Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns football

The Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns football program is a college football team that represents the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in the Sun Belt Conference. On Saturday, December 17, 2011, the Ragin' Cajuns won their first Division I FBS bowl game at the New Orleans Bowl in a 32-30 point game with a 50-yard field goal as time expired.

Football classifications

 * 1937–1962: National Junior College Athletic Association
 * 1963–1972: NCAA College Division (Small College)
 * 1973–1973: NCAA Division II
 * 1974–1977: NCAA Division I
 * 1978–present: NCAA Division I-A

Conference affiliations

 * 1902–1913: Independent
 * 1914–1925: Louisiana Intercollegiate Athletic Association
 * 1925–1941: Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
 * 1939–1947: Louisiana Intercollegiate Conference
 * 1948–1970: Gulf States Conference
 * 1971–1981: Southland Conference
 * 1982–1992: Division I-A Independent
 * 1993–1995: Big West Conference
 * 1996–2000: Division I-A Independent
 * 2001–present: Sun Belt Conference

Conference championships

 * 1914 - Louisiana Intercollegiate Athletic Association Champions
 * 1916 - Louisiana Intercollegiate Athletic Association Champions
 * 1917 - Louisiana Intercollegiate Athletic Association Champions
 * 1924 - Louisiana Intercollegiate Athletic Association Champions
 * 1925 - Louisiana Intercollegiate Athletic Association Champions
 * 1940 - Louisiana Intercollegiate Conference Champions
 * 1952 - Gulf States Conference Co-Champions
 * 1965 - Gulf States Conference Co-Champions
 * 1968 - Gulf States Conference Champions
 * 1970 - Gulf States Conference Champions
 * 1976 - Southland Conference Co-Champions
 * 1993 - Big West Conference Co-Champions
 * 1994 - Big West Conference Co-Champions
 * 2005 - Sun Belt Conference Co-Champions

McNaspy Stadium
In 1940 McNaspy Stadium was built on the campus of Southwestern Louisiana Institute (now UL 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.

Louisiana–Monroe Warhawks
The Battle on the Bayou is the annual rivalry game between Louisiana–Lafayette and Louisiana–Monroe. The wooden boot-shaped rivalry trophy was created in 2002 to be awarded to the victors.

Lamar Cardinals
The first Sabine Shoe trophy was first awarded in 1937 to the winner of the SLI–Lamar football game. The name of the bronze rivalry trophy was derived from the Sabine 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. The Sabine Shoe trophy now sits in at trophy case in the Ragin' Cajun Athletic Complex.

McNeese State Cowboys
The Cajun Crown was the name of the rivalry trophy between USL and McNeese State.

Southeastern Louisiana Lions
The Cypress Mug was the turned, polished mahogany mug awarded to the winner of the Southwestern–Southeastern football game.

Players

 * Michael Adams
 * Louis Age
 * Patrise Alexander
 * James Atkins
 * D'Anthony Batiste
 * Bill Blackburn
 * C. C. Brown
 * Chris Cagle
 * Anthony Clement
 * Kenyon Cotton


 * Richie Cunningham
 * Jake Delhomme
 * Tyrell Fenroy
 * Mark Hall
 * Kyries Hebert
 * Keno Hills
 * Weldon Humble
 * Elvis Joseph
 * Randy McClanahan
 * Brian Mitchell


 * Donovan Morgan
 * Todd Scott
 * Rafael Septien
 * Antwain Spann
 * Brandon Stokley
 * Ike Taylor
 * Orlando Thomas
 * Charles Tillman
 * Clarence Verdin

Future schedules
Starting 2012, South Alabama will join the Sun Belt Conference as a playing member. Representatives of Sun Belt Conference member institutions have approved an eight game conference football schedule that will be effective for the 2012 season. Each of the 10 teams will play four home and four away games each season and will never miss a game against its natural rival. League representatives approved a nine game conference schedule beginning in the 2015 season with each team playing each other.