A candid conversation with University of Louisiana at La. President Dr. Ray Authement
The State of Cajun Athletics
( 1974 ) Athletically, it was a disaster. A new coach had just been hired to rebuild the football program, which had just suffered through its first winless season in school history. The baseball program was still 14 years away from its first NCAA Tournament appearance; softball was still a game for guys; and the women's basketball team won all of three games.
Men's basketball? There wasn't any. The school had incurred the wrath of the NCAA after the 1972-73 season and been handed the Death Penalty. The Cajuns' run-and-gun style had produced a huge splash in 1971 by earning an invitation to the NCAA Tournament in its first season of major college play. The Ragin' Cajuns followed that with another postseason berth in 1972, a year that saw the team ranked as high as No. 4 in the country.
But, big splashes often create big waves and, in the summer of '73, the NCAA placed the entire athletic program on probation and shut down the basketball program for two years because of recruiting violations and what would be referred to today as a lack of institutional control. As appeasement, USL students were given a holiday (Lagniappe Day), new coaches, a new athletic director and even a new president.
Thirty years later, much has changed. USL is now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and the once embattled basketball program has just returned to postseason play for the fourth time in five years. Ragin' Cajun baseball is just four seasons removed from a third-place finish in the College World Series; Lady Cajun softball has become a measuring stick for national success in the sport; and the women's basketball program just posted its best record in 16 seasons. Although the football program is still struggling, there's reason to hope for better days under third-year coach Rickey Bustle.
If the buck indeed stops at the top, there is one man most responsible for the university's resurgence: Dr. Ray Authement. A former math professor, UL president Authement has weathered three decades of demanding and occasionally critical alumni, impossible budgets and the tragic loss of his daughter, Kathy (to cancer in 1999), to oversee a university that common sense tells us is probably better off financially, academically and athletically than at any other time in its history. The school's computer science program is ranked No. 1 in the South and No. 9 in the world, and UL is the only school in the South to offer a doctorate in cognitive science. According to the president, construction on campus is at an all-time high, with more than $130 million in projects ongoing during the 2003-04 academic year.
Still, it's no accident that although the main campus sits on 137 acres, the athletic complex measures 243 acres. College athletics have become big business worth millions of dollars and, as the saying goes, no one buys a ticket to watch students take a math test.
But, college athletics are also in a state of flux. There is controversy over the sharing of funds by members of the Bowl Championship Series with what are termed Mid-Major schools like UL. Leagues other than the power conferences (ACC, SEC, Big 10, Pac-10, Big 12, Big East) find it nigh impossible to challenge for a national title in football, and 22 of the 34 NCAA Basketball Tournament at-large bids went to schools representing the power leagues. Meanwhile, conferences are realigning almost daily, and the athletic future of many universities is suddenly in doubt.
In 1991, UL and the rest of the American South merged with the Sun Belt Conference and, last season, the league numbered eight schools in football and 11 in basketball. In 2005, Utah State, Idaho, Troy State and Florida Atlantic were to come aboard, but Utah State has since bolted for the Western Athletic Conference and taken another Belt school, New Mexico State, along for company. North Texas, yet another SBC member, has received overtures from Conference-USA, while Louisiana Tech, a former Belt school now part of the WAC, continues to hope for a C-USA invitation but seems geographically better suited for its old league. Right now, there are more questions than answers, and Cajun fans are understandably concerned.
Will UL remain in the Sun Belt? What happens if the WAC comes calling? Is Conference-USA a viable option? What's being done about academic concerns on the basketball court? Why hasn't basketball coach Jessie Evans' contract been renewed yet? Louisiana State University and Tulane: friends or foes? Is there a University of Louisiana (sans the "at Lafayette") on the horizon? Read on
The Times: When you were appointed president of the university in July of 1974, did you have any inkling at that time what you were getting into?
Authement: Yes, I knew some things simply because I was vice president under Dr. (Clyde) Rougeau, and he gave me latitude to do a lot of things. I was the guy who defended the university in 1973 on the NCAA findings. Not very successful but ... you know, I was involved in so many things. I lobbied the Legislature; I worked with the Board (of Education) ... he really allowed me to learn, so I knew what I was getting into.
