Sun Belt Conference: SBC pulls plug on guide – “University Reference Guide” removed from public view

Tim Buckley, Daily Advertiser, Jan. 25, 2014

The Sun Belt Conference no longer is in the business of suggesting what its member programs should be called.

The conference on Friday announced it is removing from public view its so-called “University Reference Guide,” a document controversial for some in Lafayette in part because Sun Belt-member UL agreed to allow itself to be called UL-L for limited statistical purposes.

“We have observed unintended uses of this guide, specifically as it relates to university abbreviations,” Sun Belt commissioner Karl Benson said in a statement released by the league. “Therefore, we have elected to eliminate the reference guide from public display and distribution.”

But the conference will use its long-awaited guide, which was first released earlier this month and later revised because UL was unhappy with what it was being called, for internal purposes.

That includes news releases and statistical information made public and released to media outlets.

“That was the original intent — to allow the conference office to be able to reference our universities in a consistent manner and in a manner that was acceptable to them,” Benson said in a subsequent phone interview. “That was our original goal for the outset.”

It’s believed, however, that the Sun Belt’s internal use going forward will not include giving the document to contracted media partners like ESPN for guidance on what networks should call individual SBC teams during broadcasts of conference events.

It’s further believed that the Sun Belt will continue to refer to UL as Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns (corrected from merely Ragin’ Cajuns) as its sports nickname, UL Lafayette (changed from UL-Lafayette) on first reference and — perhaps most controversially — UL-L as an abbreviation.

Many Ragin’ Cajun fans this month have reacted negatively to the hyphenated abbreviation, which quickly started gaining traction across the country as an acceptable reference for the school’s sports teams.

Many also abhor the Lafayette designator, the subject of a long-running name battle with fellow Sun Belt-member UL Monroe.

A UL spokesman said university president

Joseph Savoie “unavailable to comment at this time” on the public-removal decision.

Savoie, who approved the use of UL-L after the Sun Belt insisted on receiving an abbreviation preference, has declined to address the name issue since requests were first made last October.

But the university did issue a statement Friday through spokesman Aaron Martin.

It reads, in full: “We appreciate the Sun Belt Conference’s attempts to promote consistent use of its member institutions’ names and abbreviations, and its decision to use Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns and UL Lafayette when referring to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

“We are satisfied that its University Reference Guide has been withdrawn from public display and distribution. Consistent use of the University’s correct name is important as we continue to develop our national brand.”

Benson also said in his statement that the Sun Belt “will continue to work with our member universities, as it is our intention that each university will be referred to as they wish.”

Benson would not disclose which Sun Belt-member university, or universities, requested that the guide be pulled from public display.

But the commissioner did suggest the decision was member-driven.

“The only thing I can say is I tried to manage this in a cooperative effort in the interest of all of our membership,” Benson said, “and that at the end of the day I work for our members, and that at the end of the day I wasn’t able to implement the guide as we expected.”