USL Nola Stadium Options

Patty V • August 2, 2022

As I’m sure you’ve heard by now, the United Soccer League has announced they have entered an exclusive partnership with USL NOLA, with plans to bring both a men’s and women’s professional soccer club to the “Greater New Orleans Area” by the year 2025.
 
The biggest question this has seemingly brought up, other than team names, kit designs, etc., is “Where will the team play?” There are a few options on the table, each with different reasoning behind them. In my opinion however, there are truly only two options if the team wants to see any sort of long-term success. 


What are the first options that come to mind?


Pan-Am Stadium

Currently host the high school football and the New Orleans Jesters (NOLA’s current soccer team, playing in the National Premier Soccer League, which for many who don’t know, is considered “semi-pro”. Pan-American Stadium has been around for decades, being built in 1973 and hosting many Soccer Clubs throughout the years, feels more suited for a high school football game than any professional sporting event. It has been renovated post Katrina, but even this was done over 14 years ago. By the time the USL Nola team would be ready to play, these renovations for what ultimately looks like a small-scale high school stadium, would have taken place around 17 years prior. By stadium standards this is a lifetime. On top of this, the location in City Park isn’t ideal to draw any sort of walk-up crowd. People would have to seek out this old, run down, small stadium, to spend a day feeling as though they’re attending their nephew’s ball game. The overall vibe is off here, do not recommend.


Patty’s grade for this option: D+
 
Tad Gormley Stadium

Also located in City Park, the location is a bit more ideal being that Gormley is much closer to, well, anything. This stadium would certainly allow for a better walk-up option, and the stadium is also much larger. This stadium gives the feel of the classic, romantic, historic stadiums of yester year. This stadium actually hosted a World Cup tune up match back in the 80’s, as well as a friendly between the MLS’s Chicago Fire, and Honduran soccer club Real C.D. Espana.  However, the positives basically stop there. While history is romantic, the scoreboard and concrete seating are not. Also, with the dated feel, as well as location a little off the beaten path (closer to neighborhoods and Delgado, which is a ghost town outside of school hours), the ease of being in the area and just simply catching a game doesn’t feel, special. This could cause a major problem. The game day experience and overall perception of the team can take a major hit if you are only drawing 5,000 people to a stadium that seats over 26,000. I would steer clear of this one as well.


Patty’s grade for this option: D-


The Shrine on Airline

First and foremost, this is a place that is VERY close to my heart. For years, I lived just across the highway from the shrine off Elise. I also worked at the Shrine for over 2 years. Even as I type, I am looking to my right at my placard for my old workspace: “Account Executive – Patrick Vath”, once employed by the Zephyrs/Baby Cakes. CAKE NATION NEVER DIES. I digress. For years I have wondered why the following for the Zephyr’s turned Cakes waned. What lead to their untimely demise? In my humble opinion, I point to the Shrine (amongst a few other things). This stadium, originally built in 1997, has simply not been kept up with through the years. It does provide many options that a professional club would be looking for: suites, party space, corporate sponsorship possibilities. However, it certainly FEELS old. The pre-game and post-game options in this are also severely limit the possibility of young folks in the area who just happen to decide to walk up to the game last minute. If you are going to the Shrine on Airline, you are just…..going to Metairie. Also, when talking about hosting a Soccer Club (or even rugby, see: NOLA Gold), there is no getting around that the place feels like a baseball stadium. Without some serious renovations to this stadium, there is really no draw other than the on-field product, which is a major way to set yourself up for failure. While the club could make this space work, it would be a LARGE undertaking, where they would be fighting an uphill battle from day one.


Patty’s grade for this option: C


Yulman Stadium

I’m not sure if this is even an option, or how they would go about negotiating this, but Yulman stadium feels like a space that was simply built for a professional soccer club. The stadium, easily the most modern on the list, was opened in 2014. It would provide the updated amenities any professional team would be looking for. Yulman offers multiple club options, bars, suites, and padded seat back chairs in many areas. They also have a brand new 94 by 24-foot LED scoreboard. With the location of the stadium being uptown on the Tulane campus, the location is certainly much more promising than some of the other areas, with local bars and restaurants scattered all around the campus, plus perhaps the ability to use some of the campus for pregame festivities. The two negatives here I would think, are the size of the stadium and the overall feeling of it not being themed towards the club. Would there be a way to cover seats at Yulman to make it feel more intimate? How would they cover the giant angry wave, or other Tulane markings?


Patty’s grade for this option: C+


Build new in the “River District development”

The other option for the new USL Nola franchises would be to simply build a brand-new stadium. The current thought/proposal has the club attached to a development in the River District of New Orleans. When it comes to starting a team off with the most buzz possible, having a brand-new stadium, on the river, surrounded by a BRAND NEW entertainment district, certainly seems like the way to go. The possibilities would be endless here. The only true negatives would be dealing with the politics of the situation, which we all know can be difficult in the area we live, and simply dealing with any public pushback against the development including a stadium rather than something else voters would like to see. The area in question is extremely close to a currently bustling Warehouse District, where the exact demographic this team would hope to draw currently resides.