The Times: Considering the cloud over the university cast by the basketball investigation in the '70s, was there any trepidation on your part about taking the position?
Authement: No. I felt that I had come so far in administration that I may as well take the plunge to be the president.
The Times: Regrets? Disappointments?
Authement: There have been some regrets in my family. You know, I lost my best friend in (my daughter) Kathy ... but the university and my job kept me going so that we've been able to put it in the right perspective and put it behind us.
The Times: As you look back on it now, what would be the one accomplishment that you consider your proudest? And I realize we're encompassing a lot of territory here.
Authement: I'd have to put No. 1 as the name change and then the endowment. I never realized that we could raise that kind of money in a city of this size.
The Times: What kind of money are we talking about?
Authement: We have assets of about $120 million. When I started, we had $600,000.
The Times: Well, if they change the name again (from University of Louisiana at Lafayette to University of Louisiana), does that then go to the top of your list?
Authement: Oh, yes. (laughs)
The Times: Is there a future for this university in the Sun Belt Conference?
Authement: Yes. I think the Sun Belt with Florida Atlantic and Florida International, both large schools and very affluent, will help the league. I don't say it's the ultimate for this university, but the Sun Belt is improving. We had a meeting in Bowling Green (Kentucky), and most of the schools there were committed to a very competitive league in football and basketball. There will be some more movement (in different conferences) in the next four of five years, and we'll see how we can improve the Sun Belt or improve the university's position.
The Times: Do you want to be a part of that movement? Is this university being aggressive in looking elsewhere? Or are you content with your lot right now?
Authement: Well, I'm realistic in our position. The football program needs to be built, and I think Rickey Bustle can do that. I think we can improve in some other areas. We're very strong in spring sports, and our basketball program will bring us a lot of notoriety this year and hopefully next year. We need to position ourselves so if something better comes up, we need to be there. Obviously, we've made significant improvements because we've done so well in funding academics. I'm not saying we have enough money for academics, but we've raised the $100 million, we've created a new museum, we've funded the library very well. So, now we're concentrating on the athletic portion of the university (by) enlarging the training room and will enlarge the weight room, and I'll ask for an architect appointment on the outdoor facility over the next two or three weeks. The students have agreed to fund that project with a $15 per semester assessment, and we're also putting in a $2 surcharge for football tickets and a dollar on all the other tickets that we sell, which should produce another $200,000 to help fund that facility. So we're taking some very, very bold and, I think, innovative steps to get where we need to be.
The Times: Granted, but to translate into athletics, the only way this or any other Sun Belt school can change national perception is success, which is something they haven't had. We're all aware of the deficiencies in Sun Belt football and the reputation it has and, to be honest, this school pretty much carried basketball in the league this year. Does it ever frustrate you that, despite your efforts to advance the school athletically, nobody notices because of the overall picture in the Sun Belt?
Authement: That's true, but we have to work to make the Sun Belt more visible across the country, and that's part of our responsibility. There's been some talk about us joining the WAC, since the Eastern part of that league has been decimated with Tulsa, SMU, TCU and Rice leaving ...
The Times: Have you ever pursued the WAC?
Authement: We've talked. But, I don't want to go back because it's the Big West all over again. If you look at the WAC as it now exists - with the exception of Louisiana Tech - you've got New Mexico State and Utah State going in and, hey, we've been to that table. We just don't believe that's our future. The travel's too great, and the cost of basketball and baseball is not what we think we can afford at this particular time. They have no baseball in the WAC; their basketball is not that strong. So, yeah, there's been some conversation, but we're not going back to the Big West table.
The Times: Do you ever wonder how Louisiana Tech survives it? Are they happy in the WAC and will they stay in the WAC?
Authement: That's the big question. That decision will be made, I think, within the next 45 days. We know that Conference-USA has visited North Texas, and they're looking at Texas-El Paso, they're looking at Temple and I'm sure they're looking at Louisiana Tech. The problem (C-USA) is having is basketball, because they gave up a lot of basketball revenue when they lost Louisville and Marquette, so they have to be looking at some basketball income. And that decision will cause some movement because if Tech is not taken, what happens to them? Can they stay in the WAC? They're the only eastern school left. Will (the WAC) come after us? Yes, but I've already decided unless there are some other configurations, that's not the place for us. C-USA is more visible than the Sun Belt and has some schools that we'd like to be associated with, but we're just not strong enough in football at this time. To me, that's our handicap. But, that will change.
