Blackham Coliseum

[NewsCopy]

The last time a Ragin' Cajun basketball team played a real opponent in Blackham Coliseum, Florida's Andrew Moten missed a layup at the buzzer and UL posted a 65-64 win over the Gators in the opening round of the 1985 NIT Tournament. Most of the current UL players were barely born then. The elder statesman of the squad, senior center Chris Cameron, was 2. Twenty years and eight months later, the Cajuns return to the venerable facility as foster children, pushed out of their accustomed home for the next two months. But they're not complaining. In fact, they're excited about playing in Blackham tonight when they welcome St. Gregory's for their annual exhibition contest. Tipoff is 7 p.m. for the first true public appearance of the 2005-06 Cajun squad. "We've heard plenty about all the guys that used to play in here," said senior guard Dwayne Mitchell. "Now, we want to be one of those teams and be those players that people talk about." They'll get that chance, with UL scheduled to play tonight's exhibition and four regular-season contests in the 6,200-seat facility before a move back to the Cajundome for the Jan. 12 Sun Belt Conference opener against South Alabama. "From what everybody's told me, back when they played in here it was unbelievable," said Cameron, who with Mitchell and Michael Southall open their senior seasons tonight. "You can tell it can get really loud in here. I'm anxious to see what it will be like with a lot of people in here." The exhibition may not be the true test for that crowd, with a better idea of what the facility will be like crowd-wise likely coming in the regular-season home opener Dec. 3 against Charlotte. But fans have been waiting for the opener since the end of last year's 20-11 and Sun Belt championship season, and anticipation grew when UL was picked by league coaches to win the West title. The rest of the story Dan McDonald dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com

[NewsCopy]

Tickets are available at the Cajundome from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. or may be purchased at Blackham. At Blackham both the gates and ticket booths will open at 6 p.m. Two ticket booths are located on either side of the main entrance of Blackham Coliseum facing Johnston Street. Tickets are $7 each and ALL are general admission. Fans who already have tickets may enter Blackham at the east and west side entrances. Those purchasing tickets at the door must enter the front entrance. VEHICLE INTRANCE Vehicles will enter the parking lot from CajunDome Blvd, and Coliseum Road Coliseum Road: No left turn will be allowed from Johnston St. onto Coliseum Road. Fans may turn right from Johnston onto Coliseum Road. Coliseum Road may also be accessed from Souvenir Gate Road. Use gate 3 to enter parking lot. CajunDome Boulevard: Fans entering off Cajundome Blvd. should use gate 5. You may turn left off of Johnston Street onto Cajundome Blvd Overflow parking is in the grass lots across from the Blackham barns as well as at the UL print shop and Cajun Field. Fans are urged to arrive early to avoid a lengthy walk. ONCE INSIDE Tonight's game is general parking and general seating. Reserved seating and parking will not begin until the regular-season home opener against Charlotte. Handicapped seating is located near section S 2 restrooms are located on either side of the arena. 2 designated smoking areas will be available outside the arena, and fans must keep their ticket to re-enter.

[Geaux clotille]

Do you know anything about handicapped parking at Blackham?

[LongTimeCajun]

Wait seriously no beer? At a UL basketball game?!

[RaginRash]

I believe there was a fairly decent sports editorial on the subject of Mr. Southall in today's Vermilion...check it out online.

PS. This sports editorial thing is going to become a weekly ordeal, so be sure to check it out every Wednesday.

Hook us up with a link!

[SlappyCajun]

Just a kindly reminder. Make sure you are at Blackham tonight for the game against St. Gregory tonight. We need to pack the place. So call all your friends, relatives, neighbors, etc. and get them there too! Tonight is general admission, so make sure to get there early. Doors open at 6, and parking should open around 4-4:30.

For those without tickets, I believe they are going to be about $6 tonight!

See ya at the game

[NewsCopy]

Hook us up with a link!

