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Game Information For CIT Quarterfinals At Blackham when the men's basketball team takes on Evansville at 7:30 p.m.

Mar. 24, 2015 

LAFAYETTE, La. – As the excitement continues to build for Thursday's return to Blackham Coliseum. The Cajuns began playing in the Cajundome in 1985 and Cajun fans have always missed the intimacy and loudness of Blackham. Alot of Cajun basketball tradition was at Blackham Coliseum.

We saw alot of great players play at Blackham: Dwght "Bo" Lamar, Karl "The Mailman" Malone, Andrew Toney (76ers), Joe Dumars (Pistons), Andrew Moten, Vernon Maxwell, and so many more. I would sit Right under the goal and when you would see Karl Malone running down the court right at you and then SLAM IT, my whole body would shake. I learned why they called him The Mailman.

the Marquette game was loud, the team and the fans made quite an impression on Marquette, whose beat writer wrote words about the atmosphere at Blackham and Ric Majerus later ranked it among the top 10 toughest places to play in the country.

Additionally, the Ragin' Cajuns will delve back into the rich history of Blackham Coliseum by bringing back the Red Dot student section. The first 1,000 students will receive free t-shirts as a nod to the student section that began in 1982. That season a group of students donned white t-shirts with a single red dot on the front for a game at UNO in which Alonza Allen hit a game-winner for a 70-68 Cajun victory. The group continued to wear the shirts at home games and the Cajuns won all eight of their final games at Blackham that season, going 16-1 at home on their way to a berth in the NCAA Tournament.

Article by Kevin Foote: My 5 favorite Blackham Coliseum experiences

http://www.theadvertiser.com/story/sport.../70409742/

The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns have finalized parking arrangements

This is pretty awesome.

Blackham Coliseum compared to the Cajundome

Blackham Coliseum



Cajundome



.

How many seats in blackham and what is the turnout been like for the other games in the cit?


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(03-25-2015 03:00 AM)insideualr Wrote:  How many seats in blackham and what is the turnout been like for the other games in the cit?


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Official seating capacity for Blackham is 5,500 for basketball,

in 1985 before 7,300-plus fans at Blackham, the Cajuns hosted Norm Stewart's Florida Gators, led by the fantastic backcourt of Andrew Moten and Vernon Maxwell, in the first round of the NIT. UL 65, Florida 64

in 1984, 8,400 fans at Blackham, the Cajuns hosted Weber State in the second round of the NIT, UL 74, Weber State 72 (2 OTs)

After the Ric Majerus Marquette team left town after losing by 10, the Marquette beat writer wrote glowing words about the atmosphere at Blackham and Majerus later ranked it among the top 10 toughest places to play in the country.

Is Blackham on campus and what is the building used for now???

I always hated the Ice Gators back in the ECHL days. The Mysticks and Gators had a great playoff game one year in Mobile. One of the most heart breaking loses I ever had to watch in person.

(03-25-2015 05:13 AM)IdahoCajun Wrote:  

(03-25-2015 03:00 AM)insideualr Wrote:  How many seats in blackham and what is the turnout been like for the other games in the cit?


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Official seating capacity for Blackham is 5,500 for basketball,

in 1985 before 7,300-plus fans at Blackham, the Cajuns hosted Norm Stewart's Florida Gators, led by the fantastic backcourt of Andrew Moten and Vernon Maxwell, in the first round of the NIT. UL 65, Florida 64

in 1984, 8,400 fans at Blackham, the Cajuns hosted Weber State in the second round of the NIT, UL 74, Weber State 72 (2 OTs)

That was before they removed a couple thousand seats to make it a rodeo arena. It doesn't seat what it used to, the seats no longer are on top of the court.

(03-25-2015 11:16 AM)Usajags Wrote:  Is Blackham on campus and what is the building used for now???

I always hated the Ice Gators back in the ECHL days. The Mysticks and Gators had a great playoff game one year in Mobile. One of the most heart breaking loses I ever had to watch in person.

It's in between current athletic complex and actual campus... Used for rodeos, 4-h and livestock shows, gun shows and different type events like that.

(03-25-2015 11:16 AM)Usajags Wrote:  Is Blackham on campus and what is the building used for now???

I always hated the Ice Gators back in the ECHL days. The Mysticks and Gators had a great playoff game one year in Mobile. One of the most heart breaking loses I ever had to watch in person.

Technically it is part of what is termed the "University Commons" which houses the athletic complex and the research park. It is located on the corner of Johnston Street and Cajundome Boulevard.

Campus Maps

Blackham Coliseum was fun in its day but I would rather this game being played in the Cajundome unless the Cajundome was booked and the only way we could host was to use Blackham

It doesn't give the opposing team a good impression of our prgram

I think the Cajundome is under renovations.

(03-25-2015 04:19 PM)IdahoCajun Wrote:  Blackham Coliseum was fun in its day but I would rather this game being played in the Cajundome unless the Cajundome was booked and the only way could host was to use Blackham

Cajundome is booked for 3 nights straight

(03-25-2015 04:19 PM)IdahoCajun Wrote:  Blackham Coliseum was fun in its day but I would rather this game being played in the Cajundome unless the Cajundome was booked and the only way we could host was to use Blackham

It doesn't give the opposing team a good impression of our prgram

I think the Cajundome is under renovations.

