In a sea of sports, not all teams can be winners in the eyes of LSU students.
With 21 varsity teams and several intramural, LSU caters to a wide variety of athletics. Many of the teams are responsible for some of the largest funds the university receives, like LSU football, which made more than $52 million during the 2024 season.
Given the university’s large student body, the Reveille decided to ask students what their favorite LSU sport is, and which ones they feel are overrated.
Out of 29 students, 44% said that LSU football is their favorite sport, but only two of them answered that LSU football is as overrated as it is their favorite.
“The school spirit on a Saturday night in Death Valley is unmatched,” mechanical engineering freshman Evy Spero said. “However, I think there is so much more talent in other LSU sports that exceeds the talent of LSU football.”
With spring sports in season, she has found herself exploring new sports like LSU women’s basketball and gymnastics.
“These are top tier athletics but seem to be slightly overshadowed by LSU football,” Spero said.
27% of students including Spero said that LSU football is overrated for reasons like ticket prices, overshadowing other sports and, as of last season, player performance.
“I just feel like our coaching staff isn’t doing its best,” psychology sophomore Stephanie Meija said.
Meija expressed how as a student at an SEC school, she feels like every student should experience at least one LSU football game, but if LSU isn’t performing well, then the cost isn’t worth it.
“We know what happened with the LSU and Alabama game,” she said. “To pay $250 for that experience? I regret it so much.”
On a more positive note, Meija was able to talk about her favorite sport here at LSU, one that she feels has its perks since students don’t have to pay for tickets to attend – LSU women’s basketball.
17% of students – including Meija – answered women’s basketball is their favorite LSU sport.
“Since the PMAC is smaller than Death Valley, I feel like it’s a more intimate game,” Meija said. “Players like Flau’jae Johnson and Aneesah Morrow, they’re so good at their game and bring all the energy.”
It was also found that when discussing LSU basketball, students are prone to comparing the men and women’s teams.
27% of students said that the men’s basketball team is overrated – the leading sport in this category – compared to the 13% of students that said the same thing about the women’s team.
6% of students said that LSU basketball, regardless of which team, was overrated as a whole.
When distinguishing between the two teams, the overall reason why students felt that men’s basketball is overrated lies within the team’s skill, or lack of thereof.
Public relations freshman Mia Hattaway is one of the many students that feels like LSU men’s basketball is overrated in comparison to women’s basketball.
“I think so much of sports right now is also in the context of cultural impact,” Hattaway said. “It’s about how much they break into the culture and make a name for themselves past their sport, like in the case of Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark.”
Hattaway expressed that she couldn’t name a men’s basketball player who’s known for their skill, except for LSU alumnus Shaquille O’Neal, who played for the Tigers 32 years ago.
While many fans of LSU men’s basketball would argue that fifth-year senior guard Trace Young is a large name of the program, Hattaway discussed how she feels his fame comes from the social media platform he has created for himself compared to his skills in basketball.
“I’ve only been to one men’s game because I’m not pulled in by the talent and showcasing of skill by the men’s basketball team,” she said.
Overall, in the results of this survey, men’s basketball was arguably the most overrated sport in the eyes of LSU students, with football and women’s basketball being regular fan favorites.
