SEARCH IS OVER
PRESIDENT NAMED
BY JASON WILLIS Editor in Chief
LSU selects Wade Rousse, ending months-long search
The LSU Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to select Wade Rousse as its next president, ending a months-long search.
“I will work each day to demonstrate that I am worthy of the trust the Board has placed in me,” Rousse said, “and I will work to earn the trust of every member of this LSU family as we chart a new course for LSU... It is the honor of my life.”
Rousse is currently the president of McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana. He started in that position in 2024 but has worked at McNeese, his alma mater, since 2019.
On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors heard short statements from each finalist before deliberating for about two and a half hours. The Board did not ask the finalists questions. The motion to appoint Rousse as president and Dalton as chancellor passed 13-1.
LSU also surprisingly moved to split the president position into two, appointing Alabama Provost Jim Dalton as the LSU executive vice president and chancellor of the Baton Rouge campus. Dalton had also applied for the presidential position.
“It’s not often, if ever, that during a presidential search, you get lucky enough to have two candidates with the same vision whose different backgrounds complement each other to the benefit of the entire university,” Board Chair Scott Ballard said.
Rousse of the changes said he’ll release specifics within 30 days, but said the rough outline will split the previous presidential responsibilities into clear divisions.
“External affairs, government affairs and athletics will report to the president. All of the scholarship enterprises will report to [Dalton],” Rousse said shortly after being named president.
When Rousse took over at McNeese, it was in the midst of a 14-year decline in enrollment, a trend which he has now reversed. McNeese’s enrollment increase this fall was its largest in 22 years.
It’s been reported and rumored that Rousse was the frontrunner for weeks and was Gov. Jeff Landry’s preferred candidate for the job.
Landry has had an increased involvement in LSU matters since taking office in 2024, but particularly in the last few months. He’s called for the university to build a statue of former conservative influencer Charlie Kirk to protect free speech and had a heavy hand in the athletic program’s decision to part ways with football coach
Brian Kelly and Athletic Director Scott Woodward.
For his part, Rousse has offered critiques of landrys “micromanaging” the university He said Monday he thinks the governor’s current level of involvement in LSU is “not healthy.” He said he understood why Landry and others would want to step in given the university’s current vacuum of leadership, but said he hoped to say “we got it from here” if named president.
Rousse also has received some criticism for his lack of experience in research, particularly among faculty.
“I do have the experience in research,” Rousse said in defense of that perception Monday. “I think I understand the faculty way more than it appears from the outside… this is about leadership.”
Under former President William Tate IV, LSU set a goal to make the university a top-50 research university in the country and gain membership in the prestigious Association of American Universities. LSU’s research spending grew to a record $543 million in the 2023-24 academic year during Tate’s tenure.
In his interview with the presidential search committee before being named a finalist Wednesday, Rousse said he wasn’t sure that those goals were a priority for the school
and would need to consult faculty and the Board of Supervisors to see if they thought they were. The noncommital answer frustrated some, which was clear when faculty had the chance to speak with him at a public forum Monday.
Rousse clarified Monday that his intention was to say that from the outside, he didn’t think LSU’s goals were communicated clearly. He said that there would need to be restucturing to make the goals more central and get everyone pulling in the same direction. He also said that goal should be a directive issued by the Board of Supervisors and research was a top priority for him.
Rousse said Wednesday he knows his biggest challenge as LSU president would be gaining the trust of the faculty.
Throughout the search process, Rousse’s vision for LSU that he shared included seeking more corporate partnerships. He also advocated for a restructuring of the LSU system in several ways: for one, he was an avid proponent of splitting the president role into a system president and a chancellor over the Baton Rouge campus, which was the case until 2012. That idea won over the Board, with Dalton now assuming that chancellor role per the Board’s vote.
The split position will re -
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quire a change of bylaws, which the Board instructed General Counsel Trey Jones to do before its next meeting.
Rousse also said he’ll seek to make LSU system schools more accessible to the entire state, establishing a way for students to start at LSU satellite schools and transition to the main campus.
The presidential search committee held its first meeting in August and narrowed applicants down to three last Wednesday. The other two finalists were Dalton and former University of Arizona President Robert Robbins.
Each finalist ran through a day-long schedule meeting with different stakeholder groups and holding public forums over the past few days.
Lee applied for the permanent president position but was not named a finalist. Lee was faculty’s preferred candidate, according to Faculty Senate President and professor Daniel Tirone, who called not advancing him as a finalist “extremely disappointing” and a “mistake” in his report at the most recent Faculty Senate meeting.
LSU found itself without a president in May when Tate took the presidential position at Rutgers University in New Jersey. Matt Lee, formerly the vice president of agriculture, was named the interim president.
CORRECTIONS & CLARIFICATIONS
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LUKE RAY / The Reveille
LSU President Wade Rousse gives his opening speech at a press conference in the LSU Foundation Building, on Nov. 4 in Baton Rouge, La.
NEW PRESIDENT
President Rousse gives his first public address
BY LIV TEES Deputy News Editor
At the press conference held shortly after his selection, Wade Rousse expressed his immense gratitude and excitement in taking the next step as president.
Side by side with newly selected Executive Vice President and Chancellor Jim Dalton and the chair of the Board of Supervisors, Rousse and Dalton spoke about their plans for LSU in the coming months.
“This is truly the honor of a lifetime,” Rousse said to the board after he was selected. “I am so excited to serve in this role.”
After thanking faculty, students, staff and other university stakeholders, Rousse thanked his wife Angela.
“As I have said throughout the process, trust is earned, not demanded,” Rousse said. “I will work each day to demonstrate that I am worthy of the trust the Board has placed in me and I will work to earn the trust of every member of this LSU family.”
Rousse has said in every step of his selection process that the university would be best served if the president role was split into president of the system as a whole and chancellor of the Baton Rouge campus. He said that he is extremely excited to
Rousse announces tentative start date
BY EMILY BRACHER Staff Writer
LSU’s incoming president Wade Rousse estimates that he will assume his position on Nov. 17.
According to a post on X (formerly known as Twitter) by Louisiana Illuminator reporter Piper Hutchinson, Rousse will spend the next two weeks setting up a transition plan for McNeese State University, where he is currently president.
The transition team that’ll begin moving LSU toward designated Rousse’s tenure started work on Wednesday, he said.
“My exact start date in Baton Rouge is still being determined,”
take the next steps with Dalton as executive vice president and chancellor.
“Dr. Dalton’s record of scholarship, service and leadership aligns exceptionally well with what I believe LSU A&M needs at this exact moment,” Rousse said.
Rousse said that he and Dalton will work together in the next 30 days to put out a detailed plan for a new organizational structure that will best benefit the students, staff and the university system as a whole.
“It’s very important that everyone see the stability of LSU.” said Scott Ballard, chair of the Board of Supervisors. “The foundation of LSU. The tip of the spear is starting here with the board members, with our president, with our executive vice president and chancellor.”
