Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns

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Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
La-lafayette logo from NCAA.svg
University University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Conference Sun Belt Conference
NCAA Division I (FBS)
Athletic director Bryan Maggard
Location Lafayette, Louisiana
Varsity teams16
Football stadium Cajun Field
Basketball arena Cajundome
Earl K. Long Gymnasium
Baseball stadium M. L. Tigue Moore Field at Russo Park
Softball stadium Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park
Soccer stadium Ragin' Cajuns Soccer/Track Facility
Other venues Cajun Courts
Oakbourne Country Club
Mascot Cayenne
NicknameRagin' Cajuns
Fight songRagin' Cajuns Fight Song
ColorsVermilion and white [1]
   
Website ragincajuns.com
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns wordmark.svg

The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns are the athletic teams of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. The college has been competing athletically since 1901. The Ragin' Cajuns compete in NCAA Division I, fielding 16 varsity teams.

Contents

Nickname

The university states that "Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns" is the nickname of the school's athletic teams. [2]

Founded in 1898 as Southwestern Louisiana Industrial Institute (SLII), the school adopted Bulldogs as a team nickname in 1921. The nickname persisted when the school was renamed Southwestern Louisiana Institute (SLI) in 1921 and the University of Southwestern Louisiana (USL) in 1960.

Sun Belt Conference logo in Louisiana's colors Sun Belt Conference 2020 logo in Louisiana-Lafayette colors.svg
Sun Belt Conference logo in Louisiana's colors

The university's 1963 football team was unusually strong in homegrown talent; 35 of its 39 players were from Louisiana, with 30 from within 100 miles of Lafayette. [3] As a result, coach Russ Faulkinberry changed the team's nickname to the Raging Cajuns, a nod to the ethnic group based in south Louisiana. [4] (The team went 4–5.) [5] The name change also ended a longstanding nickname overlap with the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs.

The term Raging (or Ragin') Cajuns had been used in a number of contexts before 1963, including as the nickname of the Louisiana-based U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Squadron VMF-143. [6] [7] [8] The team changed the nickname from "Raging" to "Ragin'" in 1967 and formally adopted it for all athletic teams in 1974. [9]

Briefly in 1984, USL's name became the University of Louisiana, but was reverted to University of Southwestern Louisiana via court challenge. In 1999, it became the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (UL Lafayette) and maintained the Ragin' Cajuns nickname. [10]

Facilities

The area where the majority of the school's athletic facilities are located is formally known as the "Edgar G. "Sonny" Mouton, Jr. Sports and Entertainment Plaza." It is located apart from the main campus, and is bounded by West Congress Street to the north, Bertrand Drive to the west, Reinhardt Drive and Souvenir Gate to the south, and the coulee feeding into Coulee Mine to the east. [11] It is more informally known as the Athletic Complex. Located in this area are:

The Cajundome is a 13,500-seat multi-purpose arena. It is home to the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Men's and Women's basketball programs in addition to hosting various University events and commencement ceremonies including high school graduations. It also hosts many regional concerts (seating for concerts 8,481 to 13,500) and special events
Nicknamed The Swamp, Cajun Field is the home field of Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns football team. Cajun Field has an official capacity of 41,426 with 2,577 chairback seats.
Lamson Park is the home of the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns softball program.
More commonly known as "the Tigue," is the home stadium of the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns baseball team. Built in 1979 it currently has a capacity of 6,033.
The SAPC is a 100,000-square foot facility that houses the Ragin' Cajuns football offices, strength and conditioning, athletic training and the equipment room. Opened in September 2015, is the largest in the Sun Belt Conference and is one of the largest among Division I schools across the South. It includes a 12,000-square foot weight room, the state-of-the-art athletic training room and hydrotherapy area, nutrition station and the 150-seat auditorium. [12]
Completed in August, 2007, at a cost of approximately $4.5 million, the facility houses a full 120-yard football field covered by a turf surface. It also contains a basketball practice facility which includes a full court with six goals, locker room, video room, players lounge and meeting room. The facility also contains drop-down batting cages which are utilized by the basketball, softball and golf teams. The baseball and softball teams also use the facility as needed. [13]

Additionally, while just outside the sports complex, Bourgeois Hall (Health & PE) is located immediately next to Lamson Park. Also, Earl K. Long Gym (Women's basketball and volleyball) is located on the main campus

Sports sponsored

Men's sportsWomen's sports
Baseball Basketball
Basketball Cross country
Cross countrySoccer
Football Softball
GolfTennis
TennisTrack and field†
Track and field†Volleyball
† – Track and field includes both indoor and outdoor.

