The LSU football team has scheduled a big-name opponent for an upcoming season, but it is a year later than expected.
After Virginia Tech backed out of a game to be played at Tiger Stadium next season, LSU fans hoped the Tigers could find another major Division I opponent that would visit Baton Rouge next season.
But while the Athletics Department is still working on bringing in a replacement for the Hokies next year, it has made an agreement with Arizona State to play a home-and-home series starting on Sept. 10, 2005 in Tiger Stadium.
That game replaces a previously scheduled match-up with North Texas, which was moved up to Sept. 3 in Tiger Stadium to be the season opener.
“Intersectional games are always exciting for fans and players alike, so we’re glad we were able to work out this series with Arizona State,” said LSU Senior Associate Athletics Director Dan Radakovich, who schedules games for the Tigers. “We want to enhance our home non-conference schedules, and also give our fans the opportunity to travel to other campuses where perhaps they haven’t traveled in the past.”
Radakovich said he was trying to work out a deal for the Sun Devils to visit Tiger Stadium in 2004, and once that was not possible, they started talking about a visit in 2005.
“We couldn’t do it in 2004,” Radakovich said. “So we started thinking about 2005, and we wound up scheduling it.”
Arizona will visit Tiger Stadium in 2006. LSU went to Tucson earlier this year and defeated the Wildcats, 59-13.
It is estimated that between 7,000 and 10,000 LSU fans made the trip.
The Virginia Tech game has been rescheduled for 2007.