Rousse faced some controversy among the LSU community with a perception that he was tied to Gov. Jeff Landry and lacked experience at a university as big as LSU.
Rousse estimated Wednesday that his official start date at LSU would be Nov. 17, but he said that the “work begins here, today.”
“I ask the LSU family to lock arms with us today,” Rousse said. “Our best days are truly ahead. Let’s get to work and go Tigers.”
Jim Dalton named to new position that oversees system research, BR campus
BY COURTNEY BELL & JASON WILLIS News Editor and Editor in Chief
In conjunction with the expected move of naming Wade Rousse as the new LSU president, the Board of Supervisors surprisingly announced that there’d be a new position under him.
After naming Rousse as president on Tuesday, Board of Supervisors Chair Scott Ballard announced presidential finalist Jim Dalton would be the system’s executive vice president and chancellor.
As executive vice president, Dalton will oversee the research conducted at the Baton Rouge campus, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, the LSU AgCenter and the health science centers in Shreveport and New Orleans.
As chancellor, he’ll oversee all operations at the Baton Rouge campus.
Rousse will handle external and governmental affairs, he said, as well as decisions regarding LSU Athletics.
Rousse said it was a plan that took LSU “getting creative” to make the most of what Ballard called “two candidates with the same vision.” The idea was brought to the
Board by Rousse and Dalton. Rousse met Dalton Friday morning, after Dalton’s public meetings with faculty, students and other shareholders on Thursday.
They worked through the weekend on their pitch for separate president and chancellor positions, Rousse said, including how the responsibilities would be split.
“I’m thinking, the search, the structure we’re looking for is right here if we can get the Board to
kind of think creatively here and maybe expedite the plan,” Rousse said Tuesday. “We talked it over in a very quick fashion, come to find out we really liked each other in a very short time and said, ‘Well, we’re not going to pass up on this opportunity.’”
Ballard said the candidates brought the idea to the Board during the almost two-and-a-half hour
Here’s what Rousse said about Gov. Jeff Landry after being named university president
BY JASON WILLIS Edittor in Chief
Newly designated LSU President Wade Rousse, who was rumoured to be Gov. Jeff Landry’s preferred candidate, said in a press conference Tuesday he thought Landry could step away from “any sort of micromanaging” at LSU now that the presidential decision has been made.
Rousse also acknowledged that Landry may have felt he needed to step in because of the leadership void at the university.
“I’m sure he’s smiling somewhere today because I have been told from several people that he was looking for strong leadership at LSU so he could back away from any sort of micromanaging that he thought he needed to do in the existence of a sort of leadership transition,” Rousse said.
It’s been reported and rumored that Rousse was the frontrunner for weeks and was Gov. Jeff Landry’s preferred candidate
for the job.
Those rumors were intensified by Board of Supervisors Vice Chair Lee Mallett’s full endorsement of Rousse as the next president. Mallett has donated thousands to Landry and is a friend of the governor.
Landry has had an increased involvement in LSU matters since taking office last January, but particularly in the last few months. He’s called for the university to build a statue of deceased conservative influencer Charlie Kirk to protect free speech and had a heavy hand in the athletic program’s decision to part ways with football coach Brian Kelly and Athletic Director Scott Woodward.
Rousse has, however, offered critiques of Landry’s current level of involvement at LSU. He told student leaders Monday he thinks it’s “not healthy” and undermines university leadership. However, he said he understood why Landry and others would want to
step in given the university’s current vacuum of leadership.
“The governor loves Louisiana,” Rousse said Tuesday. “He loves the people of Louisiana, he worries about Louisiana.”
Rousse on Landry’s push for incentives-based contracts
Rousse also spoke on the idea Landry pitched last week about incentives-based contracts in athletics.
After Kelly was fired, leaving LSU with a $53 million buyout, Landry took aim at Woodward.
Landry said Woodward had a “track record” for handing out big contracts to football coaches that are eventually bought out, leaving the university with the bill.
Landry suggested the future football coach’s contract could be incentives-based rather than guaranteed money.
“I do support the idea that we’re going to try to base contracts on incentive,” Rousse said.
“I would like to think that we could do that in our athletics con-
tracts, but we all know that the market is the market... we are very determined to go find the absolute best coach there is.”
Rousse said his own contract as president will be incentivesbased, though those details haven’t been ironed out yet. Board of Supervisors Chair Scott Ballard cited research, student retention and enrollment as possible metrics.
Landry blamed Woodward, who parted ways with the university last Thursday, for Kelly’s buyout. Woodward was also the athletic director at Texas A&M when it hired football coach Jimbo Fisher.
Fisher was eventually fired, forcing Texas A&M to pay a $77 million buyout, the largest in college football history. Woodward was no longer working at Texas A&M when Fisher was fired, nor was he working there when the university offered Fisher an extension that accounted for much of his buyout.
see JIM DALTON, page 5
LUKE RAY / The Reveille
LSU executive vice president and chancellor Jim Dalton gives his opening speech at a press conference in the LSU Foundation Building, on Nov. 4 in Baton Rouge, La.
NEWS
LSU EXPANDS
University of New Orleans to join LSU system in July
BY LIV TEES Deputy News Editor
LSU announced that the University of New Orleans’ Lakefront campus will officially be under LSU system leadership starting July.
The decline in enrollment from 17,000 before Hurricane Katrina to about 5,000 last fall has significantly impacted the university’s performance.
The university will be renamed LSU New Orleans.
The Louisiana state Legislature gave the university $20 million last year, which helped stabilize its operations, but it wasn’t a permanent fix.
“This marks a pivotal inflection point: a unique opportunity to revitalize enrollment, recalibrate academic offerings for present-and-future workforce demands and fully leverage the campus’s exceptional lakefront footprint,” LSU announced in a press release Wednesday.
A newly formed transition team composed of alumni, industry leaders and representatives from UNO and the LSU system met Wednesday to discuss the future of UNO’s academics, athletics, student culture and more.
“The plan will draw inspiration from proven success stories within the LSU family that have
ADMINISTRATION
achieved enrollment growth and academic expansion within the LSU System by sharing statewide resources and aligning curricula with regional industries,” the press release said.
The agenda will also focus on academic strategies that will allow the campus to partner with LSU Health New Orleans, expanded arts administration, strengthening national defense and research initiatives and creating a world-class hospitality, tourism and culinary program.
Additionally, LSU plans to partner with more private developers to bring modern housing, updated facilities and make use of
the sprawling 200-acre campus.
“By restoring and repurposing existing buildings and pursuing new mixed-use development, the campus life experience will become a magnet not only for students, but also for broader community and business engagement,” the press release said.
Athletics at UNO play a big part in student life and is something LSU heavily values. The transition team includes UNO’s former head basketball coach Tim Floyd and former UNO athletic director Ron Maestri. They were brought in to make sure that Pri-
STUDENT LIFE
Nonprofit fair connects students to service
BY KALEY MELANCON Staff Writer
An LSU student organization hosted a nonprofit fair Monday to connect students with volunteer opportunities in Baton Rouge.