Patty’s grade for this option: A


The best option available for the new Soccer Club would have to be building new, for various reasons. Firstly, many of the stadiums suggested are either outdated, too large, or just not set up to host a professional soccer club and draw in the way one would hope. Even Yulman, the most up to date of the bunch, is far too large, and totally themed towards the University. In looking at the attendance numbers for the 2022 season so far, New Mexico United comes in with the highest avg, sitting right around 11,000 people, with the league average sitting right around 4,800. Without a new stadium, my fear is that The New Orleans Football Club to Be Named Later may be fighting an uphill battle to create buzz from day one. I suppose it depends what the goal is here. If the goal is simply to draw 2,000 to 5,000 on average, a few improvements to one of the run down stadiums may be just enough. Otherwise, I fear the club could be doomed from the start if the goals are much loftier, and the team cannot secure a stadium deal to their liking.

Regardless, I'm in.


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Lions Dominate: No. 22 Southeastern's 49-0 Homecoming Victory Over Northwestern State

By Drake LeBlanc • October 20, 2025
Homecoming in Hammond, America The SLU Lions put on a show for the Homecoming crowd Saturday night at Strawberry Stadium, dominating Northwestern State 49–0 in the 70th meeting between the longtime rivals. The win marked Southeastern’s 15th straight victory in the series, pushing their all-time record against the Demons to 41–29. The Lions were in control from the start, scoring 7 total touchdowns and piling up 402 yards of total offense while holding Northwestern State to just 120 total yards. Quarterbacks Kyle Lowe and Carson Camp combined for 220 passing yards and two touchdowns through the air, while Southeastern’s rushing attack added 182 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. Brandon Hayes got a touchdown for the special teams as well with an 83 yard kickoff return. The win capped off a festive Homecoming weekend in Hammond, America. Friendship Circle was packed for the tailgate, where fans enjoyed live music from The Chee Weez, food vendors, and a great homecoming parade celebrating the Lion Up Community. Many alumni and students made their way from the tailgate into Strawberry Stadium to witness the Lions’ most dominant performance of the season. As an alum myself, I loved seeing the University buy into the Homecoming festivities this year with great entertainment and an electric atomosphere. Head Coach Frank Scelfo emphasized earlier in the week how important homecoming is for the university, noting that for many alumni, this is the only game of the year they get to attend. After the game, he praised his team for delivering for the homecoming crowd and giving our fans something to be proud of. Lion Up LeBlanc’s Players of the Game Offense – Deantre “The Jet” Jackson: Jackson continued to live up to his nickname, finding the end zone three times. Deantre had two touchdowns on the ground and one through the air, totaling 67 yards on just a handful of touches. His early spark set the tone for a long night for the Demon defense. Defense – Jakyri Jones: Jones anchored the Lion defense with seven total tackles (four solo), helping lead a unit that forced five sacks and nine tackles for loss. Southeastern’s defense suffocated the Demons all evening, allowing only 24 rushing yards on 30 attempts. Looking Ahead As impressive as the atmosphere was, I can only hope this energy carries beyond homecoming weekend. The Lions have proven they can contend with anyone in the FCS, and if they continue to play like this, more alumni and students should want to pack Strawberry Stadium every single home game. The Lions are putting an exceptional product on the field, it's our time to do our part as fans to match that energy, fill the stands, and keep the train rolling! Next up, Southeastern (5–2, 3–0 Southland) hits the road for another conference matchup against Houston Christian University. Stay tuned for my pre-game report later this week. Where to find me? X: @LionUpLeBlanc You can also see me on the weekly Louisian Gameday show, previewing all the College Football in Louisiana! LION UP!

