NCAAbbs

sold out?

If it is a sellout it won't happen until the day of the game. We traditionally have a good walk up crowd. It would be great if they found out that they needed to buy season tickets in the future.

Do you still hold the opinion that USM has peaked?

I see their place within the CUSA as unchanged at this time. I keep hoping for better, but I don't yet see it. I still see UCF, as the bell cow in the East. The West is a little less defined. Houston could become the leader in the West, but they are moving slower than UCF.

Reports tonight are that it is very close to a sellout. Only seats in one section at about the 20 yd. line and in the end zone bleachers are left. ULL has done a good job in selling tickets. Makes me think they would be a nice addition to CUSA if an opening ever happened.

Way to go Southern Miss.

I like our chances more now that the weather has mellowed out. After what has seemed like rain every other day for the past 2 weeks it appears there is no rain in sight until the middle to the end of next week. From what the media is reporting from the ticket office, if it does sell out it will be on game day as USM fans are notorious for game day walk up ticket sales.

Those endzone seats are some nice seats. It is surprising that those are still left, not to mention you have brand new concessions and restrooms.

I hope the walk-up crowd exceeds expectations. It would be great to have a SRO crowd. Having some fans fail to get in because they did not have a ticket beforehand will prompt early buying for remaining games and enhance season ticket sales for next season.

After the expansion what is the official capacity of "The Rock"? I would say if you guys have 35,000 on hand that would be a great step in the right direction, especially for the team you are playing.

I think it will be around 37,000, hopefully that will be confirmed by actual attendance on Saturday.

The main point of this expansion was the luxury boxes. From what I've heard, money wise, we are making an unbelievable return on our investment. This should have been done along time ago. Those luxury boxes are a big boost for our program.

Ragin Cajuns do have some great diehard fans...and those great fans DESERVE a better football program vs the one that has been there for years and years.

Many of those crazy Cajuns from South Louisiana will make the easy drive over to Hattiesburg for opening week...and that is a VERY good "local choice" for USM to schedule against (i.e. get a nice little attendance "bump").

I like the idea of USM vs. ULL also. I would like to see Tulane play ULL more often. It is an excellent road trip for Tulane and USM.

Especially since CUSA crapped on the USM-Tulane rivalry.

Yeah, I know. That really took something out of the Tulane schedule. We enjoyed our road trips to Hattiesburg, and appreciated the USM fans who came into NO for the games in the dome. It really had the makings of a good rivalry.

Heres the thing though, is their any conference rule that prevents USM and Tulane from playing a non conference game in the years a conference game is not scheduled?

If there isn't then if we really wanted to play each other we would be. If there is, then an exception should be made to allow it.

I think that is an idea that needs to be explored.

IMO they would be a very good addition if things were just right because of their location between Houston and NO which would promote rivalries. They are a public school with a decent enrollment and following. If their fb team could become a SB power, they would certainly be a good addition IMO. They have very good facilities and are strategically placed in a recruiting hotbed. They have a decent basketball tradition, yet vitually no fb tradition. The fb program needs to step up and be more than SB doormats. Actually, if Tulane doesn't improve in attendence, I don't know how they can stay in CUSA financially. Tulane is a great school with good tradition, but they have been in dire condition since Katrina.

The real answer is to fix one cross division opponent that is permanently on your schedule like the SEC does. Florida plays LSU every year no matter what; same for Auburn and Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama.

I can only hope if we were to do that, that ECU gets UTEP.

Tulane has been and remains in the top half of CUSA in attendance. But that does not mean they do not need to improve. This could be the year that starts the return to average crowds of over 46,000. Don't misunderstand me. I'm not saying Tulane can average over 46,000 this year. I'm saying the seeds can be sown to will bring forth such crowds in the furture.

I hope you are right, but Tulanes attendence at the Tulsa game last year looked non-existent (are their attendence figures based on real butts in seats?). Also, the Tulane bb coach (before the Tulsa game in Tulsa) addressed the bad atmosphere for home games at Tulane and said that it basically holds back the program. Tulane needs better on campus athletic facilities and I wonder if they can keep up with all that has occurred in NO since the storm? I hope they can, but can CUSA wait?

By the time the Tulsa game rolled around last year Tulane's season was already over. Besides, programs don't exists on number of butts in chairs, but rather, how much money was brought in. So the number of tickets sold is a better barometer of the health of the program. With increased success both butts in seats and tickets sold will improve.

Tulane basketball has nothing to do with the success of Tulane football. But our coach was correct. Tulane basketball attendance has been way off. That is due to our program having been way off since the departure of Perry Clark. With improved play Tulane will experience an improved atmosphere.

As for facilities, where do you get your info? All of Tulane's on campus facilities, except for basketball, are basically brand new. Courtesy of Katrina. New baseball stadium, second to none in CUSA, and one of the finest in college baseball. New weight room and equipment, dressing rooms, new field turf on practice fields, excellent tennis facilities, etc. There are current plans for the building of an indoor football practice facility, a basketball practice facility and a complete overhaul of Fogelman Arena.

Not only is Tulane able to keep up with what has occurred since the storm, but Tulane is a community leader in the recovery. Students are actively engaged in the hands on rebuilding of our area, New Orleans, Jefferson, St. Bernard, etc. CUSA need not wait. They needn't even be looking over their shoulder. Tulane is in the passing lane.

I'm glad to hear Tulane is making some strides in facilities and my comment may be due to some old info. Keep it up. It is important that Tulane and NO be a huge piece of the CUSA pie. From a facilities point, Tulane needs to keep building or other programs in that area will point to them as not committed. I know your AD Rick Dickson (I think he is still there) is a good one (and Tulsa alum). I've never been a proponent of off campus facilities (although some CUSA teams depend on them). It shows an athlete that the university "may" not be committed to that sport. And when was the bb arena built? Wasn't it back in the 20's? A lot of HS programs have bigger and better arenas.

I am sorry if I am a bit critical about this. I really want the league and its teams to be successful, but CUSA is going to have to keep up with these ever growing list of schools that think they can become instant fb/bb powers, tradition or not. By the way, I sincerely hope Tulane gets it done and good luck this season.

Wait -- national champions of what in 1958?

It doesn't matter when Fogleman Arena was built. There are plans for a complete renovation in the near future. Athletes may have an opinion developed from afar that instills concern for commitment. But when they visit they gain an entirely new perspective. Refer to comments made by recent recruits. And recruits still view playing in the entirely refurbished Superdome as a huge positive.

Observer, again this criticism is of the constructive variety and is by no means a slam. But you are whetting my appetite about Foglemans renovation. Could you elaborate a little. I hadn't heard about the facility improvements there. What will be done? When will it be started - if they have finalized. With Rice's improvements to Autry and others around the league at present time, we may prove to recruits that CUSA is going to be a major player in college sports. It is a battle of survival that CUSA must win because of all the forces that nip away at this conference.

We were College Division National Champions in 1958 and 1962. The ECU game is our reunion for the 1958 football team who went 9-0 that year.

All I can say at this point is there are plans to reconstruct Fogleman. That will not begin until after the completion of the basketball practice facility and indoor practice facility for football. Construction should begin within two years.

That is great news for Tulane and the league. Thanks for posting that.