Epsilon Eta Phi urged students to ‘Geaux Serve’ and learn more about nonprofit organizations.
Ten organizations lined the room in a circle ready to share about their work and gain volunteers.
“This was a great opportunity to help students not be limited to just campus efforts,” said Kaitlyn Thomas, Epsilon Eta Phi’s president.
Under the skylight of the Energy Coast & Environment building, Epsilon Eta Phi members greeted those who stopped by with a pamphlet providing contact information of the attending organizations.
Tables were covered with flyers, pins and stickers to give out to inquiring students. Soft background music was drowned out with enlightening discussions.
One organization had something different on the table — a giant Italian squash.
The cucuzza squash was grown by Baton Roots, a local community farm associated with the Walls Project, a service initiative based in Baton Rouge. Baton Roots’ Associate Director of Agroforestry Mitchell Provensal said the group focuses on getting more people to grow
Faculty Senate discusses presidential search, drop dates and generative AI in classrooms
BY MAIA TYLER Staff Writer
LSU’s Faculty Senate met on Monday to discuss various agenda items including the president’s report, proposed changes to the course drop window, guidelines for AI usage in the classroom and attendance accommodations for students with disabilities.
Daniel Tirone, president of the Faculty Senate Executive Committee, opened the meeting saying the Faculty Senate’s job is done in regard to the presidential search.
The LSU Board of Supervisors met on Tuesday to pick the university’s next president. Tirone was a member of the presidential search committee and chose Interim President Matt Lee, University of Alabama Provost Jim Dalton and former President of University of Arizona Robert Robbins as his top three finalists for the search.
Lee did not receive enough votes to make it to the finalist position.
“Each of these candidates, in my opinion, met or exceeded standards,” said Tirone in his president’s report. “I was, therefore, personally, extremely disappointed when Interim President Lee did not advance to the final three. Not only did I think it was a mistake, because as an accomplished scholar and gifted administrator, he was deserving based on his merits, but Dr. Lee has been a dedicated member of the LSU community for decades and has never failed to step up.”
Tirone’s report continued on to encourage the Board of Supervisors to pay attention to the audiences who will be tuning into their decision, and how that potentially can send a mixed message to those who await their conclusion.
“Ultimately, we need a president who signals to all audiences at home and abroad that experi-
ence matters, merit is rewarded,” Tirone said.
The rest of the meeting was spent on proposals on various topics surrounding academics at the university.
The first was proposed by Emmett Brown, Interim Vice President, Enrollment Management and Student Success. He proposed to move the university’s “W” drop deadline from the Friday of the 11th week of class to the Friday of the 14th week of class to give students more time to make a decision and to help professors feel less overwhelmed during registration week.
This proposal was met with mixed reactions and ultimately was not passed by the Senate.
The Faculty Senate Generative AI Committee also proposed a draft of guidelines for faculty and students on the use of AI in the curriculum. This comes from the ever-changing world of AI and how institutions like LSU
will adapt to this.
The committee suggested that faculty outline in their syllabus whether the use of AI is permitted in their course. They also have obligations for students like including a note explaining the use of AI if permitted to use for an assignment and checking the accuracy, legitimacy and appropriateness of AI-generated content.
Param Singh, professor of physics and Vice President of the Faculty Senate said the guidelines for students and faculty should be in place to help LSU continue to excel in its academic mission and remain competitive in the world of generative AI.
“These guidelines aim to offer guidance and provide resources to the LSU community on how to critically engage with [generative AI], allowing its safe, ethical and effective use at LSU while providing faculty the freedom to set course polices that fit best with their curricula,” Singh
their own food.
Provensal said the group maintains about four acres at BREC’s Howell Park. He said it was looking for volunteers to help with farming tasks such as weeding, harvesting and packaging produce.
The organization provides its produce to the Baton Rouge community and gives its excess to free refrigerators like the one located at The Red Shoes on Government Street.
Although it’s hard work, Provensal said it’s rewarding.
“Food access is a big issue and it feels really great to grow food where people need it most,” Provensal said.
Epsilon Eta Phi connects students who are interested in environmental careers with networking and volunteer opportunities. However, the fair was not exclusive to members of environmental organizations.
Thomas said she wanted to find organizations that fit any student who wanted to get involved. This benefited students like Nicolas Williams who found an interest outside of his expectations.
Williams, a plant and soil science junior, said nonprofit and volunteer work is something he has always been interested in. He said he feels it is important to give back to others
RESEARCH
grad’s research
BY MADELYN LONG Staff Writer
LSU is globally recognized for the intensive research conducted by its staff and students.
The university’s computer science and engineering division is no exception, leading the nation in discoveries and providing exceptional field experience for students.The division continues to garner national recognition and secure competitive research grants, thereby raising the bar in cybersecurity research.
There are several key differences that distinguish LSU from
see FAIR, page 5 see CYBERSECURITY, page 5
COURTESY OF LSU
Proposed logo for LSU New Orleans, formerly University of New Orleans.
see NEW CAMPUS, page 5
CAMPUS, from page 4
vateer traditions remain strong.
“In collaboration with state and local government, industry leaders from tourism, real estate, finance, healthcare, maritime, national defense, research and technology will work alongside the transition team,” said the press release.
The changes aim to make LSU New Orleans a world-class institution for generations of LSU students.
“Their collective focus: to bring the Lakefront campus into a new era of success, bolster student opportunity, and revive the economy of the entire New Orleans region.”
, from page 4
other universities and organizations, including its experienced faculty and staff. Abe Baggili, LSU’s Computer Science and Engineering Division chair and the university’s Roger Richardson professor, says this is true for the cybersecurity program.
“We are proud to have some of the most notable faculty in the world in cybersecurity,” Baggili said. “We have some of the world’s leading digital forensics and incident response researchers right here on our campus, a level of expertise that many universities simply do not have.”
Arushi Ghildiyal, a recent LSU cybersecurity graduate, experienced firsthand how getting involved in advanced classes and organizations sets students apart when searching for a job.
She said her favorite class at LSU was software vulnerabilities and explorations, which is where she learned how to combat cybersecurity breaches. Between this and being the president of the Women in Computer Science organization on campus, she was able
FAIR, from page 4
who need help.
While Williams is environmentally focused, he left thinking about Empower 225, an organization aimed at helping at-risk youth. Being from New Orleans, Williams said the issue was something that hit really close to home.
This link between students and organizations is exactly what Thomas wanted. She said she hoped people left with a connection they could use in the future to ask questions or collaborate with.
For The Hospice of Baton Rouge, collaborating with student volunteers was important
to score a cybersecurity incident response analyst job at Chevron.
The research that takes place within this division also provides students with real-world experience. Students can work on campus in the Security Operations Center or assist the Cyber Clinic, led by Aisha Ali-Gombe, in developing solutions for Louisiana businesses facing cybersecurity issues.
