Tech, ULM, McNeese, LSU etc.and Branding?

[CajunRed]

The most important thing is to stick to the old Al Davis saying: "JUST WIN, BABY!!!"

#cULture
#WeAreLouisiana
#GeauxCajuns
#BEATrice

This. Every other way of arguing about it is just noise… and boring noise.

[Turbine]

The most important thing is to stick to the old Al Davis saying: "JUST WIN, BABY!!!"

#cULture
#WeAreLouisiana
#GeauxCajuns
#BEATrice

Winning doesn't bring it in, it locks it in.

Whatever your brand anchor is at whatever location , who you are perceived to be is etched in stone moment you win.

[Ragin9221]

Winning doesn't bring it in, it locks it in.

Whatever your brand anchor is at whatever location , who you are perceived to be is etched in stone moment you win.

I’m not an administrator, and I’ve never worked in college athletics. So this is my opinion

Winning matters, no doubt about it. But winning doesn’t happen in isolation. You need fans, and to get fans, you need engagement. When people start showing up, the energy changes. That’s when you can expand your donor base, and with more funding, you attract the kind of coaches who can win consistently.

But here’s the catch: consistent winning requires a consistent brand. That means clarity in who you are, what you represent, and how you’re perceived. It’s a full cycle—branding builds engagement, engagement builds resources, and resources build success. And once you're winning, that perception becomes reality. That’s how a program earns its name—not just through stats, but through identity that resonates.

[Ragin9221]

Let me expand on my statement.

Being Cajun represents more than just a name—it’s an idea, a culture, and a feeling. Festivals, food, tailgating, family, and community are at the heart of it. That’s what makes Cajun games special—and that spirit should be the centerpiece of our branding.

We have to live the brand, not just decorate stadiums with signage or sell merchandise. We need to create an atmosphere and identity that pulls fans in even when the team isn’t winning. That’s what keeps people coming back. It’s about experience, tradition, and the pride of saying, “This is ours.”

Same with the name Louisiana. It has weight. But it’s not enough to just fight for it legally or slap it on gear we have to embody it. When we consistently celebrate what Cajun culture stands for and pair that with strong branding and competitive success, we’re firing on all cylinders. That’s when the program grows in all directions: engagement, investment, recognition.

Just look at Notre Dame They leaned all-in on the "Fighting Irish" identity—not just as a mascot, but as a way of life. Everything from the stadium experience to media presence ties back to it. We can do the same with Cajun pride and the Louisiana name. It's not just branding—it's becoming who we say we are, and owning it, publicly and proudly.

I know this sounds idealistic, and maybe it is.

[NOCajun]

Let me expand on my statement.

Being Cajun represents more than just a name—it’s an idea, a culture, and a feeling. Festivals, food, tailgating, family, and community are at the heart of it. That’s what makes Cajun games special—and that spirit should be the centerpiece of our branding.

We have to live the brand, not just decorate stadiums with signage or sell merchandise. We need to create an atmosphere and identity that pulls fans in even when the team isn’t winning. That’s what keeps people coming back. It’s about experience, tradition, and the pride of saying, “This is ours.”

Same with the name Louisiana. It has weight. But it’s not enough to just fight for it legally or slap it on gear we have to embody it. When we consistently celebrate what Cajun culture stands for and pair that with strong branding and competitive success, we’re firing on all cylinders. That’s when the program grows in all directions: engagement, investment, recognition.

Just look at Notre Dame They leaned all-in on the "Fighting Irish" identity—not just as a mascot, but as a way of life. Everything from the stadium experience to media presence ties back to it. We can do the same with Cajun pride and the Louisiana name. It's not just branding—it's becoming who we say we are, and owning it, publicly and proudly.

I know this sounds idealistic, and maybe it is.

Oh, but it is realistic, as well. Programs like Notre Dame have proved it.

#cULture
#WeAreLouisiana
#GeauxCajuns
#BEATrice

[ZoomZoom]

The branding effort should never shut down. Just saying the USL/ULL references will eventually die off.

Perpetually spread by McNeese’s athletic department and similar ilk.

[Cajunrunner]

This. Every other way of arguing about it is just noise… and boring noise.

This, but we also need butts in the stands while winning.

[HoustonCajun]

I’m not an administrator, and I’ve never worked in college athletics. So this is my opinion

Winning matters, no doubt about it. But winning doesn’t happen in isolation. You need fans, and to get fans, you need engagement. When people start showing up, the energy changes. That’s when you can expand your donor base, and with more funding, you attract the kind of coaches who can win consistently.

But here’s the catch: consistent winning requires a consistent brand. That means clarity in who you are, what you represent, and how you’re perceived. It’s a full cycle—branding builds engagement, engagement builds resources, and resources build success. And once you're winning, that perception becomes reality. That’s how a program earns its name—not just through stats, but through identity that resonates.

You are spot on and I couldn't agree more. IMO, there are 2 missing ingredients concerning UL athletics. One is branding. We're building a brand but have no consistent brand or brand message. The whole name brand issue will start to rear its ugly head again when Tech joins the conference. We have a year or so until that happens and need to do solidify our brand in preparation for that with our name, logo and mascot.

The other missing ingredient is Fan Engagement. We've won and still no one comes. Why? Because we fail to engage fans at our games and the experience is not fulfilling. When Hud was here, tailgating and winning were awesome, yet some people preferred to not enter the stadium and just tailgate and watch a P4 game on tv. Why did they get a better game experience on tv than live in the stadium? That is the biggest difference in attending a G6 vs a P4 game. I've attended a lot of P4 games and the in-stadium experience is awesome. UL has played a lot of P4 games on the road and had the chance to experience what those P4 team traditions and fan engagement were like, what made the fan experience so great. Yet, I have seen no attempts to do something similar. Here we are 6 weeks from the opening game in our new stadium and it will be same thing, the same old songs, no fan engagement, and the only difference will be a new (1/2) stadium. The in-stadium experience is blah! Not the play on the field, the failure to get fan interaction. There is a disconnect with the fans and that disconnect ultimately affects the resources we need to get from the fans. For UL to have so few season ticket holders and poor average game attendance is inexcusable. Change game-time fan engagement and change the atmosphere at a Cajun game. Change the atmosphere and fans will want to be a part of that changing environment and changing perception. Business as usual with respect to fan engagement will not cut it and that is a most important thing thing this athletic department has failed to recognize and initiate.

[RedTails]

Nearly a month away from OLOL inaugural season and no public season ticket push, no announcements on any changes to parking/tailgating (prices/procedures), no general excitement anecdotally in my own circles.

I know we (RP users) follow a stereotype of being serial complainers, but I hope they have something cooking up at least at the one-month mark.

Are they using the fan day on Aug 16th to mark that off the checklist?

[Cajunrunner]

Nearly a month away from OLOL inaugural season and no public season ticket push, no announcements on any changes to parking/tailgating (prices/procedures), no general excitement anecdotally in my own circles.

I know we (RP users) follow a stereotype of being serial complainers, but I hope they have something cooking up at least at the one-month mark.

Are they using the fan day on Aug 16th to mark that off the checklist?

I do like the band lineup for this season.

However, agree with what seems to be a severe lack of public season ticket push.