Ragin Cajuns jersey question

[rock55choc]

While flipping through my Athlon college football preview edition I noticed that underneath the players' collar on the jerseys is the word LOUISIANA , not Louisiana Lafayette. I found this to be particularly odd. Does anyone know whey they would prefer to use this reference. I have seen "Louisiana's Ragin Cajuns" on some forms of ULL logos. This could have something to do with it. If anyone has any idea about why they do this, your help would be appreciated.

ULL jersey

[Discrim]

I recall a couple years ago when their baseball team went to Omaha...their road jerseys read Louisiana's Ragin Cajuns...I kid you not. the script was Louisiana's, complete with apostrophe, and RAGIN' CAJUNS was inside the tail.

it doesn't stop at ULL...Monroe's Seminole-ripoff helmets a few years ago read Louisiana over the middle of the spear.

Basically, ULL wants to be known as THE University of Louisiana. to an extent, so does ULM.

[Fred T. Jane]

I recall a couple years ago when their baseball team went to Omaha...their road jerseys read Louisiana's Ragin Cajuns...I kid you not.  the script was Louisiana's, complete with apostrophe, and RAGIN' CAJUNS was inside the tail.

it doesn't stop at ULL...Monroe's Seminole-ripoff helmets a few years ago read Louisiana over the middle of the spear.

Basically, ULL wants to be known as THE University of Louisiana.  to an extent, so does ULM.

Close, but not quite.

As the lead university of the University of Louisiana system, UL has, since changing its name in 1999-2000, been seeking to become known as just "The University of Louisiana" in regular parlance. The inferiority complex vis a vis LSU is the reason for this. The other universities (especially ULM) in the system initially resisted this, which led to the Cajuns' having the "Louisiana's" script on the Baseball uniforms. However, everyone else has dropped the griping recently, and as a result Authement (the chancellor of UL) is on the verge of his dream of the university being known as simply "The University of Louisiana." most people in the state, especially around here call it "UL," though there are some people resisting the change. However, with ULM's preference to become "The University of Louisiana-Monroe" and use the abbreviation ULM, resistance is futile.

As an alum, I have to admit that UL is growing on me, as UL is the largest university in the UL System, and is the largest public university in the state not named LSU. They're nearly equal on the academic level per capita, and in sports not named basketball, football, track, or golf, they're peers too. I'd say that's enough reason to drop the geographical tagline to the title. After all, who calls Texas the University of Texas-Austin?

[BamaHater]

I my mind, a former co-worker who is a allum of this univeristy, and many people throughout the state of Louisiana they are still USL. The first thing I think when I see UL is Louisville. They won't change back to USL so stick to ULL and b e happy.

[Fred T. Jane]

I my mind, a former co-worker who is a allum of this univeristy, and many people throughout the state of Louisiana they are still USL.  The first thing I think when I see UL is Louisville.  They won't change back to USL so stick to ULL and b e happy.

They can't change back to "USL" because the Louisiana State legislaure consolidated the regional universities (NW St., McNeese, ULM, Nicholls, SE La., UL) into the University of Louisiana System in 1998. The only universities to change their name were UL and ULM.

Since the omniscient Baton Rouge Farmer's College denizens want UL to have a complete abbreviation, then it's LSU&A&MC-BR...

[mfoster]

I recall a couple years ago when their baseball team went to Omaha...their road jerseys read Louisiana's Ragin Cajuns...I kid you not.  the script was Louisiana's, complete with apostrophe, and RAGIN' CAJUNS was inside the tail.

it doesn't stop at ULL...Monroe's Seminole-ripoff helmets a few years ago read Louisiana over the middle of the spear.

Basically, ULL wants to be known as THE University of Louisiana.  to an extent, so does ULM.

Here's the hockey jersey for the ACHA team being developed there. Goes along with what you are saying...

Marc

[rcb05]

They're probably trying to gain more of a statwide perception, as opposed to being a regional school.

[Fred T. Jane]

I recall a couple years ago when their baseball team went to Omaha...their road jerseys read Louisiana's Ragin Cajuns...I kid you not.  the script was Louisiana's, complete with apostrophe, and RAGIN' CAJUNS was inside the tail.

it doesn't stop at ULL...Monroe's Seminole-ripoff helmets a few years ago read Louisiana over the middle of the spear.

Basically, ULL wants to be known as THE University of Louisiana.  to an extent, so does ULM.

Here's the hockey jersey for the ACHA team being developed there. Goes along with what you are saying...

Marc

Hmm... Senators' numbers on the jersey. Not too bad of a design. On the other hand, they should be able to get the official number font from the athletic department. I know that local printing/clothing shops have it in stock, so I wonder why they didn't go with it.

