. Tailgating with my family. My wife and I falling in love with UL baseball when I was in college. I grew up in Lake Charles but came to UL because I have family ties to this university. Without those ties, reinforced at many a sporting event, I likely would have been like most of the kids in LC. Not knowing much at all about UL or even considering it. Those are the things that originally drew me to this school. They’re the reason I researched UL and realized it has a top notch accounting program.

The “fictitious anecdote” CN posted is the story of quite a few lives in Acadiana. As to how athletics betters our community, the inclusive leaders you adore are trying to turn Cajun athletics in to a “premium experience” that will only be enjoyed by a few. How that fits in to the narrative of not “____ing on people from above” I’m not sure. However, anyone who can’t see how keeping entertainment dollars in Acadiana as opposed to across the Basin helps this community is just being obtuse.

[RaginScotsman]

I love a lot of these points. We also have people who do this as a profession and work for this university. Their job is to figure this stuff out and deliver. The darn football team sure as hell has done their part. It should be easy to get fans in now, right? The team did half the work for those in fan engagement, ticketing, fundraising, operations positions.

[zeppelincajun]

I love a lot of these points. We also have people who do this as a profession and work for this university. Their job is to figure this stuff out and deliver. The darn football team sure as hell has done their part. It should be easy to get fans in now, right? The team did half the work for those in fan engagement, ticketing, fundraising, operations positions.

After reading this thread and getting the opinions of those who rub shoulders with the administration, no one should ever wonder why the people paid to do this job don’t deliver. “The more we win. The less they show up.” Completely ignoring the bump we saw in the Napier years and the attendance we saw his final year here (which would have been even higher if 3 of 6 games weren’t on weekdays). If you have the mentality of “well if the people don’t show up, is that really a bad thing? Does it really help us if they come to our events?” it’s easy to see why the people don’t show up.

[jaxmc1023]

Some of this stuff is such malarkey

Every college student in the country graduates and immediately hates the university the day they receive their first student loan bill.

Nobody is coming to a UL football game because their professor challenged them in their academic career.

You want people to show up to games? Dumb. Everything. Down. Tell cops to make sure nobody runs into Congress St and dies, and otherwise keep them away from students and tailgates.

[CajunVic]

Some of this stuff is such malarkey

Every college student in the country graduates and immediately hates the university the day they receive their first student loan bill.

Nobody is coming to a UL football game because their professor challenged them in their academic career.

You want people to show up to games? Dumb. Everything. Down. Tell cops to make sure nobody runs into Congress St and dies, and otherwise keep them away from students and tailgates.

just a little practical advice . . .

[ZoomZoom]

Adulting is hard work.

[JamesTheJeweler]

I don't have it right, that's the slope over 50+ years. Somebody help me out here.

But it's declining.

Fun, you crack me up

[JamesTheJeweler]

It’s funny that you preach excellence as opposed to superiority, as you are clearly looking down your nose at other institutions. “Pits of over-funded sloth” “laziness” “narcissism” “exclusion” Not to say that any of those descriptors is incorrect. But your perception of UL as excellent is clearly tied closely to the inferiorities you perceive elsewhere.

We obviously run in very different circles because there certainly is a love associated with the people who feel strong ties to UL. But for most of the people I know that started with sports. For me, it is a huge part of my family. Going to Cajun basketball games as a kid to watch my cousin cheer in the Jazz. Tailgating with my family. My wife and I falling in love with UL baseball when I was in college. I grew up in Lake Charles but came to UL because I have family ties to this university. Without those ties, reinforced at many a sporting event, I likely would have been like most of the kids in LC. Not knowing much at all about UL or even considering it. Those are the things that originally drew me to this school. They’re the reason I researched UL and realized it has a top notch accounting program.

The “fictitious anecdote” CN posted is the story of quite a few lives in Acadiana. As to how athletics betters our community, the inclusive leaders you adore are trying to turn Cajun athletics in to a “premium experience” that will only be enjoyed by a few. How that fits in to the narrative of not “____ing on people from above” I’m not sure. However, anyone who can’t see how keeping entertainment dollars in Acadiana as opposed to across the Basin helps this community is just being obtuse.

Very well said!

[Cajunrunner]

Don't worry Turbine, people are showing up in large numbers to watch debates on campus between the Humanities and the Philosophy Departments! It's driving football fans away from Cajun Field.

HA!

[CharlieK]

The ease of watching every game on TV is definitely the number one driver putting downward pressure on in game attendance. That’s not going away.

That said we will have a roughly 30-40k stadium when done. It is completely unacceptable that we would spend money building that and not do ALL the little things necessary to fill it. Rebuild tailgating by, duh, reversing all the things that killed it. Make it easier to park, easier to get in and out. Fix the blaring audio. Fire and replace the food service. Never run out of water (Jesus). Fight as hard as possible to have every home game at 6 on Saturday. Advertise much much more. Hire someone like HUD as the director of community outreach.

All of these things would more than pay for themselves with even a modest boost in attendance .

Go to every peer school (app state for instance) that puts asses in the seats and study what they do, and copy what we can.

[jaxmc1023]

Go to every peer school (app state for instance) that puts asses in the seats and study what they do, and copy what we can.

This is, to me, the biggest problem across the nation. Schools try to copy what works in other places and it rarely works for them.

Texas State had a pretty cool blackout with cell phone lights (halftime maybe?). Still had 12k people at that game.

Instead of looking at peer institutions, why not look at other events in Acadiana that draw huge crowds?

Festival Acadiens draws 100k+ over one weekend. Why? Because people WANT to pay $10 to park, spend $13 on praline chicken, and listen to Geno Delafose for the 200th time?

There's a reason people go to these, and UL's goal #1 should be figuring out how to get that to Cajun Field. (Hint: they already had this at tailgating for 30 years, then decided to run everyone off)

[CajunVic]

This is, to me, the biggest problem across the nation. Schools try to copy what works in other places and it rarely works for them.

Texas State had a pretty cool blackout with cell phone lights (halftime maybe?). Still had 12k people at that game.

Instead of looking at peer institutions, why not look at other events in Acadiana that draw huge crowds?

Festival Acadiens draws 100k+ over one weekend. Why? Because people WANT to pay $10 to park, spend $13 on praline chicken, and listen to Geno Delafose for the 200th time?

There's a reason people go to these, and UL's goal #1 should be figuring out how to get that to Cajun Field. (Hint: they already had this at tailgating for 30 years, then decided to run everyone off)

oilfield used it as a cheap means of entertainment . . . much of that oilfield is not in Lafayette anymore and what is there entertains much less these days . . .