# Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns football

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 Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium in Lafayette, 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.
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 consecutive New 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.
Between 2018 and 2021, during the tenure of head coach Billy 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 the National Football League (NFL), including Jake Delhomme, Charles Tillman, Brian Mitchell, Orlando Thomas, Brandon Stokely, Elijah McGuire, Elijah Mitchell, Kevin Dotson, Chris Cagle, Ike Taylor, Robert Hunt

## History

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.

### Division history

| 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) |

## Conference affiliations

Louisiana has been both independent and a member of four different conferences.$^{:89}$
* Independent (1901–1947)
* Gulf States Conference (1948–1970)
* Southland Conference (1971–1981)
* NCAA Division I-A independent (1982–1992)
* Big West Conference (1993–1995)
* Independent (1996–2000)
* Sun Belt Conference (2001–present)

## Championships
### Conference championships

Louisiana has won 10 conference championships, with the 2013 championship later vacated.$^{:84–89}$
| Year | Conference | Coach | Conference record | Overall record |
| 1952† | Gulf States Conference | Raymond Didier | 3–0–2 | 5–2–2 |
| 1965† | Gulf States Conference | Russ Faulkinberry | 4–1 | 7–3 |
| 1968 | Gulf States Conference | Russ Faulkinberry | 5–1 | 8–2 |
| 1970 | Gulf States Conference | Russ Faulkinberry | 5–0 | 9–3 |
| 1993† | Big West Conference | Nelson Stokley | 5–1 | 8–3 |
| 1994† | Big West Conference | Nelson Stokley | 5–1 | 6–5 |
| 2005† | Sun Belt Conference | Rickey Bustle | 5–2 | 6–5 |
| 2013†‡ | Sun Belt Conference | Mark Hudspeth | 5–2 | 9–4 |
| 2020†^ | Sun Belt Conference | Billy Napier | 7–1 | 10–1 |
| 2021 | Sun Belt Conference | Billy Napier | 8–0 | 13–1 |
† Co-champions ‡ Louisiana vacated the 2013 Sun Belt Conference co-championship due to major NCAA violations ^ The 2020 championship game was not played due to Coastal Carolina impacted by COVID-19 pandemic For College Football Playoff purposes, Coastal Carolina was viewed as the 2020 Sun Belt Champions. 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.

### Division championships

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 |
^ The 2020 championship game was not played due to Coastal Carolina impacted by COVID-19 pandemic

## Postseason history
### National Junior College Athletic Association

| Date | Coach | Bowl | Opponent | Result |
| January 1, 1944 | Louis Whitman | Oil Bowl | Arkansas–Monticello | W 24–7 |

### NCAA Small College Division

| Date | Coach | Bowl | Opponent | Result |
| December 12, 1970 | Russ Faulkinberry | Grantland Rice Bowl | Tennessee State | L 25–26 |

### NCAA Division I FBS

Since joining the NCAA Division I-A (FBS) in 1978, the Ragin' Cajuns have played in 11 bowl games, although two of those games (which were victories) were vacated due to sanctions. Officially, they have a record of 5–4 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 | Mark Hudspeth | New Orleans Bowl | East Carolina | W 43–34 |
| December 21, 2013 | Mark Hudspeth | New Orleans Bowl† | Tulane | W 24–21 |
| December 20, 2014 | Mark Hudspeth | New Orleans Bowl | Nevada | W 16–3 |
| December 17, 2016 | Mark Hudspeth | New Orleans Bowl | Southern Miss | L 21–28 |
| December 15, 2018 | Billy Napier | Cure Bowl | Tulane | L 24–41 |
| January 6, 2020 | Billy Napier | LendingTree Bowl | Miami (OH) | W 27–17 |
| December 26, 2020 | Billy Napier | First Responder Bowl | UTSA | W 31–24 |
| December 18, 2021 | Michael Desormeaux | New Orleans Bowl | Marshall | W 36–21 |
| December 23, 2022 | Michael Desormeaux | Independence Bowl | Houston | L 16–23 |
| December 16, 2023 | Michael Desormeaux | New Orleans Bowl | Jacksonville State | L 31–34 $^{OT}$ |
| December 28, 2024 | Michael Desormeaux | New Mexico Bowl | TCU | L 3–34 |
† Vacated

## Home stadiums
### McNaspy Stadium

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

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. 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 “Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium at Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium.”

