Cajuns to C-USA?

[oldguystudent]

Well The Vermilion is the student newspaper of ULL...

So I can wrap my Po'Boy with it?

[MeanGreenWithEnvy]

For everyone turning their noses up at ULL, much like most of C-USA at the time did when we were being discussed for promotion, can you give me one legitimate school from another conference that is a realistic add?

In my mind, this is how it works. C-USA is the next step up from the Sun Belt. After one good season of football and one bad season of football, suddenly our poop doesn't stink and we're too good to rub shoulders with the likes of another Belt program? That's some serious lace curtain thinking, y'all.

They're a competitive school and that makes the conference better. I'm all for it.

[Shof]

It will certainly be interesting to see how CUSA handles the UAB situation. Staying at 13 just doesn't seem like a good idea; but finding that "1" program to add will be dicey. Others have suggested, and I agree, that using 2 8-team divisions for a total of 16 makes a lot of sense. Sure, it slices the revenue up a little more; but that amount could easily be made up with reduced travel expenses in a tighter geographical footprint, and reduce the time student athletes miss class.....which you would think is important to the people making these decisions (Univ Presidents). This is big for the Olympic sports.

Obviously I'm a biased Cajuns fan; but our demographic fits well with existing programs in CUSA West. And we have fielded strong teams in numerous sports; most notably softball (nationally recognized) and baseball. Football drives the bus, and that has improved significantly over the past 4 years, and seems to be steadily improving as a "program" with improving facilities and other campus improvements.

Our biggest drawback has always been our lack of vision (athletically) by our administration. Maybe they are working behind the scenes; but their apparent lack of initiative/drive to sell the program to other/better conferences seems to be seriously lacking. Most fans IMO do not have any confidence in the current AD. He certainly isn't endearing himself to the fans, and most think he just wants to stayed tied to the hip with his alma mater (Georgia Southern). I can only hope I'm wrong in that regard, and we really are pursuing an improvement in our conference affiliation.

[VideoEagle]

Our biggest drawback has always been our lack of vision (athletically) by our administration.

We at NT can certainly relate to this!

[NM Green]

If we add the Cajuns please place the basketball tourney and be done with it. I am jealous how lobo fan Oregon fan Air Force fan and Arizona fan gets to plan that weekend in Vegas a year out! We need a destination city in our conference that is not Miami or San antonio too Far East or too far west. GMG

[NM Green]

New Orleans is brilliant on so many levels!!!!!! GMG

[GrayEagle]

Other than Army, there is no one that would add more to the conference than Louisiana. And, unless they (Army) decide to join a conference because Air Force and Navy are now in conferences, they are content where they are. Also, their reputation is from football and being a national institution, not from other sports that the majority of FBS teams sponsor.

The MAC has some decent teams but their attendance is atrocious. Ohio. Buffalo and Toledo are the only teams consistently at the 20,000 mark. Only half of their teams meet the stadium capacity of 30,000 (the old standard for FBS).

The Cajuns would immediately be at, or near the top of CUSA in football, baseball, softball and tailgating. They have good attendance figures which should escalate in a new conference; especially with the makeup of the new western division. There are about a half million people in the parishes adjacent to Lafayette. Not huge, but the area known as Acadiana would give strong support to a local team.

Thirteen teams is difficult for scheduling and equitability. And please don't change the requirement that all members must field a football team. That would preclude the idea that BYU could be a 'football only' member. Now, if they want to bring their whole kit and kaboodle then they're #1 without question. However, barring BYU or Army being receptive to becoming the fourteenth team, the Louisiana Ragin' (I wish they'd drop that) Cajuns should be the next CUSA member, self-promoting or not.

Edited January 24, 2015 by GrayEagle

[Mean Green Matt]

Just kick out FIU instead of adding Lafayette.

[Mean Green 93-98]

Other than Army, there is no one that would add more to the conference than Louisiana. And, unless they (Army) decide to join a conference because Air Force and Navy are now in conferences, they are content where they are. Also, their reputation is from football and being a national institution, not from other sports that the majority of FBS teams sponsor.

