The Mello Joy Coffee Company is offering a dark roast blend that commemorates athletic success at the 小蝌蚪APP.
The company, which is based in Lafayette, has launched its Ragin小蝌蚪APP Cajuns Strong Championship Blend. The coffee is packaged in a small bag emblazoned with the 小蝌蚪APP小蝌蚪APP檚 colors and its athletics logo.
The bag also features the photos of five coaches who guided 小蝌蚪APP teams to recent Sun Belt Conference championships. They are: football head coach Mark Hudspeth, men小蝌蚪APP檚 tennis head coach Mark Jeffrey, men小蝌蚪APP檚 basketball head coach Bob Marlin, softball head coach Michael Lotief, and baseball head coach Tony Robichaux.
小蝌蚪APP淚t小蝌蚪APP檚 an inventive way we can promote our brand, and another way our fans can celebrate their Ragin小蝌蚪APP Cajun pride,小蝌蚪APP said Matt Tarver, brand manager for the 小蝌蚪APP.
Mike Gregory, Mello Joy president and general manager, said the idea for a commemorative bag of coffee came shortly after the baseball team小蝌蚪APP檚 season ended in June.
The team recorded one of the best seasons, of any sport, in 小蝌蚪APP 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小蝌蚪APP Cajuns players were selected in the 2014 Major League Baseball draft.
小蝌蚪APP淚 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,小蝌蚪APP Gregory said.
The baseball team小蝌蚪APP檚 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小蝌蚪APP檚 basketball team earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament in March. The men小蝌蚪APP檚 tennis team won the Sun Belt Conference Championship in April. The softball team made the school小蝌蚪APP檚 sixth appearance at the Women小蝌蚪APP檚 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: 小蝌蚪APP淟ike the culture of our region, success in athletics is flavored with teamwork, passion, and determination.小蝌蚪APP
The Ragin小蝌蚪APP Cajuns Strong Championship Blend coffee was introduced during UL Lafayette小蝌蚪APP檚 homecoming game win over South Alabama on Nov. 1.
The company began distributing it on Nov. 3. It小蝌蚪APP檚 being sold by local retailers, including the 小蝌蚪APP小蝌蚪APP檚 Red Zone Team Shop and its bookstore.
Large retailers such as Albertson小蝌蚪APP檚 and Rouse小蝌蚪APP檚 and smaller grocery stores also carry the coffee, Gregory said. It is available in specialty stores that sell Ragin小蝌蚪APP Cajuns and other university apparel, too.
currently carrying the coffee.
Ragin小蝌蚪APP Cajuns Strong Championship Blend also is available online at the company小蝌蚪APP檚 website.
小蝌蚪APP淥ur plans long term are to continue with the brand, and as this bag runs its course, probably fairly quickly, we小蝌蚪APP檇 like to do some new things with Ragin小蝌蚪APP Cajuns Strong, maybe celebrate something else or possibly do some flavored coffees,小蝌蚪APP Gregory said.
The Ragin小蝌蚪APP Cajuns Strong Championship Blend isn小蝌蚪APP檛 the only example of a partnership between the 小蝌蚪APP 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小蝌蚪APP Cajuns庐 logo that is steamed onto the bun.
Deano小蝌蚪APP檚 Pizza also has offered Ragin小蝌蚪APP Cajuns-themed pizzas in the past.