If they get it, it will largely be because of an influx of Cajun fans traveling to the Superdome.

"I feel very confident," UL athletic director Scott Farmer said, "that we have somewhere in that 15-to-20 range. Maybe 25."

Twenty-five thousand, that is — just counting Cajuns.

And by the close of business Tuesday, a UL spokesman said, more than 6,000 bowl tickets had been purchased through the university.

No wonder bowl reps are so happy to have the Cajuns coming — and to have a school from somewhere in Louisiana, anywhere in Louisiana, really, playing in their game for the first time.

"We’ve been interested in Louisiana-Lafayette, and the other Louisiana teams that could potentially be in the bowl game, since it’s inception (in 2001)," acting bowl chairman Paul Valteau said.

"We kind of expect, with the proximity and the following that Lafayette has, that this will be our best crowd ever," executive director Billy Ferrante added. "I have every reason in the world to be 100 percent positive that’s going to happen."

Valteau suggested it is impossible to project a more-precise number than Ferrante’s hopes for 30,000-plus, largely because an opponent for UL has not yet been named.

Whoever they play, though, Cajun fans are likely to travel in droves.

And as the president of a university that has not taken part in a postseason game since the 1970 Grantland Rice Bowl in Baton Rouge, that’s especially satisfying for Dr. Joseph Savoie.

"We certainly would have been happy to go to any bowl," Savoie said.

"But the fact it’s one where our fans can enjoy it by being there and participating in everything," he added, "is really special."

Prior to the season, Cajuns coach Mark Hudspeth challenged fans to fill 31,000-seat capacity Cajun Field — and UL wound up averaging 29,171 for five home games, shattering the 1977 record of 25,224.

Now, his expectations are even higher.

"The Superdome is a little bit bigger," Hudspeth said. "You’ve got a bigger challenge."

Superdome capacity: 73,208.

No contact

Hudspeth on Tuesday said he still hasn’t been contacted by Ole Miss, his home-state school that has a coaching vacancy following Houston Nutt’s dismissal.

Hudspeth also said at this point that he doesn’t necessarily expect to hear from the Rebels, either, because "I haven’t heard from them yet."

"You’d probably think you would by now," he said. "But just me being from the state of Mississippi, and the success we’re having now — that’s gonna throw up red flags, you know?"

Hudspeth did say he did not grow up a Rebel diehard, rather attending camps and/or watching games on a regular basis at not only Ole Miss but also Mississippi State and Southern Mississippi before going to play his college ball in Mississippi at Delta State.

"I was just sort of a college football fan," he said.