The Book: 2007 Football

[NewsCopy]

  UL's football team wrapped up its major work for Saturday's home game against McNeese State on Thursday with a 90-minute session at its indoor facility. It was the second straight day that the Cajuns were forced indoors due to rain and wet field conditions.

Still, UL offensive line coach Ron Hudson said that the last two days were among UL's better practices.

The rest of the story

Dan McDonald
dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com

[cajun4ever]

It's gotta be LaTech. We took great pride in beating them in the final game of the 93 season to get a share of the Big West Title.

[Rebel02]

It is 2009 that we open the regular season at home against Southern.

[Damon]

I would agree that Monroe isn't a true rivalry. I get the sense that we beat them just so we don't embarass ourselves (sound familar, McNeese?).

I think a rivalry happens both on and off the field. On the field, it needs to be competitive in terms of overall record and series record. Off the field, the fans need to hate everything about the other school (the city, academics, cheerleaders, band, colors, mascot).

[Corndog308]

_ For a game that really "does not mean that much to Ragin Cajun fans", I am not going to argue. Personally, I hope that Troy brings as many fans to Cajun Field as it is the start of the Sun Belt Conference season. Troy means more to the program than McNeese in terms of getting to the ultimate goal of the New Orleans Bowl. But, just for grins, I decided to plug some arbitrary numbers:

28,578 fans @ avg. ticket price $20.00 = $571,560
28,578 fans @ $5.00 per avg. concession = $142,890
TOTAL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $714,450
(minus) McNeese's Estimated Share. . . . . . . $150,000
TOTAL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .($564,450)

Maybe these numbers aren't even close but they are, indeed, food for thought. I would, however, challenge any OTHER 1-AA program in the state of Louisiana to generate such potential income to a game that does not really matter in the grand scheme of things. In the end, this is all good for UL's football program and I would hope that you could draw this for all of your Sun Belt conference home games. This is what nostalgia, tradition, and history can do for a payday!

And, I did not even estimate how many times this money would "turn" on one Saturday in the Lafayette Metroplex. Intriguing to say the least. _

If we were allowed to sell some o' dat beer, you could see double that.
UL- 37
McNugget- 17
Attendance-27,346

[Choppie29]

I'm 27 years old. Not old enough to really remember the McNeese rivalry. The only true rival UL had in my years of watching Cajun football and basketball is La. Tech. It seems like the crowds were bigger when Tech was in town. I would love to see us schedule a home and home with Tech.

[FLcowboyfan]

Seems like some folks think USL or U Of L (at least usl was unique instead of being lumped together with 2 or 3 other schools) is so much above McNeese. Well you guys should be happy to play a 1aa school...you may win one, but then again probably not. McNeese football owned USL in the past and will again this weekend. Sunbelt football = 1AA

[RaginFan]

Sunbelt football = 1AA

Keep telling yourself that buddy. Whatever gets you through the day. We cant all be Notre Dame....but I'm sure you are painfully aware of that.

[CajunRed]

Hey Dude... try as you may, McNeese's athletic program as a whole (football, baseball, softball, basketball and so forth), and more importantly its academic program, is a little above a 5A high school's.

Sorry... cowboy, but someone had to break this to you!

[RonMexico]

Seems like some folks think USL or U Of L (at least usl was unique instead of being lumped together with 2 or 3 other schools) is so much above McNeese. Well you guys should be happy to play a 1aa school...you may win one, but then again probably not. McNeese football owned USL in the past and will again this weekend. Sunbelt football = 1AA

FLcowboyfan=1AA fan, 2nd rate