re: What would it take for UL to become a respected G5 program

Posted by FightinTigersDammit

Louisiana North

Member since Mar 2006

41685 posts

Posted on 12/30/23 at 8:04 am to turnpiketiger

They need the top 100 schools to drop football

Posted by Musashi

South Louisiana

Member since Dec 2020

419 posts

Posted on 12/30/23 at 8:40 am to turnpiketiger

More rich alumni donors. Does anything else really matter these days?

Posted by msutiger

Houston

Member since Jul 2008

70620 posts

Posted on 12/30/23 at 9:35 am to turnpiketiger

ULL, ULM and Louisiana Tech all have the exact same problem. Louisiana is broke and the limited resources are sucked up by there being way too many D1 4-Year schools.

Neither of the three are allowed to pass a student fee while all of their peers have that ability.

Everyone wants to gawk at James Madison but they had a top 5 G5 budget the day they became FBS in an era where money is the only thing that matters. When you use student fees to support your program at an elite G5 level all of your donor money can now go to NIL, not supporting the actual program.

There is no path to becoming a 2000’s Boise of the G5 in this era if you are poor school.

Posted by SportsGuyNOLA

New Orleans, LA

Member since May 2014

20062 posts

Posted on 12/30/23 at 9:49 am to msutiger

Would bringing back Sun Belt Billy after he gets fired at Florida help?

Posted by msutiger

Houston

Member since Jul 2008

70620 posts

Posted on 12/30/23 at 9:57 am to SportsGuyNOLA

The local Cajun posters can probably speak to this a little more. But from what I've heard, there were financial games being played and the UL System told the university to knock it off when Napier left. Would explain the Des hire and their budget no longer being millions in the "red".

They were running deficits that weren't actually deficits, but it was a shell game with institutional support. The UL System has strict rules on what funds or percentage of funds can be used to fund athletic programs. Very clever and obviously paid off big when Napier was there.

This post was edited on 12/30/23 at 9:59 am

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Posted by ragincajun03

Member since Nov 2007

25016 posts

Posted on 12/30/23 at 10:07 am to msutiger

quote:
Neither of the three are allowed to pass a student fee while all of their peers have that ability.

Everyone wants to gawk at James Madison but they had a top 5 G5 budget the day they became FBS in an era where money is the only thing that matters. When you use student fees to support your program at an elite G5 level all of your donor money can now go to NIL, not supporting the actual program.

There is no path to becoming a 2000’s Boise of the G5 in this era if you are poor school.

All this is correct.

quote:
But from what I've heard, there were financial games being played and the UL System told the university to knock it off when Napier left. Would explain the Des hire and their budget no longer being millions in the "red".

They were running deficits that weren't actually deficits, but it was a shell game with institutional support. The UL System has strict rules on what funds or percentage of funds can be used to fund athletic programs. Very clever and obviously paid off big when Napier was there.

I'm not sure how true all of this is, but 2020 hit our entire athletic department pretty damn hard. Having the second best season in football program history at a time when government/schools only allowed restricted attendance because of a virus really hurt.

But...even if what you stated above is true about the "shell game", when one considers the statement from you I first quoted, then that's about the only option any of the D1 programs in Louisiana can do. We're all in a huge financial disadvantage compared to the rest of our conference peers. Look at UTSA with a modest $240 per semester for an athletic fee.

Take LA Tech's enrollment of about 12,000, and that would be an extra $5.7 Million per year for your athletic budget. When you're running about $25 Mil to $30 Mil per year, that's not an insignificant figure you're missing out on.

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Posted by TigerKurt

Kenner, LA

Member since Apr 2005

992 posts

Posted on 12/30/23 at 10:33 am to ragincajun03

Ulala

Posted by NoBoDawg

Member since Feb 2014

1844 posts

Posted on 12/30/23 at 11:53 am to SpartyGator

quote:
Bring back Billy Napier

lol…there were fewer butts in the seats during Napier’s success than the the Smedium HUD days. I don’t get this either because the vast majority of Cajun Alum live in Lafayette.

Posted by NoBoDawg

Member since Feb 2014

1844 posts

Posted on 12/30/23 at 12:18 pm to ragincajun03

quote:
Take LA Tech's enrollment of about 12,000, and that would be an extra $5.7 Million per year for your athletic budget. When you're running about $25 Mil to $30 Mil per year, that's not an insignificant figure you're missing out on.

Yep! Our schools are getting screwed out of a ton of money by leaving it up to student vote. Last time a vote was held, students voted overwhelmingly against an athletic fee. Professors were in on it as well. Tech might as well drop down to FCS & I’m not joking.

Posted by NIH

Member since Aug 2008

117215 posts

Posted on 12/30/23 at 12:41 pm to NoBoDawg

I don’t think there’s a way to keep the smaller programs stabilized in this era with portal and NIL. Until the systems are split for postseason I think schools would be wise to invest in basketball and baseball. Especially a school like UL. Baseball attendance is always top 25 in the country and the park is great.

Posted by shaqtaw

Member since Oct 2009

6229 posts

Posted on 12/30/23 at 12:59 pm to NIH

Why would anyone want to pay a student fee for athletics?

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Posted by slinger1317

Northshore

Member since Sep 2005

6549 posts

Posted on 12/30/23 at 1:03 pm to msutiger

quote:
The UL System has strict rules on what funds or percentage of funds can be used to fund athletic programs

The amount of frickery in the LA Constitution regarding colleges and money is very sad.

As Louisianans we laugh about our crooked politics but the rules/laws and how much of our money is wasted is ridiculous and kills our colleges. I have 2 kids in middle school and have already told them to look out of state for college.

This state is going down the tubes. High taxes, high insurance, no business development, horrible infrastructure.

Posted by ragincajun03

Member since Nov 2007

25016 posts

Posted on 12/30/23 at 1:04 pm to shaqtaw

quote:
Why would anyone want to pay a student fee for athletics?

I’m not saying most students would want to. However, when there’s discussions about what UL, LA Tech or ULM can accomplish in athletics compared to their peers, especially in money sports like football and men’s basketball, the reality is they’re already starting behind the rest of their pack in terms of funding for athletics.

It just is what it is.

Posted by ragincajun03

Member since Nov 2007

25016 posts

Posted on 12/30/23 at 1:06 pm to slinger1317

quote:
I have 2 kids in middle school and have already told them to look out of state for college.

I guess it depends. LSU, Louisiana-Lafayette and Louisiana Tech are still pretty darn good bang for your buck in the Engineering college. Nursing programs as well for the first two mentioned.

Posted by turnpiketiger

Lone Star State

Member since May 2020

11259 posts

Posted on 12/30/23 at 7:32 pm to ragincajun03

quote:
LSU, Louisiana-Lafayette and Louisiana Tech are still pretty darn good bang for your buck in the Engineering college. Nursing programs as well for the first two mentioned.

LSU doesn’t have a real nursing program. They have some pre nursing bs then they force you to move to Shreveport or Nola.

UL’s program is the best in the state IMO.