The Mello Joy Coffee Company is offering a dark roast blend that commemorates athletic success at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
The company, which is based in Lafayette, has launched its Ragin’ Cajuns Strong Championship Blend. The coffee is packaged in a small bag emblazoned with the University’s colors and its athletics logo.
The bag also features the photos of five coaches who guided University teams to recent Sun Belt Conference championships. They are: football head coach Mark Hudspeth, men’s tennis head coach Mark Jeffrey, men’s basketball head coach Bob Marlin, softball head coach Michael Lotief, and baseball head coach Tony Robichaux.
“It’s an inventive way we can promote our brand, and another way our fans can celebrate their Ragin’ Cajun pride,” said Matt Tarver, brand manager for the University.
Mike Gregory, Mello Joy president and general manager, said the idea for a commemorative bag of coffee came shortly after the baseball team’s season ended in June.
The team recorded one of the best seasons, of any sport, in University history. It was ranked No. 1 nationally for much of the spring and early summer, and posted the best record in college baseball, 58-10. Seven Ragin’ Cajuns players were selected in the 2014 Major League Baseball draft.
“I have a friend who has a coffee company in Nebraska, and he had done a special bag for the Nebraska Cornhuskers. I thought it was really, really cool, and that we out to try to do a commemorative bag for UL,” Gregory said.
The baseball team’s stellar season capped a year of success in several other sports.
The football team won its third consecutive R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl in December. The men’s basketball team earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament in March. The men’s tennis team won the Sun Belt Conference Championship in April. The softball team made the school’s sixth appearance at the Women’s College World Series in May.
In July, CBS.com ranked UL Lafayette 34th in its Best in College Sports ranking.
An inscription on the commemorative bag reads, in part: “Like the culture of our region, success in athletics is flavored with teamwork, passion, and determination.”
The Ragin’ Cajuns Strong Championship Blend coffee was introduced during UL Lafayette’s homecoming game win over South Alabama on Nov. 1.
The company began distributing it on Nov. 3. It’s being sold by local retailers, including the University’s Red Zone Team Shop and its bookstore.
Large retailers such as Albertson’s and Rouse’s and smaller grocery stores also carry the coffee, Gregory said. It is available in specialty stores that sell Ragin’ Cajuns and other university apparel, too.
View a list of retailers currently carrying the coffee.
Ragin’ Cajuns Strong Championship Blend also is available online at the company’s website.
“Our plans long term are to continue with the brand, and as this bag runs its course, probably fairly quickly, we’d like to do some new things with Ragin’ Cajuns Strong, maybe celebrate something else or possibly do some flavored coffees,” Gregory said.
The Ragin’ Cajuns Strong Championship Blend isn’t the only example of a partnership between the University and the food and beverage industry.
The national restaurant chain Sonic has offered UL Lafayette-themed burgers during football season since 2012. The burgers are stamped with an edible Ragin’ Cajuns® logo that is steamed onto the bun.
Deano’s Pizza also has offered Ragin’ Cajuns-themed pizzas in the past.