The LSU and University of South Carolina athletic departments announced Wednesday morning that Saturday’s game will move to Baton Rouge’s Tiger Stadium, marking the first time in LSU history an away football game moves back home.
LSUPD, Facility Services and the LSU Office of Parking and Transportation are co-coordinating and bracing themselves for an impromptu gameday weekend. Officials made the executive decision following a series of devastating floods throughout South Carolina. After at least 17 weather-related deaths in the state this week, the Gamecocks decided it was in students’ best interest to switch locations.
LSU Athletics Communications Director Michael Bonnette said the athletic department has made arrangements for a home game since Tuesday.
“We’ve got a great staff on board here, so it’s something we feel confident we can pull off,” Bonnette said.
Bonnette said gameday will be a collaborative effort by several different LSU entities, including university security, cleanup and parking.
The Office of Facility Services supports LSU Athletics in gameday management, said Tammy Millican, assistant director of communications for Facility Services.
In addition to cleaning the bathrooms in Tiger Stadium, Facility Services is responsible for cleaning up campus after the game, Millican said.
Millican confirmed Facility Services contacted the Louisiana Department of Corrections and booked an inmate labor crew to help clean campus before Monday morning.
“We’re excited to have South Carolina fans come here, and we want them to see what a beautiful campus we have,” Millican said.
Senior Director of Administrative Services and Risk Management Jeff Campbell said he is still waiting on guidance from LSU Athletics on how to address gameday parking.
Though LSU Parking plans on operating like it would on a typical gameday, no formalized plan is established.
“As soon as we get some direction from them, we’re kind of in a holding pattern,” Campbell said.
Tigerland will also be opening its doors to fans — offering gameday specials and events just as it would for regularly scheduled home games.
Fred’s in Tigerland confirmed it booked a tent and would host a normal weekend of gameday festivities. Though the bar is still scheduling a band for Saturday night, Fred’s’ Friday night act is the Phunk Around Gang.
With midterms scheduled for next week and trips to hometowns planned, students have mixed feelings about the shift of stadium.
Mass communication freshman Brooke Fountain said she made plans to go home this weekend to relax and study for midterms.
“Well, I had my whole weekend set up,” Fountain said. “I was going to go home on Friday and come back Saturday afternoon. Now, I can’t do that because of the game.”
Philosophy junior Cylor Ryles said he is concerned about his commute to work at Perkins Rowe Saturday afternoon, while kinesiology freshman Dorothy Travasos said she looks forward to tailgating at another home game.
“I think it’s great that we get another chance at a home game, considering our first one was cancelled,” Travasos said. “But I still think it’s unfortunate about everything that happened in South Carolina.”
Bonnette said LSU Athletics reached out to its employees and is working on assembling staff as quickly as possible.
“We’re going to make the necessary adjustments and try to treat it just like a regularly scheduled home game as best as we can,” Bonnette said.