The MAC has some decent teams but their attendance is atrocious. Ohio. Buffalo and Toledo are the only teams consistently at the 20,000 mark. Only half of their teams meet the stadium capacity of 30,000 (the old standard for FBS).

The Cajuns would immediately be at, or near the top of CUSA in football, baseball, softball and tailgating. They have good attendance figures which should escalate in a new conference; especially with the makeup of the new western division. There are about a half million people in the parishes adjacent to Lafayette. Not huge, but the area known as Acadiana would give strong support to a local team.

Thirteen teams is difficult for scheduling and equitability. And please don't change the requirement that all members must field a football team. That would preclude the idea that BYU could be a 'football only' member. Now, if they want to bring their whole kit and kaboodle then they're #1 without question. However, barring BYU or Army being receptive to becoming the fourteenth team, the Louisiana Ragin' (I wish they'd drop that) Cajuns should be the next CUSA member, self-promoting or not.

I'd add Northern Illinois ahead of ULL. Not sure if it's realistic. But ULL would be a solid add--they're better than at least half the teams currently in C-USA.

[Harry]

NM Green I think San Antonio would be a fun destination for the tourney.

[emmitt01]

NM Green I think San Antonio would be a fun destination for the tourney.

I'd prefer New Orleans because we ger San Antonio once every two years anyway

[UNTFan23]

NM Green I think San Antonio would be a fun destination for the tourney.

Other then the overpriced river walk, San Antonio has what?

[greenit]

Just goes to show, if you say something long enough people start to believe it.

Case in point, all the negative nellies around here. Pretty soon the whole board starts believing it and repeating the same message. Thanks, now you have turned GMG.com in to San Antonio.

[ADLER]

Other than Army, there is no one that would add more to the conference than Louisiana. And, unless they (Army) decide to join a conference because Air Force and Navy are now in conferences, they are content where they are. Also, their reputation is from football and being a national institution, not from other sports that the majority of FBS teams sponsor.

The MAC has some decent teams but their attendance is atrocious. Ohio. Buffalo and Toledo are the only teams consistently at the 20,000 mark. Only half of their teams meet the stadium capacity of 30,000 (the old standard for FBS).

The Cajuns would immediately be at, or near the top of CUSA in football, baseball, softball and tailgating. They have good attendance figures which should escalate in a new conference; especially with the makeup of the new western division. There are about a half million people in the parishes adjacent to Lafayette. Not huge, but the area known as Acadiana would give strong support to a local team.

Thirteen teams is difficult for scheduling and equitability. And please don't change the requirement that all members must field a football team. That would preclude the idea that BYU could be a 'football only' member. Now, if they want to bring their whole kit and kaboodle then they're #1 without question. However, barring BYU or Army being receptive to becoming the fourteenth team, the Louisiana Ragin' (I wish they'd drop that) Cajuns should be the next CUSA member, self-promoting or not.

Well said GE, well said. The Cajuns would be an excellent selection to replace UAB in CUSA. Our conference has lost western members Tulane and Tulsa in recent years and replaced them with eastern schools to placate ECU and Marshall. How well did that work? CUSA added schools which each have their fine merits but are all totally unmarketable in our part of the world. We once again have the requirement to replace a departing western member and let's get it right this time. The Cajuns aren't an excellent candidate to fill the void, they're the perfect candidate.

[FirefightnRick]

Well said GE, well said. The Cajuns would be an excellent selection to replace UAB in CUSA. Our conference has lost western members Tulane and Tulsa in recent years and replaced them with eastern schools to placate ECU and Marshall. How well did that work? CUSA added schools which each have their fine merits but are all totally unmarketable in our part of the world. We once again have the requirement to replace a departing western member and let's get it right this time. The Cajuns aren't an excellent candidate to fill the void, they're the perfect candidate.

I second this.

Rick

Edited January 25, 2015 by FirefightnRick

[oldguystudent]

I'd rather hang out in Plano/Frisco

Kid pulls the nuclear option. I dig the moxie.