The Times: There are fans out there who perceive a built-in prejudice toward this university from schools in C-USA in general and Tulane in particular and that they will forever keep you out of their league even if you had a desire to join. Is there truth to that?
Authement: At one time, when it was first considered and when Conference USA was formed, I picked up that there was some opposition from Tulane. That has disappeared. We have great relationships with Tulane University. President (Scott) Cowen was really the leader of this movement to join the BCS, and I think there'll be some announcements in the next month or soon some very positive moves that will be taking place among BCS schools. I credit that to his leadership and we were part of it; I joined with them in the initial movement, and we think we'll be very pleased with what happens to the Sun Belt and the other four conferences that aren't BCS conferences.
The Times: An unfair question. All things being equal, which they're not: If you had the Sun Belt in one hand and Conference-USA in the other, which would you prefer?
Authement: With the present configuration, the answer's very easy. With the natural rivalries with Rice and Tulane and Memphis and the visibility of that conference at this particular time, we'd have to go with Conference-USA. However, that's strictly for the present situation. But, I really believe that the Sun Belt will improve drastically in football and baseball, especially with the two Florida schools.
The Times: So do you believe this university's athletic perception as well as conference affiliation depends largely on success in football?
Authement: Don, it's all about money. To be successful in this business, you'd better have money. Look at the amount of money these BCS conference schools (generate).
The Times: That works out to about $76 million a year, doesn't it?
Authement: Yes.
The Times: Just for the bowl games.
Authement: That is correct. So there certainly is this appreciation nationwide that football - and basketball, believe it or not, produces a lot of money - is the big (money-maker), and that's how the BCS and its schools have continued to prosper, because they get so much money. I think when the announcement comes, you'll see a change.
The Times: How do you turn casual fans into fanatics? I have this theory that every school has a large contingent of casual fans, which presidents or athletic departments can't really count on because they never know what the casual fan's going to do. Will he buy tickets or take the family to the movie? You just don't know what his priorities are. But the fanatic, well, he'll run through walls to support his team.
Authement: It's all about winning, and baseball is a classic example. Before (head coach) Tony Robichaux started achieving success, we'd get two or three hundred people for a game and sometimes less than that. Now, we sell 2,000 season tickets. The first game of the season, I think we had 3,200 there and we're averaging 2,300 people. That's a result of success, and I think you'll see that improve in basketball. I think a lot of people didn't renew basketball season tickets because they felt we lost too many people academically, and we did lose one player (Michael Southall) who was important to the team but he didn't perform academically. But we had success this year because the people who played on that team played together and were highly motivated and they're basically good kids.
The Times: This club was maybe the most entertaining team since the days of Andrew Toney (UL All-American in 1980) and, considering the history of the program, that's saying a lot. Still, to average only 4,800 fans a game at home has to be a concern to you.
Authement: It is, but look across the country (at other attendance figures) and 4,800's very good. But, we should have seven, eight, 9,000, and I think if these kids take care of their business - and they're doing this at this time and we have tutors on the trips with them - and they're dedicated to the academic portion now. They've seen what can happen if they don't do their work, so they're well directed.
The Times: Unless I missed the press release, (Coach) Jessie Evans' contract still has not been renewed ...
Authement: Correct.
The Times: ...and there's a perception out there that the university was taking a wait-and-see attitude about resigning him. Does the fact that the team has made it to the NCAA Tournament impact Evans' future here at all?
Authement: No, not really. He and I had a conversation before the season started and it was based on academic performance of the ball club. I thought that we had to do better than that. Jessie brought in (Assistant Coach) Jimmy Williams, and he's had a tremendous influence on the program and now we just need to sit down and negotiate the contract. I told him at the time I thought he was an excellent coach and had a good presence about him, but we needed to improve academics and that has happened.
The Times: Should Cajun fans read anything negative into the fact the contract hasn't been renewed yet?
