The possibility of a football game between LSU and Southern University is looming in the minds of the athletic departments at both schools.
Southern University Board of Supervisors member Tony Clayton proposed the idea at Southern’s board of supervisors meeting last week.
Clayton said he got the idea after realizing that neither LSU nor Southern has an opponent for Sept. 4, 2004.
LSU was scheduled to play Virginia Tech in Tiger Stadium next year, but Virginia Tech backed out of the arrangement earlier this year.
Although LSU and Southern have played other Louisiana teams in the past, the schools never have played each other in football.
Clayton said he thought Southern should be given the same opportunity as other Louisiana universities such as the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, the University of Louisiana at Monroe and Louisiana Tech.
“Each of those schools got between $500,000 and $1 million to play LSU, so why not give Southern the same opportunity?” Clayton said.
Clayton said he thought the benefits should be spread out to all Louisiana colleges, including Southern.
Dan Radakovich, LSU senior associate athletic director, said while the game would give a monetary benefit to Southern, he did not think the benefit would be the same for LSU.
Radakovich said the game would not help LSU because LSU is trying to maintain a schedule of Division I-A opponents. Southern is in Division I-AA.
Division I-A schools are significantly larger than Division I-AA schools. In addition, strength of schedule is used in part to determine a football team’s Bowl Championship Series standings. LSU may not receive as many strength of schedule points by playing a smaller school.
However, Clayton said he thought a football game between the cross-town colleges could be beneficial to both schools as well as the Baton Rouge community.
“It would be the first of its kind and bring the community together,” Clayton said. “I think you would have a festive game.”
Despite his thoughts, Clayton said he did not think his proposal would be successful.
“The argument will be the strength of schedule, but quite frankly, I don’t buy that argument,” Clayton said. “Winning isn’t everything.”
Students said they doubted that the game would be in favor of LSU.
“It’s probably not going to happen,” said Peter Mouton, a sociology senior. “It would be a waste because LSU football is in another class.”
Rachel Spivey, a kinesiology senior, said she thought if the game would occur, there would be a lot of hype, but the end result of the game would be the same.
“I think we would still come out on top,” Spivey said.
While no decision has yet been made on the matter, LSU Athletics Director Skip Bertman and Southern Athletics Director Floyd Kerr are scheduled to meet Nov. 12 to discuss the issue.