Average Attendance 1994 - 2004

[IHateLaState]

Clutch,
I have been pleasantly surprised at the turnout and the enthusiasm on the "student side" this year. In years past, it was a challenge to see if we could manually count the number of students at the game. But now you are not only turning out in numbers but you seem to have the enthusiasm I have not seen since I left in the... ahem.... 1970's....lol..I saw seevral shirts proclaiming loyalty here and not in Baton Rouge. A couple of examples:
1. If you don't support the Cajuns.. move to Baton Rouge
2. You chose the right one baby (with a pic of a toddler boy kissing a toddler girl with a UL shirt on while another toddler girl with an LSU short on looks on in jealousy..lol)

I've heard Coach Bustle has been instrumental in building this enthusiasm... Any other thoughts from a student on this groundswell of support??? Thanks to you and all of your fellow students.. keep it up!!!1

[Oldman]

good crowd but i wonder why people will tailgate outside the stadium but don't come in, i would like to know why!! it would be interesting if someone did a survey and go around ask them why they are not coming into the stadium, because there should have been a few more thousand for sure

[CajunCharlie]

Oldman, there is a french/cajun word for that attitude. It is paresse (laziness). They just don't want to get off there duffs and be part of the excitement. It is too much of an effort to walk from their tailgating site to stadium.

[El Sidonio]

I think it has to do with the amount of work involved in shutting down tailgating and securing equipment and sites enough to where they don't have to be watched during the game. I think that gives a couple of people excuses. As for the rest of them, shame shame!

God Bless.

[CajunRebel]

I looked out at the crowd from the student section at kickoff and guessed that about 18,000 showed up. But after the end of the 1st quarter when I looked up the lower section was filled to capacity and the upper deck was filled out nicely. Here are three reasons why I think this happens.

1. People who arrive less than an hour or so before the game have been able to get a parking spot. Gone are the days where you can arrive 10 minutes before gametime and park 5 minutes away. Now people arriving at that time are forced to walk from Blackham or wherever else they can find a spot.

2. People are also used to walking up and buying tickets. Well, you can't do that when you have over 15,000 non-season ticket holders going to the game. This forces people to wait in long ticket lines. You have probably seen the long lines yourself.

3. All of the pregame events go on until just before kickoff. I usually go into the stadium about 45 minutes before kickoff (gotta get my good seats) and the party is still going on. When it all finally ends, it's about 30 minutes before kickoff, and all the tailgaters have to clean up. So they end up coming in a little late.

But with all that said, it's really a nice problem to have.

And with such a late kickoff vs. North Texas, I think we can expect everyone to get to the stadium pretty early. And I think that's what we are most concerned about anyway.

[Clutch0364]

Being around campus I can't exactly pin point exactly why students are getting more involved but I do see a lot more loyalty towards UL rather than that other school.

[DaddyCajun]

Buy a ticket and GO INTO THE GAME!!!

I would use the parking and ticket line issues in next season advertisement of season tickets!! Buy your season tickets get a parking pass and no waiting to buy tickets prior to the start of the game!!

DaddyCajun

[CajunCharlie]

Originally posted by Sid
I think it has to do with the amount of work involved in shutting down tailgating and securing equipment and sites enough to where they don't have to be watched during the game. I think that gives a couple of people excuses.

Sid, that may be part of the problem, but it should not be an excuse. We have a large tailgating site, Krewe de Chew, with many dishes of food to satisfy the 60-80 fans that visit our site. We quit feeding 1/2 hr before kick off, and secure our stuff. Then we all go to the game, and return after to do it all over again.

[DaddyCajun]

I have some cousins from Lake Charles and New Orleans that ARE coming to the game!! They said with the late start it gives them time after working all day to pack and travel!! They are pumped and so am I as I know ALL of you are too!!

Talk to the High School kids and parents in your areas and invite them to the game!!! Let them KNOW they are a BIG part of UL moving in the right direction, help UL send a message to ALL football fans, students(prospective), and athletes(prospective)!!

DaddyCajun!

[El Sidonio]

Not that this excuses us from doing our parts, but I'd imagine Nelson and the Athletic Dept. will do their part in promoting and advertising this game to the area high school crowds.

God Bless.