## Head coaches

| Years coached | Name | Record |
| 1901–1902 | Ashby Woodson | 3–2 |
| 1903 | J. Ovey Herpin | 1–1 |
| 1904 | Edwin F. Gayle | 2–0–1 |
| 1906 | Herbert McNaspy | 1–0–1 |
| 1907 | Jefferson Caffery | 1–0 |
| 1908–1911; 1913; 1917–1918 | Clement J. McNaspy | 34–15–4 |
| 1912 | H. Lee Prather | 3–4 |
| 1914–1915 | R. B. Dunbar | 10–5–1 |
| 1916; 1919; 1921–1930 | T. R. Mobley | 57–48–7 |
| 1920 | Herbert O. Tudor | 2–8 |
| 1931–1936 | Truman F. Wilbanks | 19–32–2 |
| 1937–1941; 1946 | Johnny Cain | 33–19–5 |
| 1942–1945 | Louis Whittman | 14–14–2 |
| 1947–1949 | Gee Mitchell | 18–8–1 |
| 1950 | A. L. Swanson | 5–4 |
| 1951–1956 | Raymond Didier | 29–23–2 |
| 1957 | John Robert Bell | 4–5–1 |
| 1958–1960 | Red Hoggatt | 11–17 |
| 1961–1973 | Russ Faulkinberry | 66–63–2 |
| 1974–1979 | Augie Tammariello | 30–35–2 |
| 1980–1985 | Sam Robertson | 29–34–2 |
| 1986–1998 | Nelson Stokley | 62–80–1 |
| 1999–2001 | Jerry Baldwin | 6–27 |
| 2002–2010 | Rickey Bustle | 41–65 |
| 2011–2017 | Mark Hudspeth | 29–38† |
| 2018–2021 | Billy Napier | 40–12 |
| 2021–present | Michael Desormeaux | 23-18 |
† Hudspeth's record of 51–38 was reduced to 29–38 due to alleged NCAA violations.

## Rivalries
### Lamar

Although no longer an active rivalry, 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

Another former rivalry. When active the Cajun Crown was the name of the trophy between Louisiana and McNeese State.

### Southeastern Louisiana

This is another former rivalry. The Cypress Mug was the turned, polished mahogany mug awarded to the winner of the Southwestern–Southeastern football game.

### ULM

The Battle on the Bayou is the annual rivalry game between Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns and ULM. The wooden boot-shaped rivalry trophy was created in 2002 to be awarded to the victors.

### Louisiana Tech
## Notable players

* Michael Adams
* Louis Age
* Patrise Alexander
* James Atkins
* D'Anthony Batiste
* Bill Blackburn
* C. C. Brown
* Wayde Butler
* Chris Cagle
* Raymond Calais
* Anthony Clement
* Kenyon Cotton
* Richie Cunningham
* Jake Delhomme
* Michael Desormeaux
* Kevin Dotson
* Tyrell Fenroy
* Jason Fletcher
* Ladarius Green
* Justin Hamilton
* Alonzo Harris
* Mark Hall
* Kyries Hebert
* Keno Hills
* Weldon Humble
* Robert Hunt
* Elvis Joseph
* Damon Mason
* Randy McClanahan
* Elijah McGuire
* Brian Mitchell
* Elijah Mitchell
* Donovan Morgan
* Christian Ringo
* Todd Scott
* Rafael Septién
* Antwain Spann
* Fred Stamps
* Brandon Stokley
* Ike Taylor
* Orlando Thomas
* Charles Tillman
* Clarence Verdin
* Tracy Walker
* Melvin White

## Future non-conference opponents

Announced schedules as of February 15, 2025.
| 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | 2030 |
| Rice | Lamar | at Tulane | Tulsa | Louisiana Tech | New Mexico State |
| McNeese | UAB | at UCF | | | at Buffalo |
| at Missouri | at Louisiana Tech | Kennesaw State | | | |
| at Eastern Michigan | | | | | |