. . . find a definition of major college football and maybe a point can be made . . .
Let's say:
1. GA State wins out (including JMU and LSU) and is ranked
2. UL wins out, including beating ranked GA St in conf championship
10-3 with win over ranked team.. and we go to the New Orleans Bowl to play Ohio
How major do you feel? How major do you think we look to the casual fans we need to sell tickets?
This is the mentality and biggest issue from the community in Acadiana towards UL. This guy just summed up our problem in five words, it's like if your not in the SEC you are not a major college.
THEY ARE CLUELESS WHAT WE HAVE HERE IN LAFAYETTE and what we can be going forward. Small-minded attitude. No one wants to build anything, just want to ride the coat tails of a perceived "MAJOR" college.
This is partly the Universities fault for not advertising our strengths and getting people to notice our achievements, but at some point the community needs to step up and own what has been built here for 125 years. We are the second largest public university in the state, one of only 3 R1 schools (Tulane, UL, LSU) with very good academics and very good athletics.
Honestly all we lack is the proper fan support in the area to get to the next level. That's on the community for not embracing it's own, a community that supposedly prides itself on it's unique culture yet can't support the school with the cultures name on it and history behind it!
I'm not defending the administration either, a ton needs to be done on that end, but it all starts and ends with the people that live in the area, especially alumni.
I've lived and traveled around the country and been to most of the "Major" colleges. Only thing separating us is the mentality that we are not "Major".
Thats not what I said.
The very nature of only 5 home games means going on the road for tougher competition.
I have long reported on the need for 2-for1and 3-for1 matchups at least in the beginning.
Once schools know that your schedule will help their schedule, they will very much play on your turf.
The option is there for all major programs to schedule tough in the independant portion of their schedule.
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