Baseball

Men's basketball

Came to prominence under the leadership of head coach Beryl Shipley, who was responsible for breaking the color barrier in the South and won just under 70% of all games from 1957 to 1973. [14]

Notable Players include NCAA 2nd All-time leading scorer Dwight "Bo" Lamar, Dean Church, Andrew Toney, Marv Winkler, Dwayne Mitchell, and Elfrid Payton.

In 1973, the university became one of only five schools to ever receive the NCAA's Death Penalty, when their basketball program was barred from competing in the NCAA for the 1973–74 and 1974–75 seasons.

The current head coach is Bob Marlin.

Women's basketball

The Ragin' Cajuns women's basketball team plays their home games at the Cajundome. They are currently coached by Gary Brodhead.

Football

Football was the first team organized at the then Institute (SLII) in 1901, although an advertisement promoting women's gymnastics was placed in 1900. The team participates in NCAA Division I FBS in the Sun Belt Conference. First played in 1901 under the school's previous name SLII. [15] They are a charter member of NCAA Division I-A football. [16]

Louisiana vacated 22 wins from 2011 to 2014 including the 2011 and 2013 New Orleans Bowls and also vacated the 2013 Sun Belt Conference co-championship as the result of NCAA violations of ACT exam fraud, payments to recruits, and not cooperating with the NCAA investigation. [17]

On December 15, 2017, Billy Napier was named head football coach of the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns. [18] Napier led the Cajuns to a period of unprecedented success, including records of 11–3, 10–1, and 12–1 in consecutive seasons before he was hired away to be the head coach of Florida. His successor is Michael Desormeaux.

Softball

The Softball team is among the most successful of all Ragin' Cajun teams, having won 21 regular season championships, 16 conference tournament championships, and six appearances in the Women's College World Series (1993, 1995, 1996, 2003, 2008, and 2014). During the 2008 WCWS appearance the Ragin' Cajuns defeated #1 ranked Florida and eventually finished fifth. The Ragin' Cajun softball team has seen post-season play in 19 of the past 20 seasons. The Ragin' Cajuns have been Sun Belt Conference regular season champions in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2019, Sun Belt tournament champions in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2019 along with 27 NCAA Regionals, 33 NFCA All-Americans, and 37 consecutive winning seasons (only having one losing season, 1981, their first year of play in which they would finish 6–14).

The current head coach is Gerry Glasco. He replaced former head coach Michael Lotief, who was fired on November 19, 2017.

Men's tennis

1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, and 1982 Southland Conference Champions; 1992, 1998, 2006, and 2014 Sun Belt Conference Champions, highest national ranking #15 (1988).

The current head coach is Mark Jeffrey. They play their home matches at Cajun Courts, an off-campus tennis complex at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette near M. L. Tigue Moore Field at Russo Park, the Athletic Training facility, Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park and Cajun Field.

Women's Tennis

1986 and 1987 Southland Conference Champions and 1990 and 1991 American Southwest Conference Champions, highest national ranking was in 2006 at No. 51.

The current head coach is Stephanie Vallejos. They play their home matches at Cajun Courts, an off-campus tennis complex at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette near M. L. Tigue Moore Field at Russo Park, the Athletic Training facility, Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park and Cajun Field.

Non–varsity sports

Men's Lacrosse as part of the MCLA, Badminton, Bowling, Cheerleading, Cricket, Ice Hockey as part of the ACHA, Inline Hockey as part of the NCRHA, Judo, Powerlifting, Rugby, Men's Soccer, Sport Shooting, Tae Kwon Do, Water Skiing.

Traditions

Lafayette Cheerleaders, 1922 SLI Cheerleaders, Lafayette Louisiana, 1922.jpg
Lafayette Cheerleaders, 1922

Mascots

Notable players and coaches

Ragin Cajun Network

Louisiana launched the Ragin' Cajun Radio Network in August 2011. The Network is a series of radio and television networks that provide access to sporting events throughout the state of Louisiana. Two Lafayette radio stations, KPEL-AM and KHXT-FM, provide play by play radio commentary called by broadcasters Jay Walker, and Steve Peloquin. The full list of participating stations are:

Television coverage is provided by Cox Communications as part of their Cox 4 and Cox Sports Television networks. Cox Sports Television now has over 2 million subscriptions in the states of Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Virginia. Additionally, all games aired by the channels will also be available online at ESPN3.com provided nationwide coverage to the Ragin' Cajuns.

See also

Related Research Articles

Robert Lee Marlin is an American college basketball coach who is the current head men's basketball coach for the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns men’s basketball team. Previously, he was the head coach at Sam Houston State from 1998 to 2010.

