| Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns football | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
 | |||
| First season | 1901; 125 years ago | ||
| Athletic director | Bryan Maggard | ||
| Head coach | Michael Desormeaux 5th season, 29–25 (.537) | ||
| Stadium | Cajun Field (capacity: 41,426) | ||
| Year built | 1971 | ||
| Location | Lafayette, Louisiana | ||
| NCAA division | Division I FBS | ||
| Conference | Sun Belt | ||
| Division | West | ||
| All-time record | 581–591–34[1] (.496) | ||
| Bowl record | 8–6–0 (.571) | ||
| Conference championships | |||
| GSC:1952,1965,1968,1970 Big West:1993,1994 SBC:2005,2013,2020,2021 | |||
| Conference division championships | |||
| SBC West:2018,2019,2021,2024 | |||
| ConsensusAll-Americans | 4 | ||
| Rivalries | Louisiana Tech (rivalry) ULM (rivalry) | ||
| Colors | Vermilion and white[2] | ||
| Fight song | Ragin' Cajuns Fight Song | ||
| Marching band | Pride of Acadiana | ||
| Outfitter | Adidas | ||
| Website | RaginCajuns.com | ||
TheLouisiana Ragin' Cajuns football (formerly competed asSouthwestern Louisiana orUSL, later and still often referred to asLouisiana-Lafayette orULL) program is acollege football team that represents theUniversity of Louisiana at Lafayette at theNCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level as a member of theSun Belt Conference. Since 1971, the team has played its home games atCajun Field inLafayette, Louisiana.Michael Desormeaux has served as Louisiana's head coach since 2021.
The RCAF (Ragin Cajun Athletic Foundation) is the supporter association that assists with funding for all Ragin Cajun sports.[3]
The program began play in 1901 when the school was known as Southwestern Louisiana Industrial Institute. The school's sports teams were known as the Southwestern Louisiana Bulldogs from 1921 until 1973. The school's fight name was formally changed to Ragin' Cajuns in 1974, which had been in use since the 1960s. In 1999, the university took on its current name, at which point its sports teams were referred to as Louisiana–Lafayette. A rebranding in 2017 dropped "Lafayette" from the Cajuns' name.
Between 2011 and 2014, the Cajuns won four consecutiveNew Orleans Bowls, representing the most successful stretch in the program's history at the time, but later had to vacate two of the victories due to NCAA violations.[4]
Between 2018 and 2021, during the tenure of head coachBilly Napier, the Cajuns reached many milestones, including the first National ranking in program history, four consecutive division championships, two conference championships, three bowl championships, and the best season finish and conference finish in the 2021 season, finishing 13–1 and 7–0 in conference play.
The Cajuns have had several players go to play professionally in theNational Football League (NFL), includingJake Delhomme,Charles Tillman,Brian Mitchell,Orlando Thomas,Brandon Stokely,Elijah McGuire,Elijah Mitchell,Kevin Dotson,Chris Cagle,Ike Taylor, andRobert Hunt.
Before 1974, the team's official nickname was the Bulldogs, although the current nickname was in common use with the football team for approximately the decade prior.[citation needed]
| Years | Division |
|---|---|
| 1937–1962 | National Junior College Athletic Association |
| 1963–1972 | NCAA College Division (Small College) |
| 1973 | NCAA Division II |
| 1974–1977 | NCAA Division I |
| 1978–present | NCAA Division I-A (FBS) |
Louisiana has been both independent and a member of four different conferences.[5]: 89
Louisiana has won 10 conference championships, with the 2013 championship later vacated.[6][5]: 84–89
| Year | Conference | Coach | Conference record | Overall record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952† | Gulf States Conference | Raymond Didier | 3–0–2 | 5–2–2 |
| 1965† | Russ Faulkinberry | 4–1 | 7–3 | |
| 1968 | 5–1 | 8–2 | ||
| 1970 | 5–0 | 9–3 | ||
| 1993† | Big West Conference | Nelson Stokley | 5–1 | 8–3 |
| 1994† | 5–1 | 6–5 | ||
| 2005† | Sun Belt Conference | Rickey Bustle | 5–2 | 6–5 |
| 2013†‡ | Mark Hudspeth | 5–2 | 9–4 | |
| 2020†^ | Billy Napier | 7–1 | 10–1 | |
| 2021 | 8–0 | 13–1 |
† Co-champions
‡ Louisiana vacated the 2013 Sun Belt Conference co-championship due to major NCAA violations[6]
^ The2020 championship game was not played due to Coastal Carolina impacted byCOVID-19 pandemic[7] For College Football Playoff purposes, Coastal Carolina was viewed as the 2020 Sun Belt Champions.[8] Recognizing that the College Football Playoff committee had no jurisdiction to that magnitude coupled with a desire to prevent the diminishment to the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns football team’s accomplishments in 2020, Lafayette Mayor-President Josh Guillory declared, by executive proclamation, the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns football team as the 2020 sole champions of the Sun Belt Conference in football.[9]
Louisiana has won five division championships with the most recent in the 2024 season.
