LAFAYETTE, La. (The Daily Advertiser) – Shortly after UL accepted an invitation Sunday to play Southern Mississippi in the 2016 New Orleans Bowl, Matt Casbon became a busier-than-usual man.

UL’s director of ticket operations has less than two weeks to sell the Ragin’ Cajuns’ allotment before the Dec. 17 game is played at the Superdome in New Orleans.

“As soon as the announcement was made, we had people buying online (Sunday) night,” Casbon said Monday.

“As soon as the call center opened at 10 a.m. (Monday),” he added, “the phones lit up, and I’ve had a steady flow of emails.”

Casbon said Cajun fans will be seated on the “same sideline as we were on for previous bowl games,” which includes sections 104 through 124 on the Superdome’s Plaza level in addition to loge-level sections.

Seats in sections 113, 114 and 115 cost $60; tickets and seats in all other sections allotted to the Cajuns cost $40, according to Casbon.

“The New Orleans Bowl staff is prepared to increase our allotment should we get an increase of fans,” he said, “so we are prepared for that.”

UL’s initial allotment, according to Casbon, is 10,000.

The Cajuns have played in four previous New Orleans Bowls, winning each from 2011-2014.

The smallest New Orleans Bowl crowd UL has played in front of was 34,014 for its 2014 win over Nevada. The largest: 54,728 against Tulane in 2013. UL also beat San Diego State in 2011 (42,481) and East Carolina in 2012 (48,828).

Priority ticket requests from Cajun fans will be accepted until noon Friday.

Seating for Ragin’ Cajun Athletic Foundation members will be based — for the first time in a bowl game in which UL will be taking part — on priority points ranking, with the best seats going to those who’ve accumulated the most points through a variety of means including donations to the athletic department and season-ticket purchasing history.

UL rolled out its RCAF priority points plan earlier this year.

The Cajuns are encouraging their fans to purchase tickets through the Cajundome ticket office, in part so that it can “show future bowl destinations the amount of fan interest there is for Ragin’ Cajuns football.”

According to information from UL, “the Cajundome ticket office will sell the best tickets available behind the Ragin’ Cajuns bench” so fans have “the ability to sit with fellow” UL fans.

Specific seating location will be based first on RCAF priority points ranking as of noon Friday, followed by 2016 football season-ticket holders who are not currently RCAF Annual Fund donors; current UL students on a first-come, first-served basis in the bowl’s “Red Zone”; UL Alumni Association members; and finally the general public on a first-come, first-served basis.

Ticket quantity also will be based on 2016 RCAF Annual Fund donor level as of noon Friday, as follows: Vermillion level donors ($20,000 and up), 20 tickets; Louisiana Classics ($10,000-$19,999), 16; Athletic Director’s Circle ($5,000-$9,999), 12; All American ($2,500-$4,999), 10; All Cajun ($1,000-$2,499), 8; All Conference ($500-$999), 6; Coach’s Staff ($250-$499), 4 tickets; and Varsity Club ($100-$249), 2.

According to UL: “If ordering more tickets than your RCAF donor level allotment, you can forgo priority seating in order for entire party to sit together. Fans that wish to be seated near one another should return all ticket order forms together at one time.”

As a bonus, RCAF Annual Fund donors who purchase tickets prior to Friday’s priority deadline will receive additional RCAF priority points.

Program supporters purchasing up to four bowl tickets will receive five additional RCAF priority points; fans purchasing five tickets or more will receive a total of 10 additional priority points.

Ticket order forms are available on the Bowl Central Page at RaginCajuns.com.

Tickets can be ordered four ways: Online by clicking the link at the top of Bowl Central; download the form, fill it out, scan and email order form back to ultickets@cajundome.com; filling out an order form in person at the Cajundome box office; or by calling the Cajundome box office at 265-2170 from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. on weekdays until Dec. 15.

Fax orders are not accepted.

Patrons cannot pick their own specific seats when buying through the Cajundome box office, but they can through other outlets.

According to information from UL, ticket pickup at the Cajundome is scheduled for noon until 5:30 p.m. Dec. 12 and from 10 a.m until 5:30 p.m. Dec. 13-15.