Interesting comments: “Nick Saban felt this is one of the great jobs in the country because it’s the fourth-best recruiting state in the nation,” Bowden said. “You’re the only school — unlike California, Texas and Florida — if you’re good. Nick Saban figured that out. I’m sure Les Miles has figured that out. Keep the fence around the state and you’re going to be competitive for the SEC championship every year.” http://www.thenewsstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050824/SPORTS/50824001/1006 Mais Miles, he smart yeah !
Much of that is true, but some of it is oft-repeated media hype. WE have more Division I teams per capita than most states with LSU, Tech, Tulane, ULL, and ULM. Louisiana also gets raided regularly from Florida, Arkansas and Mississippi teams as well as Notre Dame and Oklahoma. LSU is dominant for sure, but some sportswriters and media faces seem to think there is no competition at all for these players, which is not the case.
We might have more Div 1 teams than most other states, but outside of LSU, those schools almost never sign big time athletes. Were as a state like Florida has three "power house" teams that all recruit big time athletes. Sure, Louisiana is raided just as much as any other good-recruiting state by other universities, but we have a leg up being THE university in Louisiana. I don't think this is something that's hype or anything. I think there's alot of substance to it. As long as LSU is the best football university in Louisiana, we will have an advantage over most schools because of our natural recruiting area, & as long as we are a good team we will stand a good chance of landing some of the best athletes from Louisiana. To me, that spells long term success (as long as the LSU AD doesn't screw it up)
If we're competing for recruits with the other Division I schools in the state, we've got some major, major problems.
Mississipi: Miss, ole Miss Bama: Bama, Auburn, Troy Florida: Florida, FSU, Miami Texas: Texas, Texas A@M Louisiana: LSU, La Tech, Tulane oh yeah... we got stiff competition
Come on, we know who our competition for recruiting in La. is. It's the SEC, Texas, Texas A&M, Miami, FSU, Oklahoma.