| Year | Division | Coach | Conf. record | Overall record | Opponent | CG result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Sun Belt West | Billy Napier | 5–3 | 7–7 | Appalachian State | L 19–30 |
| 2019 | 7–1 | 11–3 | Appalachian State | L 38–45 | ||
| 2020 | 7–1 | 10–1 | Coastal Carolina | No Contest^ | ||
| 2021 | 8–0 | 13–1 | Appalachian State | W 24–16 | ||
| 2024 | Michael Desormeaux | 7–1 | 10–3 | Marshall | L 3–31 |
^ The2020 championship game was not played due to Coastal Carolina impacted byCOVID-19 pandemic[7]
| Date | Coach | Bowl | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1, 1944 | Louis Whitman | Oil Bowl | Arkansas–Monticello | W 24–7 |
| Date | Coach | Bowl | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 12, 1970 | Russ Faulkinberry | Grantland Rice Bowl | Tennessee State | L 25–26 |
Since joining the NCAA Division I-A (FBS) in 1978, the Ragin' Cajuns have played in 13 bowl games, although two of those games (which were victories) were vacated due to sanctions. Officially, they have a record of 5–6 in bowl games.
| Date | Coach | Bowl | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 17, 2011 | Mark Hudspeth | New Orleans Bowl† | San Diego State | W 32–30 |
| December 22, 2012 | New Orleans Bowl | East Carolina | W 43–34 | |
| December 21, 2013 | New Orleans Bowl† | Tulane | W 24–21 | |
| December 20, 2014 | New Orleans Bowl | Nevada | W 16–3 | |
| December 17, 2016 | New Orleans Bowl | Southern Miss | L 21–28 | |
| December 15, 2018 | Billy Napier | Cure Bowl | Tulane | L 24–41 |
| January 6, 2020 | LendingTree Bowl | Miami (OH) | W 27–17 | |
| December 26, 2020 | First Responder Bowl | UTSA | W 31–24 | |
| December 18, 2021 | Michael Desormeaux | New Orleans Bowl | Marshall | W 36–21 |
| December 23, 2022 | Independence Bowl | Houston | L 16–23 | |
| December 16, 2023 | New Orleans Bowl | Jacksonville State | L 31–34OT | |
| December 28, 2024 | New Mexico Bowl | TCU | L 3–34 | |
| December 17, 2025 | 68 Ventures Bowl | Delaware | L 13–20 |
In 1940 McNaspy Stadium was built on the campus of Southwestern Louisiana Institute (nowUniversity of Louisiana at Lafayette). It served as the Cajuns home field through the 1970 season and was demolished in 2000. McNaspy Stadium was located at the site where the current computer science building Oliver Hall now stands.
Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium is a football stadium located in the city of Lafayette, Louisiana, and has served as the home field of the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns football team since 1970. Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium has an official capacity of 41,426 with 2,577 chairback seats, and its nickname is "The Swamp."
In June of 2021 it was announced that Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium would be undergoing a $75 million renovation, with construction slated to begin summer of 2022.[12] The plans are to demolish the current West Tower, and replace it with a state of the art facility, including amenities such as premium suites, a club level and club seats, loge boxes, and press box. Because of a $15 million donation, the stadium will now be known as “Cajun Field at Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium.”
