This season, the Colonels’ football team will try to raise awareness of the important role that area sugarcane farmers play in the community when the team wears helmet decals that read LNSF, which stands for “Louisiana Needs Sugarcane Farmers,” at every game this season.
The promotion is a joint effort between Cameco Industries in Thibodaux, the industry leader in sugarcane farming equipment and harvesting technology, and the Nicholls State Athletic Department.
Nicholls State athletic director Rob Bernardi sees it as no surprise that the Colonel football team is actively involved in the promotion.
“It is no coincidence that our football team is involved in the promotion since our practice field is nearly surrounded by sugarcane fields,” Bernardi said.
In past years, many sugarcane farmers lost most, if not all, of their crops to weather or natural disasters. However, the recent decline in sugar prices has also hindered farmers.
“The sugarcane farmers have really struggled the past few years. The purpose of our promotion is to recognize the difficult problems facing the sugarcane farmers and to help promote the industry which is so dominate in our area,” Bernardi said.
The loss of over 600,000 tons of production was the result of Hurricane Lili and Tropical Storm Isidore.
In the mid 1700s, the industry started to become one of Louisiana’s most profitable industries. Today it is estimated that the economic benefit of sugar to the state of Louisiana is at $1.7 billion, while employing over 27,000 people statewide. The state of Louisiana produces 16 percent of all sugar grown in the United States.
In the Thibodaux community and surrounding areas such as Houma, Gramercy, St. James and St. John parish, the influence of sugarcane fields is remarkable.
In 2002, sugarcane was produced on over 400,000 acres of land, while more than 20 parishes produced the cash crop.
“The sugarcane farmers have been through a lot with the last year,” Bernardi said. “With the Colonel football team traveling all around the country this season, with stops in Florida and Oregon, the message will be received by many.”
“Tagging our football helmets with the LNSF decal brings a tremendous amount of recognition to the sugarcane farmers of Louisiana. Our football team will carry the message of sugarcane farmers from Tampa, Fla. to Portland, Ore. to Miami, Fla. We also will be able to spread the word across the entire nation by playing on three televised games,” Bernardi said.
“When it comes down to promoting our parish, our community and our families residing here, Nicholls State football is devoted to the cause,” head football coach Daryl Daye, said.
The Colonel football team did a great job initially putting the message out as they humiliated Bethel College 70-0 in the season opener, which was the team’s first time wearing the decals.
All quotes taken form Nicholls State University SID