Stay in Line, Big Mike "Big Mike's coming back? What?" Okay, so maybe I'm not on a first name basis with Michael Southall, but that was my first reaction upon hearing that he had cleared the initial hurdles to regaining his eligibility to rejoin the Cajun basketball team. The rest of the story Author: Chris Ledet Sports Editorialist The Vermilion

[NewsCopy]

LOUISIANA La -- The University of Louisiana men's basketball team will jump-start its 2005-06 season with its lone exhibition game of the season at Blackham Coliseum this evening. The Ragin' Cajuns, winners of 20-plus games in each of the past four seasons, host St. Gregory's University of the NAIA Division I Sooner Athletic Conference at 7:05 p.m. For the first time since March 14, 1985, a ULL men's basketball game will be held in venerable Blackham Coliseum. The facility served as the home arena for the Cajuns from Feb. 6, 1950 through the end of the 1984-85 season. Tonight's game will be the first of five scheduled at Blackham Coliseum for the Cajuns, who'll play their entire non-conference schedule at Blackham Coliseum. The move was made necessary after the Cajundome, UL's home arena, was utilized as an evacuee center for Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The Cajundome is expected to be ready when the Cajuns hold their Sun Belt Conference opener against South Alabama on Thursday, Jan. 12. "We don't have any idea what it will be like," UL coach Robert Lee said of playing in the facility that served as the Cajuns' basketball home for more than three decades. "None of our players or coaches have ever been in there (for a game). But there's so many memories and so many great moments floating around in there. "We hope everybody will come out and maybe relive some of that. It should be a lot of fun." Today's exhibition contest will be the first opportunity for Lee to take a look at a unit that is an almost complete overhaul from his 2004-05 squad that made the program's second straight NCAA Tournament berth. The rest of the story Advocate News Service

[CajunCharlie]

I believe there was a fairly decent sports editorial on the subject of Mr. Southall in today's Vermilion...check it out online.

PS. This sports editorial thing is going to become a weekly ordeal, so be sure to check it out every Wednesday.

Good editorial, Chris. I hope Mike succeeds, but I am one who is taking the wait and see attitude. I hope for HIS sake that he succeeds. His future depends on him having a successful return.

In his past tenure with the team, his attitude aggravated the hell out of me. During time outs, rather than listening to the coaches, he would be playing "grab |||" with the ball boys...unbelievable!!

If he has gained any sense of maturity, he should be successful in turning his life around. Here's hoping he does so.

Keep up the good work, Chris.

[ChanceEncounter]

This is for everyone going to Blackham tonight

AC/DC

"Back in black
I hit the sack
I've been too long I'm glad to be back
Yes I'm
Let loose from the noose
That's kept me hanging about
I've been looking at the sky cause it's gettin' me high
Forget the hearse cause I'll never die
I got nine lives, cat's eyes
Abusing every one of them and runnin' wild

CHORUS
Cause I'm back
Yes I'm back
Well I'm back
Yes im back
Well I'm baaack
Baaaack
Well I'm back in black
Yes I'm back in black

Back in the back of a cadillac
Number one with a bullet I'm a power pack
Yes I'm in a bang
With a gang
They gotta catch me if they want me to hang
Cause I'm back on the track and I'm beatin' the flak
Nobody's gonna get me on another rap
So look at me now I'm just makin' my way
Don't try to push your luck just get out of my way

Cause I'm back
Yes I'm back
Well I'm back
Yes I'm back
Well I'm back back
Well I'm back in black
Yes I'm back in black

Well I'm back yes I'm back
Well I'm back yes I'm back
Well I'm back back
Well I'm back in black
Yes I'm back in black

Well I'm back back
Well I'm back back
Back back
Back in black

Out of the sight"

[studentfan]

Must be faith, I'm listening to yahoo music and back in black is playing right now, while reading your post. (It is randomly playing music) Wow that's scary.

[El Sidonio]

If anyone out there knows a radio feed via internet that actually works, please let me know. the espn1420 link doesn't work, the one on ragincajuns.com doesn't work, and the 107.9 feed is the normal rap music they play. HELP!!!!!

I got someone calling me at halftime and the end as a backup plan. Lst time we talked, cajuns up 16-7 at soem point in the first half.

God Bless