“I was able to get real life experience working in the SOC, earn a very big and expensive certification at the SOC and network with many real professionals,” Ghildiyal said.
Ghildiyal specifically points to her time in LSU’s Applied Cybersecurity Lab as being extremely beneficial to growing her skill set and preparing her for a job after she graduated. She advises any student wanting to get involved to join the lab.
“There are always new and emerging opportunities to be researched,” Ghildiyal said. “Reach out and get your foot in the door.”
Baggili recommends students get involved with programs and opportunities available to them in
for their patients. Volunteer coordinator Olivia Walker said many of its patients enjoy having students come visit them.
She said the organization’s Patient Companionship program has volunteers be one-on-one with patients to keep them company. Other activities include going to assisted living locations and participating in activities such as making bracelets with patients.
“Most of our patients don’t have a lot of family that can visit them all the time so it’s nice to have that extra person there,” Walker said.
Walker said by being a nonprofit, the group is able to help anyone in the community and
the cybersecurity division.
“What makes our approach unique is its depth and technical rigor,” Baggili said. “Students acquire both theoretical knowledge and practical expertise across the
not turn people away. She said students would be able to meet all different types of people and really make a difference. Thomas said she wanted to give students a chance to know more about working in the nonprofit sector. She said there can be assumptions that can lead students to avoid the field, such as nonprofits not offering much money.
“It gives students an opportunity to know the real truth about it,” Thomas said.
The truth is what Jalynn Stroman, an environmental science and research junior, left with. Stroman said she was interested in volunteering because she wanted to decompress from class
entire technology stack.”
By getting involved, Baggili says students can make a difference in important initiatives and increase their value in the job market.
and work.
She said getting back outside and being hands-on is a good way to clear her head. After talking to different organizations, Stroman said she learned how easy it is to get involved with nonprofits.
Stroman is on track to graduate in December next year and said seeing a recent graduate behind one of the tables opened her eyes career wise. She said she was interested in volunteering with the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank since they partner with the LSU Food Pantry.
“I think being able to give back to something I use all the time would be really cool,” Stroman said.
“Reach out to professors, ask questions, and get involved in research projects, even if there is no funding at first,” Baggili said. “The experience you gain will shape you in ways you cannot imagine.”
private executive session Thursday where the Board deliberated about the presidential candidates.
Ballard said the Board knew the candidates were discussing the idea prior to their final decision, but said the idea wasn’t fully presented until the executive session.
Rousse said the third finalist, Robert Robbins from the University of Arizona, was not a part of the discussions they had.
Why the change was made
Until 2012 when the roles were combined at the recommendation of Gov. Bobby Jindal, the LSU system had a system president and a chancellor over the Baton Rouge campus.
Rousse, and many others in recent years have said that the Baton Rouge campus is too large for one person to effectively preside over the whole LSU system and give adequate attention to the main campus.
There’s been increased talk of splitting the two positions, especially now that University of New Orleans is re-joining the system.
It was something leaders also
considered but ultimately decided against in 2020, the last time the university was between presidents before it hired former President William Tate IV.
Regarding the breakdown of responsibilities, Faculty Senate President Daniel Tirone said he sees it as a change that’ll allow both Rousse and Dalton to do the jobs best suited for each individually, as well as one that the faculty will appreciate.
“I think they came out with a structure that will play well to the strengths that each candidate
brought in the search,” Tirone said. “It’s a structure that certainly seems to make sense given the talents that each candidate has.”
Tirone, who was on the presidential search committee that recommended finalists to the Board, said Rousse seemed to have administrative skills, while Dalton has more experience with academics and research.
“It’s not often, if ever, that during a presidential search, you get lucky enough to have two candidates with the same vision whose different backgrounds complement
each other to the benefit of the entire university,” Ballard said.
, from page 3 START DATE, from page 3
Rousse spoke often during the search about revamping the structure and streamlining operations across the LSU system to make sure “everyone is pulling in the same direction.” However, he faced criticism, particularly from faculty, for lacking a research background.
Dalton, on the other hand, has a deep background in pharmaceuticals and drug discovery science. In his position at Alabama, he oversaw the university’s academics.
Rousse said adding the position would help him navigate the transition, financial restructuring and absorbing the University of New Orleans into the LSU system, all while trying to admit the university into the Association of American Universities, a prestigious higher education research organization.
“When you talk about what these jobs look like, I don’t know how one person could do all of that,” Rousse said.
The sweeping changes will require an amendment to LSU bylaws, which the Board instructed General Counsel Trey Jones to submit before its next meeting.
Rousse said then. “However, the work of leading LSU begins today.”
Rousse went on to say that the transition efforts will be led by Jason French, “a valued and trusted adviser.” French will begin meeting with executive leadership at LSU, Rousse said.
French was in attendance at the Board of Supervisors proceedings Wednesday and is a consultant in government affairs based in Baton Rouge.
Rousse also said that he and Executive Vice President and Chancellor Jim Dalton, also voted into that role Tuesday, will work to come up with a detailed restructuring plan within 30 days. That will include an organizational chart and an evaluation of system-wide leadership roles.
“We’re going to see those interim positions and open positions and see if we really need them as we redesign them, and think about efficiencies throughout the entire organization,” Rousse said. “I am a structure and efficiency junkie.”
JIM DALTON
PHOTO COURTESY OF LSU
Arushi Ghildiyal attends LSU Silicon Bayou Gala to celebrate her work with the university.
HINESLEY BRYANT / The Reveille
LSU presidential candidate Jim Dalton answers a question on Oct. 29 at the Foundation Center in Baton Rouge, La.
ALABAMA SPECIAL EDITION
NO PLACE LIKE HOME
Louisiana native Aaron Anderson’s journey from Alabama to LSU
BY TRE ALLEN Staff Writer
After an eventful few weeks for LSU, the Tigers return to the field this Saturday to take on the Alabama Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa.
It’s a heated rivalry that has brought big moments, postseason implications and future NFL draft picks.
Despite the struggles that LSU has faced this season, the Tigers are entering Bryant-Denny Stadium with a chip on their shoulder and a point to prove.
Not only are they trying to get interim head coach Frank Wilson his first victory as the new leader, but it’s also a chance for someone on the team to face off against a familiar opponent.
On Oct. 29, 2021, New Orleans native and wide receiver Aaron Anderson announced he would be taking his talents to Alabama, joining Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide.
This came as a shock to many LSU fans, as he committed to the purple and gold in December 2020.
A year later, he signed a national letter of iIntent and put on the crimson hat with the big white “A” at the center of it.
“I have a real close connection with coach Saban, and it’s like what me and coach [Ed] Orgeron had,” Anderson said on signing day. “I feel like me and coach Saban, the next three to four years we’re going to be very close and we’re going to make history.”
Anderson decommitted the day after LSU announced that it would be parting ways with Orgeron and decided he was going to follow an-
other great lineage of wide receivers at Alabama. Although a surprise when it happened, this isn’t the first time a Louisiana player has decided to commit to the rival school for their college career.
