Last Sunday, the Cowboys traveled to Lafayette to play their annual game against the Ragin Cajuns.

It has been a holiday tradition for fans of both teams since Louisiana-Lafayette left the Southland Conference. 

The two teams have played at least once every season since the 1998-99 campaign. ULL holds the series lead, 63-37.

The Cowboys won Sunday’s contest 64-56 in a hard-fought, hard-played game. It wasn’t always pretty, but there was a lot of intensity on both sides. It is the perfect pre-league contest. 

Excited crowds, cheap travel, local interest. 

Yet Sunday’s game was the last in the current series, and while both sides have said they want to continue, no contract has been signed. 

“We have talked to them and hope we can continue to play them,” said McNeese Athletic Director Heath Schroyer. “It makes sense we play them every year.”  

Maybe the sides can soon sign a new four-year deal for home-and-home contests. That would solve each side’s problem of getting games.

Scheduling has been a major problem for several if not most, mid-major programs. It was easy for McNeese to find games before Will Wade hit town, but now nobody is lining up to play a team that has been 36-9 over the last two seasons. 

Regarding scheduling, the Cowboys have become too good for their own good.

During the offseason, Wade’s schedule maker, Brandon Chambers, had difficulty getting games, especially at home. In November, an invitation to the Paradise Jam in St. Thomas of the U.S. Virgin Islands helped.

A couple of other solid mid-majors, Santa Clara and North Texas, were willing to sign for home-and-home games that started this fall in Lake Charles. Those are great additions, but staples are what make a good schedule.

ULL playing McNeese is a staple.

There should be others. 

It would be nice for fans and players alike from all Louisiana programs if they played each other. The Cowboys should schedule games against UL-Monroe and Louisiana Tech every year. Schroyer would like even more.

He would love to see home-and-home games each year between state rivals. He would love to see the Cowboys play LSU, but let’s be honest, that doesn’t happen while Wade still calls McNeese home.

Imagine the egg on the Tigers’ faces if they lost that game or it was even close. 

Louisiana Tech used to play McNeese. The two teams even matched up last year in Ruston during a small event. Tech won that game. 

There are other good teams in Texas to play as well outside the Southland Conference. Sam Houston State, Texas-San Antonio, and Texas-Arlington come to mind.

Those games are all driveable for McNeese fans, who continue to show they will travel to watch their Cowboys. Sunday’s game was the most attended in the Cajundome this year.

A total of 2,407 fans showed up, 995 more than for any other ULL home game this season. Last year, when the teams met in Lake Charles, a crowd of 4,307 was in the sold-out Legacy Center.

Compare that to the 1,187 who watched the Cajuns host Louisiana Tech this season or the 1,391 who showed up to see the Sun Belt Conference opener last Wednesday against Appalachian State, and you realize it makes dollars and common sense to play local games.

Let’s hope all involved in scheduling understand the economic value and community pride that can go with these games.

And how much the players love to play in them.

“It’s a great rivalry,” McNeese forward Joe Charles said. “Both groups of fans are intense about this game.”

Charles should know he played for ULL for three years before transferring to McNeese this year. 

“They are fun games to play in,” Charles said.

They have also been fun to watch.

Let’s hope we get that chance again next year in Lake Charles.

Jim Gazzolo is a freelance writer who covers McNeese State athletics for the American Press. Email him at jimgazzolo@yahoo.com