Authement: No, not at all. It's just a matter of sitting down because I'm very, very pleased with what has happened academically.
The Times: Do you expect Evans to be your coach next year, or do you expect other schools to start looking at him?
Authement: I saw that the coach at Houston resigned yesterday and was relieved to see they'd named one of their assistants to replace him. (laughs) Obviously some people are going to look at Jessie; he's a good coach. I think he realizes now that he needs a bit attention to the academic side, and his staff is handling that.
The Times: Does discipline come into play here?
Authement: That's part of it, obviously. To be a success in the classroom, you've got to have discipline. Otherwise, you'll let basketball take over your life and you'll forget about what you came here for.
The Times: What about your personal future? You've been president of the university for ...
Authement: I'm in my thirtieth year.
The Times: Are you tired of this yet?
Authement: No, Don, I thought about retirement two years ago. Kathy's loss sent me into a tailspin, and I decided to do things to keep busy. Right now, we have the largest construction program in the history of the university; we have some other new ventures, and I'm having fun. It's a day-to-day affair with me, but I feel well and I have more energy than I had five years ago simply because I'm taking care of my health.
The Times: So, you're not too weary to continue to fight the battles that a university in your situation has to fight.
Authement: Well, let's put it this way. We're in such a better position to fight than we ever were. I'm speaking from a financial point of view, I'm speaking from an academic point of view and I'm speaking athletically. We are in a better position than we've ever been. Because I've been here a long time and I know what the situation was when I took over. When you have a good endowment, when you have reserves in your operating budget, you have monies to build. For example, we're building a new computer science building completely financed by the university. No state funds, no outside monies. I would say we're in the best financial shape of any institution in the Sun Belt and in the state, with perhaps the exception of LSU.
The Times: Since you bring up LSU, if you could use one word to describe this university's relationship with that school, what would it be?
Authement: Very good.
The Times: That would be two words.
Authement: OK, good. (laughs) (LSU President) Philip Jenkins and I are good friends, and if I would call and need something from Phil Jenkins, he would make every effort to get it done. Obviously there is a rivalry because we're so close together ...
The Times: I was about to ask if that mutual good feeling between you two extends to the athletic departments?
Authement: Well, they dropped us in some sports because of some ... (pause) ... incidents that really had no bearing on anything. The disappearance of the plaque (honoring former UL and current LSU softball coach Yvette Girouard), I didn't know the plaque was even there and I don't know what happened to it. We looked into a situation not too long ago; one of the discs we put up was taken from its position, the Texas A&M victory monument was taken ... we happened to find it when somebody spotted it in somebody's back yard. Those things happen and, you know, there was no effort to discredit Yvette in what she did (here). I was at that game (2002 NCAA Regional in Lafayette) when it was said people from UL were pulling against LSU. Well, I was there when Tulane was playing someone else and LSU fans were yelling against Tulane. Hey, that's just athletics. I just think they (LSU) wanted out for a little while and, sooner or later, we'll get it back together.
The Times: Do you anticipate sooner in some sports than others?
Authement: Yes, I think we'll play baseball again in the very near future and I think we'll play basketball. Maybe over there, but we'll play.
The Times: Is it my imagination or have I noticed a slackening in the use of the word Lafayette where the name of the school is concerned?
Authement: More and more people including the press are beginning to drop the second "L." As we played in the (SBC) tournament, the scoreboard, ESPN and some of the other announcers called us UL or the University of Louisiana. I think ULA was another that was used. I think that it will happen gradually and, certainly, Monroe (ULM) has some concerns about that. We don't control it, but always you'll see the school that takes the lead in growth and development will be the one to get the recognition.
The Times: So while you don't control it, you're not going out of your way to quash it either, right?
Authement: No (laughs), I'm not.
Don Allen's Out of Bounds celebrated its 16th anniversary with The Times in September. Proof that you can fool some of the people all of the time. Catch his daily Out of Bounds radio show at 9 a.m. Monday through Friday, on KVOL-AM. E-mail him at timesedit@timesofacadiana.com.
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The Times of Acadiana
Don Allen / Sports and Movies
March 24, 2004
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Originally Posted by RaginFan2