Highly recruited players such as former offensive lineman Cam Robinson in 2014 and safety Landon Collins in 2012 also joined the Crimson Tide instead of staying home in the boot.
In 2017, the No. 1 player in Louisiana, DeVonta Smith, signed with Alabama and had one of the greatest careers in college football history, winning the Heisman in 2020, becoming the first receiver to do so since Desmond Howard in 1991.
From Anderson’s perspective, it’s nothing new. Sometimes, leaving home can create opportunities that people dream of, just like Robinson, Collins and Smith.
However, not everything goes as planned. During the offseason of his freshman year, Anderson battled a knee injury that kept him sidelined for the majority of the 2022 season. Anderson didn’t see the field and entered his name into the transfer portal the following offseason.
He decided to return home and signed with the LSU Tigers less than a week later.
When news broke that a tracklevel speed receiver and electric playmaker would be joining LSU, fans knew what he could bring to the table, including his new offensive coordinator at the time, Mike Denbrock.
“He’s a guy who has to touch the football,” Denbrock said during a fall camp press conference. “It’s on me and the rest of the offensive
coaches to make sure we’re creative enough that we’re using the skills that he brings to the table the right way.”
He ran a 10.77 in the 100-meter dash in high school and returned 20 kicks for touchdowns, including two kickoffs and a punt return for touchdowns against rival high school, John Curtis, on national television.
With a player with skills like his, LSU wanted to get him the ball as much as possible, but it wasn’t going to be easy.
Anderson was joining an extremely talented group of pass catchers with receivers Malik Nabers, Brian Thomas Jr., Kyren Lacy, Chris Hilton Jr. and tight end Mason Taylor. Although it would be diffi-
cult to get him the ball, opportunities on special teams came his way.
In his first game with the Tigers, Anderson muffed a punt on his second touch of the game, and Florida State recovered it, giving it the ball with great field position.
Not the best start for someone trying to fight for playing time, especially on a team that struggled with returns. His role was reduced to a rotational player, and he only finished the season with 12 receptions for 59 yards.
When the Tigers played Alabama that same year, a video of Saban surfaced of him talking to Anderson, saying, “You’d be playing a lot more here than you are there.”
Regardless of the lack of pro -
duction, Anderson stuck with the Tigers and returned for his redshirt sophomore season. With Nabers and Thomas both having some of the best single seasons in LSU history, they entered the NFL Draft, creating an opportunity for Anderson.
He moved up the depth chart, but what would he do with the playing time?
He wasted no time in solidifying himself as one of the most reliable targets not just for his quarterback but in the SEC.
During the 2024 season, Anderson blossomed, leading the Tigers in receptions (61) and yards (884) while adding five touchdowns. Anderson finished the season ranked No. 3 in the SEC for receptions and No. 7 for yards.
Anderson also showed that he was still a great returner, at one point returning a kick for a 100-yard touchdown.
It was clear how impactful Anderson was for the team, being a versatile weapon that quarterback Garrett Nussmeier loved to target. His production last season earned him a spot on the 2025 Preseason All-SEC second team and expectations to produce consistently were high.
Now, through eight games of the season, the Tigers have struggled to create consistency on offense at every position. Anderson has battled some injuries, forcing him to miss a few games, resulting in his production taking a dip.
Despite the slight fall in production, Anderson still leads the team in yards, proving how valuable he can be with the ball in his hands.
Four years ago, when that ink touched the paper, Anderson decided to choose Alabama over the Tigers. This week, Anderson will once again return to Tuscaloosa to face off against his former team in hopes of showing the Crimson Tide what he can do.
“Obviously, we all know what Aaron is,” Nussmeier said before the Florida game. “He’s a great football player, somebody that I look to in times of need and he can do special things with the ball in his hand, so it’s just about giving him opportunities to make plays.”
Here’s what’s at stake for both teams
BY CHLOE RICHMOND & AINSLEY FLOOD Sports Editor & Deputy Sports Editor
LSU vs. Alabama is an age-old contest that never disappoints. Each year, the outcome proves to be pivotal with unique stakes for both teams.
The Tigers had a dramatic offweek filled with firings following a falling-apart season. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Tide is paving a solid path to the playoffs with five-straight wins after a season-opening upset to FSU.
LSU’s season opener against Clemson held all the weight, and when LSU won it, the Tigers seemed destined for greatness.
Eight games later, they’re with-
out a head coach picking up what’s left of a 5-3 record. On the tail of consecutive losses to Vanderbilt and Texas A&M, it may seem like the stakes are at an all-time low, but there’s value in having nothing to lose.
LSU’s bye week was anything but calm. The day after its utter defeat to Texas A&M, the school announced head coach Brian Kelly’s firing, effective immediately. The decision followed his lackluster results for a team that showed so much potential after that fateful night in Clemson.
LSU promoted associate head coach Frank Wilson to interim, handing him an almost impossible task: turn this unranked, regressing team into a playoff contender.
But first, take down the No. 4 team in the country and the Tigers’ biggest rival, the Crimson Tide.
“I think we have the potential to be a good football team, and I think Saturday night will give us an opportunity to put all of those things together to play our best football, which is ahead of us,” Wilson said.
Kelly wasn’t the only shake-up, as offensive coordinator Joe Sloan swiftly followed suit.
LSU’s offense has been the lowlight of the season. Quarterback
Garrett Nussmeier still hasn’t settled into a rhythm, and he certainly hasn’t lived up to the preseason Heisman-candidate expectations.
MALEAH BOURGEOIS / The Reveille
MEET THE INTERIM
Frank Wilson brings strong coaching history, aims to energize deflated team
BY ADAM KIRSCHMAN
Columnist
LSU put the final nail in the coffin of the Brian Kelly era, firing the head coach after his team was blown out at home in the Tigers’ third loss of the season.
LSU quickly went into disaster management mode, needing to name an interim head coach to lead the Tigers through their last four games of the season.
Following Kelly’s dismissal, associate head coach and running backs coach Frank Wilson was named the man for the job. Wilson was one of Kelly’s most trusted assistants, gaining the
LSU.
“I recognize this moment, this opportunity is so much bigger than me,” Wilson said in his first press conference as interim head coach. “I just happen to be the caretaker at this moment for this wonderful institution that we so love. It’s our flagship state university. We have tremendous pride in it. I will do my very best and die trying to represent us as a university, as a state, as a community.”
Wilson is someone that understands the culture of LSU and SEC football. He’s been around LSU for nine years now and has played a major role in bringing
“I’ll always believe in you.”
2007 national champion Jacob Hester also chipped in, saying, “Frank’s been calling former players this week just to welcome them in and remind them he’ll do literally everything he can to honor what it means to coach the Tigers.”
With all the praise flooding in for coach Wilson, it’s hard to deny he was perfect for the job. Wilson seems to have personal connections with all of his players and truly cares about the development and success of this program.