The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns baseball team is the college baseball team of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. The Ragin' Cajuns baseball team competes in NCAA Division I in the Sun Belt Conference. They play their home games on campus at M. L. Tigue Moore Field at Russo Park and were coached by head coach Tony Robichaux, until his death on July 3, 2019. Matt Deggs was named the new head coach on July 17, 2019 and 2020 marked his first season.

The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns women's basketball program represents intercollegiate women's basketball at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. The Ragin' Cajuns compete in the Sun Belt Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and play home games at the Cajundome in Lafayette, Louisiana.

The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns softball team represents the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in NCAA Division I college softball. The team participates in the Sun Belt Conference. The Ragin' Cajuns were most recently led by head coach Gerry Glasco. Yvette Girouard was head coach from 1981 to 2000 leading the Ragin' Cajuns to 10 NCAA tournaments and three Women's College World Series appearances. The team plays its home games at Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park located on the university's athletic campus.

The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns football program is a college football team that represents the University of Louisiana at Lafayette at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level as a member of the Sun Belt Conference. Since 1971, the team has played its home games at Cajun Field in Lafayette, Louisiana. Michael Desormeaux has served as Louisiana's head coach since 2021.

The 2013–14 Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball team represented the University of Louisiana at Lafayette during the 2013–14 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Ragin' Cajuns, led by fourth year head coach Bob Marlin, played their home games at the Cajundome and were members of the Sun Belt Conference. They finished the season 23–12, 11–7 in Sun Belt play to finish in third place. They were champions of the Sun Belt Conference tournament to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament where they lost in the second round to Creighton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Robichaux</span> American baseball player and coach (1961–2019)

Anthony Ray Robichaux was an American college baseball coach who served as head coach of the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns baseball team. He had previously served as head coach at McNeese State.

The 2017 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns football team represented the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Ragin' Cajuns played their home games at Cajun Field in Lafayette, Louisiana, and competed in the Sun Belt Conference. They were led by seventh-year head coach Mark Hudspeth. They finished the season 5–7, 4–4 in Sun Belt play to finish in a three-way tie for fifth place.

The 2017–18 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball team represented the University of Louisiana at Lafayette during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Ragin' Cajuns were led by eighth-year head coach Bob Marlin and played their home games at the Cajundome as members in the Sun Belt Conference. They finished the season 27–7, 16–2 in Sun Belt play to win the Sun Belt regular season championship. The conference championship was the school's first since first regular-season title since sharing the 2000 title and its first outright title since joining the conference in 1991. They defeated Texas State in the quarterfinals of the Sun Belt tournament before losing in the semifinals to Texas–Arlington. As a regular season conference champion who failed to win their conference tournament, they received an automatic bid to the National Invitation Tournament where they lost in the first round to LSU.

The 2016–17 Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns women's basketball team represented the University of Louisiana at Lafayette during the 2016–17 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Ragin' Cajuns were led by fifth-year head coach Garry Brodhead and played all home games at the Cajundome with a select few at Blackham Coliseum during the Cajundome renovations towards the beginning of the season, the first games played there in thirty years. This is also one of the first years that women's basketball does not play at Earl K. Long Gymnasium, their previous on-campus home, at any time during the season They were members in the Sun Belt Conference. They finished the season 20-11, 11–7 in Sun Belt play to finish in fourth place. They advanced to the championship game of the Sun Belt women's tournament where they lost to Troy by the score of 64-78. They did not compete in any other postseason tournaments.

The 2016 Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns softball team represented the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in the 2016 NCAA Division I softball season. The Ragin' Cajuns played their home games at Lamson Park and were led by sixteenth year head coach Michael Lotief.

The 2016 Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns baseball team represented the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in the 2016 NCAA Division I baseball season. The Ragin' Cajuns played their home games at M. L. Tigue Moore Field and were led by twenty-second year head coach Tony Robichaux.

The 2015 Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns baseball team represented the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in the 2016 NCAA Division I baseball season. The Ragin' Cajuns played their home games at M. L. Tigue Moore Field and were led by twenty-first year head coach Tony Robichaux

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns softball team</span> American college softball season

The 2012 Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns softball team represented the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in the 2012 NCAA Division I softball season. The Ragin' Cajuns played their home games at Lamson Park and were led by twelfth and thirteen year husband and wife head coach duo Michael and Stefni Lotief, respectively. This was the final season that the Cajuns had two head coaches as after the season, Stefni Lotief decided to resign to focus on family and personal matters.

