I'm a bit schizo regarding the UL(L) Cajuns. I grew up in Lafayette and will always like Brian Mitchell and Jake Delhomme. One of my best friends when I was about 10 was the son of USL's AD at the time. All he would talk about was how the Cajuns could beat the Tigers and other anti-LSU sentiment. Every once in awhile, other Cajuns fans would mention similar thoughts. Then I grew up and put those childish incidents behind me. I went to LSU in the late '90s and also usually pulled for the Cajuns. When LSU was losing to Troy a couple of years ago, I received a few texts from UL fans saying that they would "take care of Troy the following week for us" and overall rubbing it in. Fortunately, LSU somehow came back to win. When Georgia spanked us during Lee's freshman year, I was watching the game in Lafayette with about half LSU fans and the other half UL fans. The UL fans were high fiving like they were freaking UGA fans. Finally, I realized that it was just easier to generally pull against the Cajuns. If UL builds a decent program, high school athletes may start going there knowing a starting position is virtually guaranteed versus going to LSU to constantly fight for playing time. For example, if Ware misses a couple of games for his suspension, we have Ford, Blue, and Magee to step in. If UL had been decent for the past few years, maybe one or two of those guys go to UL. I think it's in LSU's best interests for UL to not be a quality program.
I've also heard stories of how UL administration treated Yvette Girouard after she took the LSU job. It was really petty and highlighted their inferiority complex. They basically treated one of their best coaches of all time like dirt. I think there have been some changes in their administration since then so hopefully it's improving. I doubt it though.
Wow shows how much I don't keep up with my school, she started ULL's softball program. Also believe we have a park named after her. About the fans rooting against LSU, must just be some hardcore ULL fans, because most of the students I know are LSU fans. Maybe I just want the team of the school I attend to be at least somewhat good.
Most UL fans root for LSU. The difference between UL and most of the other schools in Louisiana is that UL has a large core group of fans that hate LSU, whereas schools like La Tech, UNO, SLU, even Southern all root for LSU equally with their own teams. I have a degree now from both schools and fly both flags on the front of my house. My policy is "Louisiana First"... I root for any school with kids from LA, though of course there is a pecking order in state.
Nothing wrong with pulling for both and a part of me (my schizo is coming back) enjoys seeing UL do well. I've just had too many personal experiences of die-hard UL fans enjoying themselves a bit too much when LSU is down. I'm not 100% sure about this (or even 75%) so don't take it as the truth, but I think the UL administration may have even threatened to rename the softball park to something else when Yvette took the LSU job. I think that was when Shexnayder was the AD. The story I was told is that Yvette politely explained to them that UL needed to forget about LSU completely and focus on competing against ULM and the other Sun Belt teams. I NEVER hear UL fans discuss ULM or other Sun Belt teams. All I hear is anti-LSU. Maybe that's just because they know I'm an LSU fan(?) Facebook updates from UL fans taking subtle jabs against LSU drives me nuts also.
So whaty bowl does the Sun Belt Champion go to? Independence? Liberty? Who cares. USL will never matter. I hope their fans enjoy their season, but it just seems like they want some kind of approval from LSU fans.
Actually the last thing we want is approval from LSU fans. If you knew the history behind the relationship between the two schools (and BESE and the Legislature), then you wouldn't make that statement.
Its like that for most UL fans... not so much for LSU fans. Most UL fans and students know that LSU IS the flagship and the top school in our state. Most of the UL fans who have animosity for LSU are old school Lafayette area natives and/or young passionate students. Many of the older fans still hold a grudge about LSU's involvement in the '72-'73 basketball death penalty, the "LSU Rule" created in 1984 that prevent UL from become UL officially back then, and LSU's dominance of the Legislature and BESE board.
Who is this "they" you speak of?? I am a fan of both LSU and ULL, however I don't go around expecting LSU fans to tell me that ULL has finally made it in the football world. Also the school name is ULL, I don't know why they changed, nor do I care.