[cajunaggie08]

After all, who calls Texas the University of Texas-Austin?

The university wants to be known as the University of Texas at Austin. They go out of their wat to make sure in all media and official academic relations, it says University of Texas at Austin or UT-Austin. No one calls it that, but when watching the news, reading a newspaper or press release, the term UT-Austin has poped up more and more often. When talking about sports all you hear is Texas or UT, but when it comes to academics, the school constantly reminds you that it is the one in Austin.

As the son of a former ULL student, I will all ways think of the school as USL. I think UL could catch on over time and the state could use a 2nd large state school to keep LSU in check with the rest of the state, or to perhaps improve the Louisiana Education system with some competition between the schools.

[jimsimo]

There is only ONE U of L... the University of Louisville.

[Fred T. Jane]

There is only ONE U of L... the University of Louisville.

Just like there's only one MSU... Oh wait!

BTW, if we apply the Google Test to your statement, the only two ULs on the first page are the Univ. of Louisiana's main page (No. 2 hit), and the University of Limerick (Ireland, No. 3 hit). Louisville's first hit is their admissions page on the second page. The next hit is on the bottom of the third page, after the main pages of the University of Limpopo (South Africa), the University of Lincoln (UK), and of all things, the official site for UL Athletics... http://www.ragincajuns.com .

[DG_ThenNowForever]

There is only ONE U of L... the University of Louisville.

Sure. But they want to refer to University of Louisiana-Lafayette as UL, which is missing the "of" and two spaces, thus making it different. As a part-time Louisviliian with no U of L connections, I have no problem with this.

However, why the push to pretending your university has more prestige or is more deserving on clout than it has? There was a thread a few months ago about UW-Milwaukee pushing to be the University of Milwaukee, as if that's any better.

I'm about to enter graduate school in the fall, and neither LSU nor ULL/UL were on my list. It certainly has nothing to do with the names -- that wouldn't have made a difference. Actually, if I were applying to a school currently trying to change its name, I'd question its commitment to academics and probably enroll elsewhere.

Of course, branding is everything, and if one more school wants to sacrifice academic consistency for athletics, so be it.

[Fred T. Jane]

However, why the push to pretending your university has more prestige or is more deserving on clout than it has?  There was a thread a few months ago about UW-Milwaukee pushing to be the University of Milwaukee, as if that's any better.

The thing is that this isn't a push go give imaginary clout to a university. UL has academic programs that are world-class, and if anything, the name change is catching up to the academic prowess that's already there. As I've said before, the entire Univ. of Louisiana system is at a disadvantage in comparison to LSU, which gets the lion's (or is it tiger's?) share of the budget in comparison to the other universities, at about 40% of the entire state's higher education budget. The other eleven (Yes, the second-poorest state in the Union, with only 3.5 million residents and a $2-billion shortfall in the budget has 12 public 4-year colleges and universities.) public 4-year universities get the other 60%. Anything, including better PR, helps, as sad as it sounds. If Mississippi, who's poorer than even us, can have a Univ. of Mississippi and a Mississippi State Univ., why can't Louisiana?

For the record, this isn't a case of pro-UL bias on this side, as I'm pretty indifferent to the university despite being an alum, but I do have a pretty large anti-LSU bias, so that doesn't help.

[cheo25]

However, everyone else has dropped the griping recently, and as a result Authement (the chancellor of UL) is on the verge of his dream of the university being known as simply "The University of Louisiana." most people in the state, especially around here call it "UL,"

Uh, not quite "most people in the state." It's ULL in quite a few parts of the state.

The only UL or U of L abbreviation that most non-Cajun fans use (and that applies to the rest of the country) applies to Louisville. But I'm not sure Louisville is referred to by many people outside of Kentucky (with the exception of the Cincinnati area) as UL or U of L. It's Louisville to the rest of the country, just like it's Louisiana-Lafayette to rest of the country.

[Geoff]

However, why the push to pretending your university has more prestige or is more deserving on clout than it has?  There was a thread a few months ago about UW-Milwaukee pushing to be the University of Milwaukee, as if that's any better.

The thing is that this isn't a push go give imaginary clout to a university. UL has academic programs that are world-class, and if anything, the name change is catching up to the academic prowess that's already there. As I've said before, the entire Univ. of Louisiana system is at a disadvantage in comparison to LSU, which gets the lion's (or is it tiger's?) share of the budget in comparison to the other universities, at about 40% of the entire state's higher education budget. The other eleven (Yes, the second-poorest state in the Union, with only 3.5 million residents and a $2-billion shortfall in the budget has 12 public 4-year colleges and universities.) public 4-year universities get the other 60%. Anything, including better PR, helps, as sad as it sounds. If Mississippi, who's poorer than even us, can have a Univ. of Mississippi and a Mississippi State Univ., why can't Louisiana?