At a time where there’s lots of chaos and confusion with not knowing who will be next year’s coach and who may decommit or transfer in response to LSU’s
With Wilson in charge, no one has decommitted, and LSU even added another three-star wide receiver, Kervin Johnson Jr., who flipped his commitment from Louisiana Tech to LSU the day after Kelly was fired.
It’s clear Wilson has a strong grasp over his personnel and has been close with many of the key players at LSU since he recruited them. Wilson has also rallied the troops and seems to have kept players focused on having a successful last few games.
Four Alabama players to watch
BY GABBY GRAY Staff Writer
LSU football is officially back from its bye week and is rolling though the bayou and around the bend to No. 4 Alabama’s Bryant-Denny Stadium this weekend.
The unranked Tigers are entering this matchup under interim head coach Frank Wilson, preparing to compete against the talent stacked on Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer’s roster.
As this classic rivalry gets closer and closer, here are four Alabama players Tiger should keep an eye on.
rienced coach like Wilson will need to be leaned on to keep morales high and finish the
Placing Wilson in charge will also help cruiting. Usually when especially those with
“We’ve bonded closer,” Wilson said. “We’ve taken up the slack for those who may not have been as strong as others, to be supportive of one another during this time. I think it’s a testament to our student-athletes, our coaching staff, this university and this community. The biggest thing for us is to stay close, stay together and finish what we’ve started.”
There’s not many people who know the SEC and what it means to be an LSU Tiger like Wilson. He has shown great appreciation for being chosen to live his dream of coaching the Tigers and has a hunger to defy the odds and finish this season in the best way possible.
LSU fans should be excited to see a change in intensity in the upcoming game against Alabama with this new gritty and competitive culture Wilson is pushing.
From Martin, Tennessee, redshirt junior quarterback Ty Simpson is ready to lead the Crimson Tide to victory.
With 2,184 passing yards and 79 rushing yards racked up throughout this season alone, Simpson has shown nothing but promise as Alabama’s 2025 starting quarterback. Simpson’s passing skills rarely fail as he averages 8.4 yards per passing attempt.
Perhaps Simpson’s best performance was in Alabama’s 28-14 victory over the University of Wisconsin, where he threw four touchdowns across 382 yards. Since then, Simpson’s kept consistent play on the field and should be in the back of Tiger fans’ minds this weekend.
PLAYERS, page 15
WEST WEEKS Linebacker
We want to get back to what we were doing at the beginning of the season.
We’re definitely going in there looking to win, and we have 100% confidence that we’re going to do that. “
I like us. Saturday night will give us an opportunity to put all those things together to play what is still our best football.
FRANK WILSON
Ty Simpson
Everyone wants the LSU magic to happen, and many are hopeful for the Tigers to pull this one off, but just can’t see it happening. Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson plays with a confidence that Garrett Nussmeier doesn’t have for LSU, and that’s something deem key for this game. Simpson even said it himself during his media availability this week: it’s still the same players on the field regardless of a new coach or not.
I don’t see a world in which LSU’s offense turns it around enough to topple Alabama’s defense, which ranks among the top five in the conference. With that in combination with the fact that LSU is without some key names on defense itself, don’t think it’ll be pretty.
It feels like there’s a heartbreaker on the way. Like in 2012, 2014 and 2021, LSU has almost enough of the combination of skill and will to beat its most hated rival of the past decade, but it won’t be done. It will be close, but LSU has too many questions that are unanswered coming off an earthquake-style shakeup in the football staff and athletic department in general.
Ty Simpson has been playing like a Heisman contender, and it doesn’t look like he’s slowing down anytime soon. I see LSU having trouble keeping him under 300 total yards, and he will be putting up some points.
The Tigers have always had the talent; it was about putting them in the best position to succeed. With a new coach and playcaller, the energy has shifted toward establishing a new identity on offense. I think the Tigers will go into Bryant-Denny Stadium and give the Crimson Tide a challenge, but Alabama is the better team. Since losing to Florida State in Week 1, they’ve been one of the best teams in the country.
If LSU is going to win, it has to be be able to run the ball, and with the constant struggles they’ve faced this year, I don’t see the Tigers having much success against Alabama’s defensive line.
ADAM KIRSCHMAN
Without Brian Kelly, this team should go into the game with more intensity and grit than ever before this season. Frank Wilson will get to implement his ideal game plan, giving him the freedom to utilize the offense in a way that’s hopefully different from the poor performances of Kelly’s offense.
This being said, Alabama is not a team to easily be upset. Ty Simpson and Ryan Williams will still combine for fireworks against this LSU defense, which has been struggling the past few weeks.
This year’s LSU and Alabama rivalry game is different from seasons past. It not only has playoff implications but is framed by the current chaotic state of the LSU football program.
Comparing the two teams’ trajectories this season, it’s no mystery which is the clear favorite. To win this, the Tigers will have to learn from what happened two weeks ago. They need to find early momentum and not drop the ball, literally.
I think this will be a close game, but with LSU in transition and Alabama riding steady, the odds are just not in the Tigers’ favor. That being said, to me, this matchup feels similar to LSU’s season opener at Clemson — and there, the underdogs won.
This is the first game LSU will play without former head coach Brian Kelly leading the team in years, which puts a lot of pressure on current interim head coach Frank Wilson.
With LSU knocked out of playoff contention and suffering on the end of a two-game losing streak, things are looking pretty low for this unranked team as it takes on the No. 4 Crimson Tide.
Considering all the recent changes this program has faced and its permanent seat on the struggle bus this season, LSU isn’t going to be able to turn things around against Alabama, especially on the offensive side of the ball.
Get ready for another harsh week for the Tigers, because this game’s going to be rough.
I could see this game ending closer than a lot of people think, but I just think there’s still too many question marks around LSU to outright say the team will win. I just think Alabama, with playoff hopes on the line and at home, just edges this one out, but there’s no doubt the Tigers will be looking to spoil the Tide’s season in Tuscaloosa.
With interim head coach Frank Wilson in the driver’s seat now, I feel a sense of hope for this team. Maybe, just maybe, a miracle can happen. With a high morale and what looks like nothing but excited players showing up, I think something special could happen.
Alabama has a powerful offense, and any busted seams that LSU has will be exposed no doubt. However, I think that with the right attitude and the powerful defense we’ve seen at times this season, LSU can hold off the Tide.
This will be a close game no matter what, but think LSU will do what some consider impossible and pull out the victory against Alabama at Bryant-Denny.
ROSS ABBOUD
LSU has been on a wild ride the last 10 days, but I think the chaos will help this team going into ‘Bama.
Frank Wilson has breathed fresh air into this program, and a new surge of energy is buzzing around LSU’s football operations building.
As Alabama, how do you game plan to play an offense that no one has seen, and an elite defense that has seen more game-like simulation in practice this week than it has all season?
It’ll be hard to get anything on offense for LSU with the strong defensive line of Alabama matched up against a beat-up LSU offensive line.
But chaos and mystery will help LSU top the Tide this weekend.