The 2017 Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns softball team represented the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in the 2017 NCAA Division I softball season. The Ragin' Cajuns play their home games at Lamson Park. This would also be the last season that a Lotief would be the head coach of the Ragin' Cajuns. This came after the university fired Lotief, both Malveauxs, Director of Operations Kelsey Vincent, and one manager, Sara Corbello on November 1, 2017 due to allegations of physically and verbal abuse to his players and for laying a finger on the university's strength coach. The Ragin' Cajuns softball players strongly disagreed with his firing. Several even transferred schools with most making a pack that "if they couldn't play with Lotief, they wouldn't play at all." However, most of the team remained and competed in 2018. Nearly a year later, Lotief filed a lawsuit against the university claiming that they fired him over retaliation from Lotief claiming that the university violated NCAA Title IX laws which state that women's sports must be treated the same as their male counterpart. In the lawsuit, Lotief called University President Joseph E. Savoie, Athletic Director Bryan Maggard, and Assistant Athletic Director Dr. Jessica Leger as the defendants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns softball team</span> Softball team season

The 2011 Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns softball team represented the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in the 2011 NCAA Division I softball season. The Ragin' Cajuns played their home games at Lamson Park and were led by eleventh and twelfth year husband and wife head coach duo Michael and Stenfi Lotief, respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009 Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns softball team</span> American college softball season

The 2009 Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns softball team represented the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in the 2009 NCAA Division I softball season. The Ragin' Cajuns played their home games at Lamson Park and were led by ninth and tenth year husband and wife head coaching duo Michael and Stefni Lotief, respectively.

The 2020 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns softball team represented the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in the 2020 NCAA Division I softball season. The Ragin' Cajuns played their home games at Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park. The Cajuns were led by third year head coach Gerry Glasco.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns softball team</span> American college softball season

The 2008 Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns softball team represented the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in the 2008 NCAA Division I softball season. The Ragin' Cajuns played their home games at Lamson Park and were led by eighth and ninth year husband and wife head coaching duo Michael and Stefni Lotief, respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park</span> Softball park in Lafayette, Louisiana, US

Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park is a ballpark located on the South Campus of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in Lafayette, Louisiana. Originally built in 1985, Lamson Park is the home of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette's Ragin' Cajuns softball program. When Lady Cajun's Park was built, the Softball program had no budget, no money, and no stable foundation. Now, Cajuns softball is known as a national powerhouse, year after year, and Lamson Park continues to grow.

References

  1. ↑ "ULL Brand Guide and Graphic Standards Manual" (PDF). Retrieved March 27, 2016.
  2. ↑ "Proper Use of the University's Name". louisiana.edu. University of Louisiana at Lafayette. 6 December 2012. Retrieved August 18, 2016.
  3. ↑ ""The Raging Cajuns"". The Monroe News-Star. 4 July 1963. p. 16. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  4. ↑ Lenox, Charles (3 July 1963). "Charlie's Corner". The Daily Advertiser. p. 8. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  5. ↑ "2022 Louisiana Football Media Guide (PDF)" (PDF). Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  6. ↑ Bernard, Shane K. (17 January 2012). "From Fighter Jets to Football: Origin of the Phrase "Ragin' Cajun"". Bayou Teche Dispatches. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  7. ↑ "Marine "Ragin Cajuns" Squadron Has Openings For Fifteen Young Men". The Hammond Vindicator. 6 June 1952. p. 12. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  8. ↑ "Lt. John Durwood Boutte". Abbeville Meridional. 17 February 1951. p. 14. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  9. ↑ "UL Football History" (PDF). University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  10. ↑ "What is the Name?". RaginCajuns.com. Louisiana–Lafayette Athletics. October 28, 2011. Archived from the original on August 28, 2016. Retrieved August 18, 2016.
  11. ↑ "2018 Louisiana Laws :: Revised Statutes :: TITLE 49 - State Administration :: RS 49:149.32 - Edgar G. "Sonny" Mouton, Jr. Sports and Entertainment Plaza".
  12. ↑ "Facilities".
  13. ↑ "Leon Moncla Indoor Practice Facility".
  14. ↑ "UL Coach (1957-73) Beryl Shipley". RaginPagin.com. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  15. ↑ "Football 1901-02". RaginPagin.com. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  16. ↑ "Lafayette Ragin Cajuns Football History". Collegefootballhistory.com. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  17. ↑ "Exam fraud, recruit payments among NCAA accusations against UL-Lafayette, ex-assistant coach David Saunders". The Baton Rouge Advocate. October 11, 2015. Retrieved October 20, 2015.
  18. ↑ "UL hires Billy Napier as head football coach". www.RaginCajuns.com. December 15, 2017. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
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