For the record, this isn't a case of pro-UL bias on this side, as I'm pretty indifferent to the university despite being an alum, but I do have a pretty large anti-LSU bias, so that doesn't help.

Exactly. Unlike BamaHater, when I think UL, I don't whink Louisville. I'm origionally from Louisville and when the University is mentioned anywhere, it's "U of L" while Kentucky is simply "UK"

Louisville Even has a logo that is "UofL".

[DG_ThenNowForever]

The only UL or U of L abbreviation that most non-Cajun fans use (and that applies to the rest of the country) applies to Louisville. But I'm not sure Louisville is referred to by many people outside of Kentucky (with the exception of the Cincinnati area) as UL or U of L. It's Louisville to the rest of the country, just like it's Louisiana-Lafayette to rest of the country.

Huh. I hadn't thought about that. Before I moved to Louisville, I didn't really care too much one way or the other about U of L. In fact, I still don't. But I'm pretty sure "U of L" only entered into my consciousness after moving here. There just isn't a nationwide awareness of the University of Louisville, just like you said that there isn't for University of Louisiana-Lafeyette.

In my hometown, we called the University of Rochester "U of R." I feel pretty comfortable in saying that "U of R" means absolutely nothing to those not interested in advanced science or upstate New York.

And Louisiana has 12 public institutions? I'm guessing UNO and Tulane are both private, so that's at least 14 colleges in the state. Incredible. LSU, Tulane and UNO seem to be the only schools that would attract from out of state (I once considered Tulane a long time ago). How do those other universities remain sustainable?

Really...who is going to all of these colleges? I'm amazed.

[Fred T. Jane]

Uh, not quite "most people in the state." It's ULL in quite a few parts of the state.

I fired off a quick, completely informal survey to some OEP people I work with when hurricanes come to visit the (not-so-) fine state of ours. I got 20 responses from around the state, and this is what I got:

45% (9 people) say "UL"

25% (5 people) say "UL-Lafayette"

15% (3 people) say "Louisiana-Lafayette"

10% (2 people) say "ULL"

5% (1 person) says "USL"

5% (1 person) says "That University in Lafayette that can't decide on its name" (Someone from Baton Rouge, of course. )

[Fred T. Jane]

And Louisiana has 12 public institutions? I'm guessing UNO and Tulane are both private, so that's at least 14 colleges in the state. Incredible. LSU, Tulane and UNO seem to be the only schools that would attract from out of state (I once considered Tulane a long time ago). How do those other universities remain sustainable?

Really...who is going to all of these colleges? I'm amazed.

UNO is a public school. We actually have 14. I forgot about LSU-Shreveport (It's the Medical School for LSU, and is also a 4-year undergrad school too.) and Southern-New Orleans (a four-year school too)

We have...

LSU (Baton Rouge), UL (Lafayette), McNeese (Lake Charles), Louisiana Tech (Ruston), Southern (Baton Rouge), Grambling St. (Grambling), UNO (New Orleans), NW St. (Natchitoches), Nicholls St. (Thibodaux), Southern-New Orleans, ULM (Monroe), SE Louisiana (Hammond), LSU-Shreveport, and the newest 4 year school, LSU-Alexandria.

Private School-wise, there's Tulane, Dillard, Xavier, Loyola, New Orleans Baptist Seminary, Our Lady of Holy Cross (all in New Orleans), Louisiana College (Pineville), and Centenary College (Shreveport).

How do they remain sustanible? On a shoe-string budget. Though for all of these universities, only UL, UNO, SE Louisiana, and LSU have over 10,000 students, so the dollars are spread out pretty thin, as . Some commentators have called for a few, especially the "lower" universities, like Nicholls, NW State, and even Grambling, to be shut down, though this is impossible, especially in the case of Grambling. The private schools are all well-funded, as they are, with the exception of Tulane, all backed by religious organisations, especially the Catholic schools.

Who goes to these schools? I don't know. One would think with as many schools as we have, we'd be a little smarter. Whoops...

[jimsimo]

Please note that I stated "U OF L"... "UL" is not associated with Louisville.

[cheo25]

45% (9 people) say "UL"

Forty-five percent say UL. That means the other 55 percent refer to it as something other than UL. Therefore, "most people in the state" aren't referring to University of Louisiana at Lafayette as UL. You've proven my point. Where I goofed was saying it's ULL in quite a few parts. If nothing else, it is around Baton Rouge.