By T. Scott Boatright
Spring football is in the air, and Bayou Jamb officials have called an audible for 2022.
That’s because the Bayou Jamb, which began in 2006 and is now considered one of Louisiana’s largest preseason football events, is shifting west down Interstate 20 this year after previously being held at the University of Louisiana-Monroe.
This year’s Bayou Jamb will start on Friday, Aug. 26, with Mangham playing St. Frederick at 5:30 p.m. followed by Oak Grove vs. Ouachita at 7 p.m. inside Joe Aillet Stadium on the Louisiana Tech University campus.
That will be followed by four games on Aug. 27 — Jonesboro-Hodge vs. Franklin Parish at 1 p.m.; Ouachita Christian vs. Jena at 3 p.m.; Cedar Creek vs. Evangel Christian at 5 p.m.; and Ruston vs. West Monroe at 7 p.m.
Bayou Jamb president and organizer Patti Thurmon said the idea of the change definitely did not come out of the blue.
“It’s something that had been talked about before — the idea of not always having it at ULM,” Thurmon said. “But the big thing is that when we started looking for match-ups this year, it ended up that Sterlington and Neville decided they were going to play each other in a jamboree at Neville, so the next two teams that came up were Cedar Creek and Evangel Christian. Those are both teams located closer to Louisiana Tech and Ruston, so we just started looking at that idea and building a Ruston-geared line-up and it all fell into place.”
And Thurmon feels the change will be a good one for the event itself.
“I hope we are welcomed with open arms and I feel we will be,” Thurmon said. “The intent is for the Bayou Jamb to grow. We want to give numerous kids the opportunity to play at a Division I school because the fact of the matter is, most of them won’t as they graduate high school. That’s been the mission since Day One and this gives other schools and other kids the chance to have that kind of experience.
“We know the Ruston community always rallies around events and knows how to execute and support those types of things. I think it’ll have a big impact on Ruston. We hope for it to be the festival atmosphere like we’ve had at ULM before. Nothing that big has changed other than the location and the continued mission to help it grow.”
Thurmon said nothing more has been determined for the future other than the 2022 Bayou Jamb being played at Joe Aillet Stadium.
“Bayou Jamb wasn’t started by ULM, it was hosted at the university,” Thurmon said. “It was developed by a committee that had these ideas and as we continued to grow and experience having other schools participating, we wanted to look and see how this might work.
“I don’t know if we have it two years in Ruston and move it back to Monroe. I don’t know if we start alternating year by year at each college. That’s something we’re still trying to figure out. But moving this year’s event to Ruston and hosting it there seems like the best way to that.”
Thurmon admitted that things moved so fast with the decision that she has not yet talked to city of Ruston officials or organizations like the Ruston-Lincoln Chamber of Commerce or Experience Ruston, formerly known as the Ruston Lincoln Convention and Visitors Bureau.
“That’s something that’s going to happen very soon,” Thurmon said. “Contacting the CVB is actually on my to-do list for this week. Hopefully they’ll put me in contact with some of the local businesses and that kind of thing.”
Thurmon said her intent was not for the “horse to come before the cart,” or a false start so to speak in football terminology, as far as announcing and developing the Louisiana Tech Bayou Jamb.
“I was going to get in touch with the CVB and the Mayor’s Office along with some of the local businesses — all of that,” Thurmon said. “But as coaches started announcing and releasing schedules, it all just sort of came out.
“Ruston’s always been a big part of Bayou Jamb and with two schools coming from there playing in the Bayou Jamb, I know people are ecstatic about this. It just happened so fast in the public with all of the coaches talking, it was an announcement we had to go ahead and make.
“In fact, it’s my intent to go talk with (new head Cedar Creek football coach Steven Ensminger) and Louisiana Tech (today), and part of my to-do list is to also reach out to the CVB and the Mayor’s Office. We’re excited about all of it.”
Ruston Bearcats head coach Jerrod Baugh said he is also excited about the news.
“I think it’s a great change,” Baugh said. “This team has always enjoyed going to ULM and playing in that kind of college atmosphere. And it’ll be a big deal for our home crowd and I think that could help it grow some, which is the purpose behind the change anyway. We’re excited about it at Ruston.”
Creek head coach Steven Ensminger echoed Baugh’s excitement on behalf of the Cougars.
“There’s so many things about this Bayou Jamb to get excited about,” said Ensminger. “It’s in Ruston! Which is huge for this community. It’s in an incredible stadium that I know our kids will be excited to play in. I played at Tech, my dad coached at Tech and his name is on the Spirit of ’88 the (Tech players) rub when they come out in the field. So many things about that school and this city that make this year’s Bayou Jamb something that will be special for not only the teams playing in it but the fans as well.”