As much as I would like to be hopeful for a Tiger win on Saturday, I don’t think that will be the case on a realistic level. The Tigers have shown time and time again this season that offensive rhythm on the team has yet to be found.
Now unranked and effectively out of playoff contention, LSU will enter this game looking for a meaningful win to prove that it’s still a team that belongs in a postseason conversation.
That said, Alabama enters as the clear favorite. If LSU wants to prove it’s playoff caliber, it’ll have to outplay a team that’s simply better on paper.
Hopefully I’m wrong with this prediction, but for the time being, Alabama is winning in my eyes.
After the abomination that has become of the 2025 season, LSU is due, but it might not be against Alabama. One of the hardest away games is in Tuscaloosa, and it just seems to be “wrong place, wrong time” for the Tigers. With how the season has gone for both teams this far, it’s looking like LSU is going to be kicked while it’s down. Even if Frank Wilson can rally the Bayou Bandits, it’s not plausible for the upset to be pulled off — not while the Tigers are the away team.
ENTERTAINMENT
Jump into the fantastical world of the Louisiana Renaissance Festival
BY SAVANNAH
The Louisiana Renaissance Festival transports guests into a world of medieval magic, bringing together Louisiana residents and out-of-state travelers for an adventure straight out of a fairytale.
The Louisiana Renaissance Festival, located in Hammond, Louisiana, celebrated the 25th anniversary with its opening gate show on Nov. 1, marking the beginning of the festival’s 2025 season. The event will run for six weekends from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., ending on Dec. 7 with its Yuletide celebration.
Visitors who come to the festival can immerse themselves into the fairytale world of Albright Village by shopping for swords, completing quests and even dressing up as damsels and dragons.
The festival features around 200 vendors this year, including leather-workers, seamstresses, swordsmiths, glassblowers, painters, jewelers and more. These artists come from across the country to share their work with Ren Fest visitors.
Beyond what festival-goers can see and buy, there is a lot that goes into finding these vendors. Alvon Brumfield, CEO and founder of the Louisiana Renaissance Festival, explained how he searches for artists at Renaissance Festivals around the country, as well as at more modern arts and crafts fairs.
“We go around other places, looking for talent that is elsewhere, to bring them here. We want Louisiana to have all the best,” Brumfield said.
Some vendors set up shop for just one or two years, while others work to establish themselves as businesses that people can look forward to seeing every year. The festival offers small businesses the chance to grow and introduce more people to their art.
If you forget your own costume, there are dozens of options readily available from merchants all throughout the festival.
Danielle Degutz, owner of Lizard Queen Leather, is a leather-worker who specially designs animal horns in a rainbow of colors, among other pieces. Originally, her work started out as a simple hobby.
“A friend gave me some leather scraps, and I was looking for something to do,” Degutz said.
What was once a way to pass the time has now flourished into a professional career for Degutz, an opportunity she attributes to the Renaissance Festival.
“I feel like it’s the one place where you can actually make a living off of your art,” Degutz
said.
Another frequent merchant at the festival is Durian Songbird. He owns two businesses, Songbird Ocarina and Dancing Wings, and showcases both shops at the Louisiana Ren Fest, as well as other Renaissance Festivals in states across the country such as Georgia, California and Massachusetts.
The California-based artist first discovered ocarina-making in 1989, and since the beginning, his process has been deeply rooted in nature and ancient technique.
“We got to find a nice tributary of a river, and you find the really nice clay that doesn’t have a lot of silt in it, but it’s got just the right amount of grog,” Songbird said.
After finding clay that is the perfect consistency — not too rocky and not too soft — Songbird molds solid balls of clay into shape by hand, as well as creating a liquid clay that he pours into plaster molds.
“We’re using 5,000-year-old technology of molds made out of plaster of Paris, or gypsum,” he said. “And so it’s very ancient technology.”
Both his ocarinas and his dancing wings, which are hemmed and pleated lengths of different fabrics that move gracefully with your arms as you dance, have a singular purpose: to bring joy to and empower everyone who stops by his tents. Songbird’s favorite moments are when customers express their excitement that they can play a simple tune on the unique instrument or dance beautifully with their distinctive wings.
“They’re like, ‘Oh, I could play music.’ And so it’s an empowerment thing,” Songbird said. “And then same with the wings. You don’t have to be a professional dancer. You can just move with them, and they feel beautiful and the way they flow. It’s kind of a creative license, creative empowerment.”
What truly gives the Louisiana
Renaissance Fest its magic is not just the vendors and performers, but the tens of thousands of visitors who embrace the 16th century setting.
Festival-goers come dressed as fairies, knights, princesses, elves and anything else their imaginations can conjure. Many guests even follow the themes of each weekend, such as All Hallows, Wizards and Legends, Pirate, Celtic, Viking and Yuletide Market. These costumes can be as simple as a corset and maxi skirt to as intricate as handmade outfits.
If you visited the festival this past weekend, you may have seen three rats scampering around the village. Mira Buckheit, Zarya Curran and Violet Curran came dressed as rats from the Bubonic Plague. Zarya Curran said the trio took inspiration from others online.
“We thought it would be fun to just have some chaos,” Violet Curran said.
The three friends wore hats shaped like rat heads, all handmade by Zarya Curran herself.
“They’re just out of cardboard,” she said. “I work at a coffee shop, and I just kept taking boxes home and scrapped them all together like that.”
Buckheit expressed how the community aspect of the festival has drawn her in for the past three years, and she loves to watch the vendors hone their craft and grow as businesses.
This community is not a monolith — it draws in people from all walks of life no matter age, class, occupation or life experiences. Ultimately, the Louisiana Renaissance Festival brings people together in a space where they can come as they are.
“It’s a very intergenerational thing,” Songbird said. “There’s grandparents here and kids, so all ages kind of vibe to it. There’s not too many places in our world where that happens.”
BOYNES & LAURA ALLEN Staff Writers
MORGAN COOK / The Reveille
People browse the shops Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023, at the Louisiana Renaissance Festival in Hammond, La.
OPINION
EDITORIAL BOARD
The Reveille looks forward to new university leaders but questions the process
After six months of uncertainty, LSU has found two new leaders in its search for a president.
Reveille leaders have had the chance to meet President Wade Rousse, and we look forward to his tenure. We hope Rousse is able to bring the experience he gained at McNeese and his career before higher education to LSU and benefit its students.
We also met Jim Dalton, who the Board of Supervisors named executive vice president and chancellor, a position it created Tuesday. We agree with faculty leaders that he is extremely qualified to lead campus research, and he expressed excitement over working with students.
Many leaders have said this new structure will help each leader utilize their specific skills to serve not just the LSU system, but the state overall. It can’t be overstated how important it is that the state finds the ideal strategy for LSU, the predominant university in the state’s higher education environment and a dominant force in Louisiana culture.
The Reveille is eager to see these leaders begin their work and move toward filling out upper leadership and setting clear strategic goals.
But the way this process unfolded was worrisome.
In the days before the decision, the third finalist told the Reveille he felt the decision would be “predetermined.”
