A QUICK LOOK AT - LSU

by Jack Witthaus

The Institution

School Quick Facts

Official Name:

Louisiana State University

Nickname:

Fighting Tigers

Location:

Baton Rouge, LA

Enrollment:

28,985

Founded:

1860

Mascot:

Mike the Tiger

Live Mascot:

Mike VI (Siberian-Bengal mix)

Fight Song:

"Fight for LSU"

SEC Division:

West

It is surprising to note that Union Civil War General William Tecumseh Sherman was the first superintendent of what would later be known as LSU. Sherman was a Southern sympathizer and a popular leader at the institution.

Sherman was, however, opposed to secession. When Louisiana dropped out of the Union, Sherman retired from his post and went back to the North. Along with Sherman, the institution folded during the Civil War and didn’t reopen until 1865.

After the war, Sherman donated two captured Confederate cannons which now rest outside of LSU’s Military Science building.

In 1869, the campus, which is located next to the Mississippi River, burned to the ground. St. Louis Union Station architect Theodore Link later redesigned the campus in the 1920s. Link tried to style the campus after the work of the Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio. The campus features many tan stucco walls, red-tiled roofs, and porticos.

The campus wasn’t always so pretty. In 1939, LSU president James Monroe Smith was caught embezzling along with 20 other state officials. Two officials involved committed suicide and Louisiana Governor Richard W. Leche was sent to federal prison for 10 years.

On the flip side, LSU donated a tremendous amount of help after Hurricane Katrina. The university accepted thousands of displaced students from New Orleans colleges. The Pete Maravich Assembly Center, where LSU basketball plays, turned into a field hospital where 3,000 student volunteers helped nearly 45,000 people.

Famous LSU alumni include Hubert Humphrey, 38th Vice President of the United States, James Carville, an advisor during the Bill Clinton campaigns, and Will Wright, designer of The Sims video game.

LSU Football

Football Quick Facts

Venue Name:

Tiger Stadium (aka Death Valley)

Venue Capacity:

92,542

Venue Surface:

Natural Grass

First Season:

1893

Overall Record:

735-390-47

Last Season:

13-1 (8-0 SEC, SEC Champs, Lost in National Championship game to Alabama)

Head Coach:

Les Miles (75-17)

Football Rivals:

Tulane, Ole Miss, Auburn, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida

Mizzou does not have a scheduled game against LSU this season, but when Missouri takes on LSU at Tiger Stadium, the game will not be for the hard of hearing.

“Death Valley,” as the stadium is known, may be one of the loudest stadiums on Earth, making it a feared place to play for opposing teams. In a 1988 game versus Auburn, the crowd bellowed a roar so ferociously that it registered a 4.7 magnitude earthquake. The come-from-behind victory has since been known as the “Earthquake Game.”

More recently in 2007, the No. 1 Tigers played the No. 9 Gators in a game that registered 122 decibels at one point.

Oddly, the football-crazed university at one time needed a clever way to increase stadium capacity after the State of Louisiana wouldn’t sponsor the project. In 1936, Governor Huey Long used money set aside for housing to build dorms around Tiger Stadium with seats erected on top.

The increased number of spectators have seen some impressive teams over the years. LSU has the 12th most wins in NCAA history and are the first team since the creation of the BCS to win multiple national crowns in 2003 and 2007. LSU claims its other national title in 1958, when the Tigers rolled over Clemson in the Sugar Bowl.

Overall, LSU has captured 14 conference championships and eight divisional titles. On top of that, LSU has won 23 bowl games. In 1959, Billy Cannon snagged their only Heisman trophy.

Like most SEC schools, LSU football matches up against a host of rivals. The Tigers biggest non-conference rivalry is against Texas A&M, which will join LSU in the West Division this year. The Aggies and the Tigers last played in the Cotton Bowl in 2011. LSU holds the advantage overall at 27-20.

Some of LSU’s traditions are rooted in their French heritage. The saying “Geaux Tigers” is a common cheer around Baton Rouge. When Nick Saban started coaching, LSU changed his name to “Nick C’est Bon.”

When Mizzou fans travel to Tiger Stadium before games, watch out for “Tiger Baiting.” After setting up elaborate tailgate parties, LSU fans will yell “Tiger Bait! Tiger Bait!” at opposing fans, which sometimes leads to confrontations. After the friendly hazing, most fans will be invited to the taunter’s tailgate for cajun cuisine.

Another strange tradition is the LSU goalposts. Inside Tiger Stadium, each goalpost is erected in the “H” style instead of the traditional “Y” style. This goalpost allows LSU to run through it before the game.

LSU Basketball

Basketball Quick Facts

Venue Name:

Pete Maravich Assembly Center

Venue Capacity:

13,472

First Season:

1908

Overall Record:

1462-1092

Last Season:

18-15, (7-9 SEC)

Head Coach:

Johnny Jones (0-0, 205-162)

NCAA Final Fours:

4

The Tigers hoops program has turned out some top talent including former St. Louis Hawks starter Bob Pettit and the legendary center Shaquille O’Neal. With Pettit, LSU made its first Final Four appearance in 1953 and lost to eventual National champ Indiana.

In the late 1960s, another NBA great “Pistol Pete” Maravich played incredible basketball for LSU, averaging around 44 points a game, but the team never made it to the NCAA tournament. Maravich was named National Player of the Year in 1970, and in 1991, O’Neal received the same award.

Legendary LSU head coach Dale Brown took over the program from Maravich’s father, who was the head coach at the time his son was playing. Brown coached 25 years, making 15 straight NCAA tournament appearances. He has the most games won (448) in the SEC behind Adolph Rupp of Kentucky.

For the last three years, Trent Johnson has coached LSU with some success. Johnson resigned this year after an 18-15 season to coach at TCU.

Current head coach Johnny Jones, a former LSU player, is 205-162 overall. Jones is coming off an 11-year stint with North Texas, where he led the program to two NCAA tournament bids.