LSU football makes decision on national anthem, pre-game process amid Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry's callout
LSU has deicded not to change the Tigers’ pregame routine to fufill a request made by Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry which would have seen players be made to stand on the field during the national anthem.
Earlier this year, Landry said that scholarships should be pulled from athletes who choose not to be present for The Star Spangled Banner. However, the football team traditionally has not been on the field for it regularly in decades.
“There will not be any changes to our pre-game football processes this season,” LSU athletics spokesman Zach Greenwell told the Louisiana Illuminator, via WBRZ. Landry’s spokesperson Kate Kelly declined the outlet’s request of her to comment on the matter.
The LSU pregame routine typically sees the Tigers’ marching band take the field to perform ‘Tiger Rag,’ before playing the alma mater and finally the national anthem. LSU typically takes the field following the events. The men’s and women’s basketball teams have a similar routine by waiting until after the anthem is played to take the court.
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In 2017, a similar situation occured when anonymous Louisiana state legislators threatened the university’s funding if their players knelt during the national anthem in similar protest of police brutality against African-Americans. The trend was controversially popularized at the time by San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick in 2016.
However, that was waived after then president F. King Alexander reminded those lawmakers that the team remains in the locker room for the event.
LSU doesn’t play its first home game until Week 2 when they host Nicholls on Sept. 7 where they will continue their routine of remaining in the locker room for the national anthem for the foreseeable future.
Before that, the Tigers will have to take on the USC Trojans in a top-25 matchup in Las Vegas for a special Sunday night kickoff.
The Tigers will be looking to acquire a new identity with quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels off to the NFL, veteran quarterback Garrett Nussmeier will take over under center having spent three seasons largely serving as a backup in Baton Rouge.
The opening kickoff between the Tigers and Trojans is set for 7:30 p.m. ET live on ABC and ESPN+.