Cajun Field has served as the home of Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns football in Lafayette, Louisiana, since it opened on September 25, 1971. Officially known today as Cajun Field at Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium, the venue sits on the University of Louisiana at Lafayette campus and has grown from a modest 26,000-seat bowl into one of the Sun Belt Conference’s largest football facilities.
Nicknamed ‘The Swamp’ since 1988 because the field sits roughly two feet below sea level and relies on an engineered drainage system to stay playable, Cajun Field has witnessed more than five decades of Ragin’ Cajuns football, including a run as host of the 2005 New Orleans Bowl after Hurricane Katrina forced the game out of its usual home.
Stats at a Glance
- Team(s): Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns football (NCAA FBS, Sun Belt Conference)
- Location: Lafayette, Louisiana
- Opened: September 25, 1971
- Capacity: About 30,392 (2025–present)
- Surface: Artificial turf
- Notable fact: Nicknamed ‘The Swamp’ for sitting below sea level
A Stadium That Kept Growing
Cajun Field opened in 1971 with roughly 26,000 seats and expanded in stages over the decades: to about 31,000 in 1992, then to over 41,000 after a south end zone expansion added roughly 5,000 seats in 2014. That larger capacity held steady through the 2023 season before the university undertook its most ambitious project yet.
A $65 million renovation launched after the 2023 season rebuilt the stadium’s west side, trimming the seat count to around 30,392 but adding 34 suites, 40 loge boxes, more than 500 club seats, and an indoor club space. The university played the 2024 season with a temporary reduced capacity of about 20,000 while construction finished ahead of the 2025 season.
Game Days in the Swamp
Cajun Field earned its ‘Swamp’ nickname from its low-lying site, which demands constant drainage work to keep the playing surface usable during Louisiana’s heavy rains. The stadium’s largest crowd on record came on September 5, 2009, when 41,357 fans turned out to watch the Ragin’ Cajuns face Southern University.
Beyond weekly Ragin’ Cajuns games, the stadium stepped up for the region in 2005 when it hosted the New Orleans Bowl after Hurricane Katrina displaced the game from its usual Superdome home, briefly putting Lafayette in the college football bowl spotlight.
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For upper-deck seats. Watch line play at the stadium, or the far side of the park from the top of a lift hill.
Sherpa-lined and windproof, with a waterproof back for wet bleachers. Folds into its own pouch.
Cajun Field FAQs
Why is Cajun Field nicknamed ‘The Swamp’?
The nickname, adopted in 1988, reflects the stadium’s location roughly two feet below sea level, which requires an engineered drainage system to keep the field playable.
What is Cajun Field’s current capacity?
Following a $65 million renovation completed for the 2025 season, Cajun Field seats about 30,392 fans, down from the roughly 41,264 it held before construction began.
What is Cajun Field’s official full name?
The venue is officially named Cajun Field at Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium after Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center secured naming rights with a $15 million, 15-year commitment.
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Photo: Spatms / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.