If it is packed like it was in some of the games I remember, it doesn't matter what it looks like. The fans made the difference. I always liked the place because it was an old school, in your face arena with a definite home court advantage. Push it for what it is...a throw back.

I remember 10,000+ attendance. I had the privilege of being in that number a few times over the years. Take a look at a couple of the home attendance figures in the second column of the 3rd page from the official final stats for 1978, just a few years after the "death penalty".

http://web1.ncaa.org/app_data/statsPDFAr...ayette.pdf

It truly did seem like people were hanging from the rafters. In addition to an intense home crowd, we used to have three or four buses take fans over from Beaumont and a lot of people who just drove over. The same thing probably happened from Lake Charles. Even so, we were in the definite minority of an arena filled with rabid Ragin' Cajun fans. My first trip to Blackham gave me a lasting impression of the appropriate team name, "Ragin' Cajuns"...just a place filled with a lot of folks who loved the game of basketball and showed true support for their teams.

Take a look at the list of players. Even though they were on the other side, I enjoyed watching players like Andrew Toney, Kevin Figaro, and Dion Rainey,

Some inside shots on Twitter..Ahh the memories!!

Notice the 25 feet of empty space between first row and court, this isn't the blackham you remember, the place is a dump and I'm being polite. Nothing as ever as good as you remember it. The teams and the crowds made that place, we will have neither tonight.

(03-26-2015 11:14 AM)Louisiana99 Wrote:  Notice the 25 feet of empty space between first row and court, this isn't the blackham you remember, the place is a dump and I'm being polite. Nothing as ever as good as you remember it. The teams and the crowds made that place, we will have neither tonight.

So.... Does that mean you aren't going?

(03-26-2015 11:31 AM)Vobserver Wrote:  

(03-26-2015 11:14 AM)Louisiana99 Wrote:  Notice the 25 feet of empty space between first row and court, this isn't the blackham you remember, the place is a dump and I'm being polite. Nothing as ever as good as you remember it. The teams and the crowds made that place, we will have neither tonight.

So.... Does that mean you aren't going?

No, I'll be there like always... Like after Katrina, like in the dome for every game. Probably spend half the game in line either for beer or waiting for the bathroom like everyone else will be. Of all this talk locally how great it was, we will have a lackluster crowd just like we did after Katrina. There is a reason they let farm animals take a **** wherever they want in this place.

(03-26-2015 11:14 AM)Louisiana99 Wrote:  Notice the 25 feet of empty space between first row and court, this isn't the blackham you remember, the place is a dump and I'm being polite. Nothing as ever as good as you remember it. The teams and the crowds made that place, we will have neither tonight.

+1

That's what I remember. It was definitely all about the teams and the crowds. Even back in the "good old days", Blackham would have not been exceptional without the teams and the crowds. The building on its own is a fuzzy memory. On the other hand, the energy from the crowds is still a very vivid memory.

("...would not have been exceptional.." is not intended as a slam on Blackham. Heck, we were playing in a 4,200 McDonald Gym until 1981 (up to 5,000 for a few closed circuit tv added games if the fire marshals weren't around ).

(03-26-2015 10:27 AM)LUSportsFan Wrote:  

(03-25-2015 04:19 PM)IdahoCajun Wrote:  Blackham Coliseum was fun in its day but I would rather this game being played in the Cajundome unless the Cajundome was booked and the only way we could host was to use Blackham

It doesn't give the opposing team a good impression of our prgram

I think the Cajundome is under renovations.

If it is packed like it was in some of the games I remember, it doesn't matter what it looks like. The fans made the difference. I always liked the place because it was an old school, in your face arena with a definite home court advantage. Push it for what it is...a throw back.

I remember 10,000+ attendance. I had the privilege of being in that number a few times over the years. Take a look at a couple of the home attendance figures in the second column of the 3rd page from the official final stats for 1978, just a few years after the "death penalty".

http://web1.ncaa.org/app_data/statsPDFAr...ayette.pdf

It truly did seem like people were hanging from the rafters. In addition to an intense home crowd, we used to have three or four buses take fans over from Beaumont and a lot of people who just drove over. The same thing probably happened from Lake Charles. Even so, we were in the definite minority of an arena filled with rabid Ragin' Cajun fans. My first trip to Blackham gave me a lasting impression of the appropriate team name, "Ragin' Cajuns"...just a place filled with a lot of folks who loved the game of basketball and showed true support for their teams.

Take a look at the list of players. Even though they were on the other side, I enjoyed watching players like Andrew Toney, Kevin Figaro, and Dion Rainey,

We had some great games against Lamar. Lamar had outstanding basketball as well back then. Went to some memorable games in Beaumont as well as Lafayette. I was a student at then USL and was at every game. Great memories. Should be a fun night tonight. Wish I was there.

(03-25-2015 05:13 AM)IdahoCajun Wrote:  

(03-25-2015 03:00 AM)insideualr Wrote:  How many seats in blackham and what is the turnout been like for the other games in the cit?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Official seating capacity for Blackham is 5,500 for basketball,

in 1985 before 7,300-plus fans at Blackham, the Cajuns hosted Norm Stewart's Florida Gators, led by the fantastic backcourt of Andrew Moten and Vernon Maxwell, in the first round of the NIT. UL 65, Florida 64

in 1984, 8,400 fans at Blackham, the Cajuns hosted Weber State in the second round of the NIT, UL 74, Weber State 72 (2 OTs)

Proud to say I attended both of those games.