Ragin’ Cajuns Athletics Slashes 35 Positions Amid University-Wide Financial Troubles

LAFAYETTE, La. (KPEL News) — The University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s athletic department has eliminated roughly 25% of its staff positions as the university grapples with a major budget shortfall that’s forced cuts across campus.

Athletic Director Bryan Maggard told The Advocate the department is currently operating with about 35 fewer staff members after proactively reducing its budget from $46 million to $42.7 million. The cuts came even before campus-wide directives were issued last fall.

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What UL Lafayette Families Need to Know

The staffing reductions mean remaining employees are handling multiple roles simultaneously. Maggard said ticketing staff are now also managing in-venue marketing duties, while the department relies on outside contractors to fill gaps.

“We’ve got people pulling double and sometimes triple duty,” Maggard said. “Our current staffing model is not sustainable long term.”

The athletic department’s challenges mirror broader financial problems at UL Lafayette. Interim President Ramesh Kolluru told faculty and staff last fall the university had cut millions from a $50 million deficit through spending freezes and position eliminations. Each department was then asked to reduce spending by 10% to close a remaining $10.5 million gap.

How UL Compares to Other Sun Belt Schools

Financial data shows UL Lafayette trails most conference peers in institutional support. The university ranks 12th out of 14 Sun Belt schools at $18.9 million in institutional support, nearly $9 million below the conference average of $27.7 million.

James Madison leads the Sun Belt with $59.9 million in institutional support, more than three times what UL receives. Much of that difference comes from student fees. The Sun Belt average for student fees is $13 million, while UL collects under $500,000 from a fee that adds roughly $10 per student per semester.

The department reported a $12.6 million deficit for the 2024 fiscal year. While that number sounds alarming, it’s not unusual for Division I athletics programs. The University of Texas, for comparison, reported a $23 million loss in 2025.

Impact on Student-Athletes and Programs

Budget cuts have extended beyond staffing into services for student-athletes. The department’s expanded nutrition program was significantly scaled back, saving about $800,000 but eliminating nutrition staff positions and reducing snacks provided to athletes under NCAA rules.

“That was one of the most painstaking decisions in this process,” Maggard said. “Getting the snacks back to the athletes is a high priority, because how they fuel their bodies is critically important to their athletic and overall success.”

Scholarships, which cost about $9 million annually, were preserved in the budget cuts. Maggard emphasized that many fixed costs can’t be reduced, including travel, event management, officials, custodial duties, and student-athlete medical and insurance expenses.

What Happens Next for UL Athletics

The athletic department is looking at new revenue sources to help bridge the financial gap. Maggard said the department is exploring hosting concerts at the newly renovated Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium at Cajun Field and developing facility lease agreements with other sports organizations.

The stadium funding is self-sustaining and doesn’t affect the athletic budget, Maggard noted. The focus is on maximizing use of the facility beyond the six home football games each fall.

The university’s goal is to end the fiscal year on June 30 with a balanced budget. Maggard warned that going into fall 2026 with current staffing levels puts the department at risk of losing quality employees.

“We’re working within the university’s overall financial realities,” Maggard said. “We absolutely know we’re one team, as a university, and we’re working very hard to try to meet our financial goals.”