New Orleans Saints vs Chicago Bears 2025 Week 7 Recap

By Greyson Jenkins • October 19, 2025
New Orleans Saints 14 - 26 Chicago Bears The Saints somehow found a way to have a more upsetting loss than their horrific loss to the Seahawks earlier this season. They were bad across all sides of the ball, plain and simple. Spencer Rattler might have had the worst game of his career, and Dennis Allen looked like the best DC in the league. For Spencer Rattler and Saints fans in the year 2025, that may be the worst outcome possible. The Positives This is going to be quick, because there are only two positives that stand out to me. Chris Olave. Chase Young. Two players that are clearly solid building pieces for this team in the future. Chris Olave had a huge bounce back game after his tough performance last week, in which he had multiple drops. He turned in those drops for two touchdowns in this one, something Olave had never previously done in his career, which is a great sign for this team’s future. Although Olave had those two massive touchdowns, I really wish the Saints tried to get him more involved both earlier and later in the game like they did last week. There are rumors going around the NFL and social media that the Saints and Chris Olave are working on an extension, and if true, Chris Olave may have earned himself a few extra million dollars today. Chase Young has only played two games for the team this year, as he suffered a calf injury before the week one matchup with the Cardinals. That being said, in the two games he has played, last week and today, he has definitely made an impact for this team. In this game he batted down two passes at the line, and had a half sack shared with Bryan Bresee. These numbers aren’t jaw dropping statlines that the top edges in the league may put up, but Chase was providing a great amount of push on his side. The problem is, most times Chase Young is getting push, Chris Rumph, Carl Granderson, or Cam Jordan fail to do so and Caleb Williams was able to freely roll out the opposite way. If the Saints go into the draft and get a game wrecker edge to go across from him, the pass rush could immediately be set up for success next season. Right now, the pass rush does not look good at all, and they’re giving quarterbacks all the time in the world in the pocket, but Chase Young is a sign that there may be light on the horizon. The Negatives Spencer Rattler played his worst game of the season today, if not his whole career. He finished the game 20 of 32 for 233 yards, 2 touchdowns, 3 interceptions, and a fumble lost. Woof. In the first half, before the final drive, Rattler was clearly flustered by the Bears defensive line getting constant pressure. He had less than 10 passing yards until that final drive where he found Olave two times for one massive gain and a touchdown. He then followed that up with another touchdown to Olave, but the struggles soon came back thereafter. Spencer Rattler threw multiple bad picks today, each being directly to a defender, and one being into triple coverage. Spencer Rattler is a guy that Saints fans wanted to be more aggressive, myself included, and he finally seemed to jump head first into an aggressive playstyle without any second thought. On his second interception, it appeared as though he could have ran for a few yards. Instead? He ended up waiting too long and practically directed Kevin Byard to the interception. In addition, he had a throw that should have been picked off, if it weren’t for two Bears defenders absolutely crushing one another and breaking up the pass. This performance heats up the Shough conversations, and they are now louder than they have ever been before. Spencer Rattler couldn’t afford an implosion game like he had today, and this performance on top of his record, really makes the Saints consider seeing what they have in the 40th overall pick (at least in my eyes). I’d completely understand if Kellen Moore and the team want to give him another shot next week against the Buccaneers, so that the team can see if this was merely a fluke performance. Spencer Rattler needs to find a midpoint between his aggressive and conservative playstyles to succeed in this league, and if he can’t, then I could see Tyler Shough’s number being called in the 504 soon. Both the offensive and defensive lines played terribly today for the Saints, with the run game not being able to pick up anything against the worst defense in terms of rushing yards per game, and the defense allowing over 6 yards per carry to both featured Bears running backs. Early in the game, Jaquan Brisker was able to get pressure through Taliese Fuaga, Juwan Johnson, and Alvin Kamara, and the Bears were able to get pressure on Rattler even when the Saints had max protection to help Rattler. It is inexcusable, nothing else to say. On top of this, Erik McCoy went down with an arm injury in this one, with Kellen Moore saying some concern is present. Without McCoy, this offensive line could have massive struggles on the inside, and put even more demand on the young tackles who don’t need more on their already full plate. The defense struggled against the run in this one, with holes that trucks could drive through being available for both Swift and Monangai multiple times. Not only that, but the holes opened up so quickly that the running backs were able to get to the second level at full speed, making it harder on the linebackers and secondary to make tackles. Let me say this too, it has nothing to do with the defensive line, but Justin Reid absolutely struggled all over the field today. Talking about run defense made me think of it, but Reid was terrible in run help and also had multiple blown coverages. If I had a say, I’d put in Jordan Howden, and get on the phone to move Reid for some draft compensation. I can’t believe I am having to write about him again, but Blake Grupe missed another kick. Is he the reason the Saints lost the game? No, but he surely isn’t someone any fan or player involved with this team should trust to go out there and help win them games. Yes, the kick was from over 50 yards out. Yes, the weather wasn’t great. It doesn’t matter anymore. He has been given his chance to clean it up and he has failed. Kellen Moore and Co. need to do something to apply pressure this week, whether that be giving Charlie Smyth a real shot or bringing in some kickers for tryouts. It may not solve all of the Saints issues, but it would at least mean that Kellen Moore does not accept mediocrity and constant mistakes. Kellen Moore did not have a good game as a playcaller. He had a great two drives on the two drives that ended in touchdowns, but had numerous questionable decisions sprinkled throughout today. First of all, running inside on third and long is very uninspiring, and makes me lack the trust he has in Rattler. However, he decided not to run on third and fourth down when the Saints needed less than a yard on their final offensive possession of the game, which tells me he didn’t trust the run game. Additionally, Kellen Moore has failed to truly get Devaughn Vele involved in any game this season, which makes no sense considering they invested draft compensation in him when the team needs nothing but more draft picks. If you trade for someone, especially a fourth rounder, you need to make them a part of your gameplan. Kellen Moore has showed some promise, and by no means is he the reason this team is failing (at least so far), so I want to see if he improves throughout the rest of the season. Closing and Team MVPs By no means did I think the Saints were a sure thing to win this game, but I definitely believed they could make it close. Players across all phases of the game looked like they have never played the sport before, and that can’t be happening this late in the season, especially when veterans are some of the ones making the mistakes. The Saints need to commit fully to the younger players on this roster, and see what they can do the rest of this season. I don’t think Shough will start next week, but if Rattler somehow turns this performance into a trend, Shough will get playing time this season. Offensive MVP: Chris Olave Defensive MVP: NONE. Pathetic. (2 weeks in a row) Special Teams MVP: NONE. (Can we please put Shaheed back there on kickoffs if we aren’t going to use him more as a receiver?)
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