| Years coached | Season(s) | Name | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1901–1902 | 2 | Ashby Woodson | 3–2 |
| 1903 | 1 | J. Ovey Herpin | 1–1 |
| 1904 | 1 | Edwin F. Gayle | 2–0–1 |
| 1906 | 1 | Herbert McNaspy | 1–0–1 |
| 1907 | 1 | Jefferson Caffery | 1–0 |
| 1908–1911; 1913; 1917–1918 | 4, 1, 2 | Clement J. McNaspy | 34–15–4 |
| 1912 | 1 | H. Lee Prather | 3–4 |
| 1914–1915 | 2 | Richard B. Dunbar | 10–5–1 |
| 1916; 1919; 1921–1930 | 1, 1, 10 | T. R. Mobley | 57–48–7 |
| 1920 | 1 | Herbert O. Tudor | 2–8 |
| 1931–1936 | 6 | Truman F. Wilbanks | 19–32–2 |
| 1937–1941; 1946 | 5, 1 | Johnny Cain | 33–19–5 |
| 1942–1945 | 4 | Louis Whitman | 14–14–2 |
| 1947–1949 | 3 | Gee Mitchell | 18–8–1 |
| 1950 | 1 | A. L. Swanson | 5–4 |
| 1951–1956 | 6 | Raymond Didier | 29–23–2 |
| 1957 | 1 | John Robert Bell | 4–5–1 |
| 1958–1960 | 3 | Red Hoggatt | 11–17 |
| 1961–1973 | 13 | Russ Faulkinberry | 66–63–2 |
| 1974–1979 | 6 | Augie Tammariello | 30–35–2 |
| 1980–1985 | 6 | Sam Robertson | 29–34–2 |
| 1986–1998 | 13 | Nelson Stokley | 62–80–1 |
| 1999–2001 | 3 | Jerry Baldwin | 6–27 |
| 2002–2010 | 9 | Rickey Bustle | 41–65 |
| 2011–2017 | 7 | Mark Hudspeth | 29–38† |
| 2018–2021 | 4 | Billy Napier | 40–12 |
| 2021–present | 5 | Michael Desormeaux | 23–18 |
† Hudspeth's record of 51–38 was reduced to 29–38 due to alleged NCAA violations.[citation needed]
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Although no longer an active rivalry, the firstSabine Shoe trophy was first awarded in 1937 to the winner of the SLI–Lamar football game.[13] The name of the bronze rivalry trophy was derived from theSabine River that forms the Texas-Louisiana border. USL defeated Lamar in the 1978 edition of the rivalry game, but the Ragin' Cajuns were not awarded the trophy as it had vanished.[14] The Sabine Shoe trophy now sits in at trophy case in the Ragin' Cajun Athletic Complex.
| Games played | First meeting | Last meeting | LA wins | LA losses | Ties | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 34 | October 27, 1923 (won 19–16) | September 1, 2012 (won 40–0, vacated) | 22 | 11 | 0 | 66.7% |
Another former rivalry. When active theCajun Crown was the name of the trophy between Louisiana andMcNeese State.[15]
| Games played | First meeting | Last meeting | LA wins | LA losses | Ties | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 38 | September 22, 1951 (won 35–14) | September 10, 2016 (won 30–22) | 16 | 20 | 2 | 44.7% |
This is another former rivalry. TheCypress Mug was the turned, polished mahogany mug awarded to the winner of the Southwestern–Southeastern football game.[16]
| Games played | First meeting | Last meeting | LA wins | LA losses | Ties | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 41 | November 11, 1930 (won 13–0) | September 3, 2022 (won 24–7) | 21 | 17 | 3 | 54.9% |
TheBattle on the Bayou is the annual rivalry game betweenLouisiana Ragin' Cajuns andULM. The wooden boot-shaped rivalry trophy was created in 2002 to be awarded to the victors.[17]
| Games played | First meeting | Last meeting | LA wins | LA losses | Ties | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 59 | September 15, 1951 (lost 7–13) | November 30, 2024 (won 37-23) | 33 | 26 | 0 | 56% |
| Games played | First meeting | Last meeting | LA wins | LA losses | Ties | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | November 22, 2014 (lost 16–35) | October 12, 2024 (won 34-24) | 4 | 8 | 0 | 33% |
| Games played | First meeting | Last meeting | LA wins | LA losses | Ties | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 51 | October 17, 1953 (lost 12–13) | October 22, 2022 (won 38–18) | 29 | 21 | 1 | 58.2% |
| Games played | First meeting | Last meeting | LA wins | LA losses | Ties | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 87 | 1910 (lost 0–75) | October 3, 2015 (lost 14–43) | 33 | 48 | 6 | 41.38% |
Announced schedules as of December 16, 2025.[18]
| 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | 2030 | 2031 | 2032 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lamar | atTulane | Tulsa | New Mexico State | Charlotte | ||
| atUSC | East Texas A&M | atTCU | atBuffalo | Liberty | ||
| UAB | atUCF | atLiberty | ||||
| atCharlotte | Kennesaw State |
The Cajuns will vacate 22 total wins, including New Orleans Bowl championships in 2011 and 2013, and a shared Sun Belt Conference championship in 2013.
A highly anticipated rematch between No. 12 Coastal Carolina and No. 19 Louisiana in the Sun Belt Championship Game has been canceled due to a positive COVID-19 test in the Coastal Carolina program, the Sun Belt announced Thursday night. One of the Chanticleers' entire position groups would have been unavailable for the game "due to possible exposure," according to the league's announcement.
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