“There’s no fighting the governor,” he said.
It’s a view that was shared by political insiders, other outlets have reported. It’s also a view that’s trickled down to the LSU community and made many students, faculty, staff and onlookers skeptical of the process.
Any process in which a finalist is convinced he’s not being considered has questionable integrity.
We recognize and appreciate LSU’s efforts to make this process transparent, including holding public forums with core stakeholder groups where faculty, staff and students have had the chance to question and get to know the candidates. Those groups were then able to fill out surveys and indicate their thoughts on the finalists.
However, those processes mean little if they have no influence on the final decision.
This feedback was intended to be how the forums could be accounted for in the final decision.
Board Chair Scott Ballard told us that while the Board was provided the data from these surveys, he didn’t look at it.
That shows a lack of respect for these groups’ perspectives, and, in practice, it shut them out of the decision-making process.
And while we salute the thinking behind LSU’s creative leadership solution, it was a solution that was never presented to the presidential search committee as an option.
Faculty Senate President Daniel Tirone, a member of the committee, said this as well, and told us that certainly would’ve changed the committee’s thought process.
The committee was intended to be a body that’s representative of LSU’s stakeholders. If it had formulated this plan rather than the Board of Supervisors, a body led almost entirely by state business leaders, then the plan would’ve been a result of input from more stakeholders.
Instead, it happened in an executive session, behind closed doors, in a two-and-a-half hour period led by a group that cannot claim to speak for LSU’s broad community.
We don’t mean to suggest that Rousse won’t be capable as LSU’s president. Rousse’s merits as a candidate are obvious; he reversed McNeese’s enrollment trend from 14 years of decline, places an emphasis on structure and has evident energy that will
help him relate to students. His partnership with Dalton will allow both to best offer their respective strengths to LSU and its community.
However, it’s disappointing that the result came at the expense of community input.
It’s also impossible to ignore the influence of Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry in this search for the next president. Landry has increasingly inserted himself in LSU matters over the past few months, whether by publicly ripping into Athletic Director Scott Woodward a day before the university announced his departure, calling for an honorary Charlie Kirk statue to be built on campus or even bringing a live tiger into Tiger Stadium last year.
Many have reported Rousse was Landry’s preferred candidate well in advance.
Eleven of the 16 members of the Board of Supervisors, the body that voted to select the president, were either appointed by Landry or have donated to him.
The same is true for 11 of wthe 20 members of the presidential search committee, which narrowed the candidates down to three finalists.
For his part, Rousse has offered some critiques of Landry’s “micromanaging” of the univer-
sity. He told student leaders he thought the government’s involvement in LSU in recent months was “not healthy” and undermined university leadership. He said he understood why Landry and others would want to step in given the university’s current vacuum of leadership, but said he hoped to say “we got it from here” once taking office.
Rousse and Dalton have also both emphasized they’d take lengths to consult faculty, staff and students in their decisions. We hope they’re sincere on these points.
It’s important that their leadership is uninhibited by outside force, especially as the state and university face a tense political climate, federal funding cuts, a fiscal cliff that is continually kicked down the road but never solved and a shrinking population that struggles to retain its young talent.
These new leaders for LSU are coming at a critical time.
Above all, we hope Rousse and Dalton’s partnership can be one that makes decisions that are autonomous, are inclusive of all in the LSU community across all eight — soon to be nine — campuses and push the university system toward excellence in all facets.
The secret to a fulfilling life is remembering your own mortality
RILEY’S REVIEW
RILEY
SANDERS
Columnist
Over the last few weeks, I’ve been having a hard time adjusting to college life. I’ve strangely had some of the best and worst times of my life thus far in only three short months: writing for the Reveille, learning to deal with hate and praise from people I’ve never met, spending every day with my best friends, missing my family despite being only a 45-minute drive away, struggling to understand the mechanics of chemistry and learning
EDITORIAL BOARD
Jason Willis Editor in Chief
Olivia Tomlinson
Managing Editor
Courtney Bell News Editor
Chloe Richmond
Sports Editor
Garrett McEntee Opinion Editor
about myself in a new light. It’s been a lot to process, and I have to admit that somewhere in between the constant flux of highs and lows, I stopped living and just kept breathing.
That may sound extreme to some, but I’d imagine many know what I’m getting at — it’s easy to start living on autopilot, to simply go through the motions. It’s even easier not to realize it. Strangely, it was in preparation for my least favorite holiday of the year that I realized I had been living only half of my life.
While carving pumpkins with friends during the weekend before Halloween, I accidentally cut myself badly with a steak
knife. My usual reaction to such a deep cut would be to flinch or wince, but I had the strangest clarity when it happened: “I’m grateful to be bleeding.” For a moment, I was in a liminal space, that is, a space between real life and another plane — an-out-ofbody experience if you will.
I felt alive again.
Throughout the week, the cut broke open again and again, and I wasn’t sure what to make of it until a friend in the newsroom, Deputy News Editor Liv Tees, mentioned the Latin phrase “memento mori,” which translates to “remember you must die.” Those words made everything click. “Remember you must die.” What a crazy thing to say, right?
To me, it made perfect sense. I’m going to die one day. I’m going to die, and whether that is today or tomorrow or in 50 years, it is inevitable. Death, of course, doesn’t have to be scary or daunting, but the context in which we die depends solely upon the context in which we live.
When I accidentally cut my finger, it was a reminder to be present and awake — to actually live my life. It was a reminder of my mortality, not as some fleeting awareness but as a gift ebbing and flowing and alive inside of my veins. Our lives are so short, and yet there is so much space we are given to fill with wonderful dreams, relationships, pursuits and achievements, to
soak up the magic and chaos of the shifting world around us and to do so in joy.
Sometimes it is necessary to take a step outside of ourselves, to recognize that every day is another day to wake up and enjoy the morning sunlight, and if there is none, to make our own. Every day is another day to happen to life instead of letting life happen to you — to be grateful that we bleed and trip and fall, all to get back up and do it over again.
Memento mori, ergo memento vivere.
Riley Sanders is an 18-year-old biology major from Denham Springs, La.
Editorial Policies and Procedures Quote of the Week
The Reveille (USPS 145-800) is written, edited and produced solely by students of Louisiana State University. The Reveille is an independent entity of the Office of Student Media within the Manship School of Mass Communication. Signed opinions are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the editor, The Reveille or the university. Letters submitted for publication should be sent via e-mail to editor@lsu.edu or delivered to B-39 Hodges Hall. They must be 400 words or less. Letters must provide a contact phone number for verification purposes, which will not be printed. The Reveille reserves the right to edit letters and guest columns for space consideration while preserving the original intent. The Reveille also reserves the right to reject any letter without notification of the author. Writers must include their full names and phone numbers. The Reveille’s editor in chief, hired every semester by the LSU Student Media Board, has final authority on all editorial decisions.
always seems impossible until it’s done.”
The third space theory will change your life for the better
AVA’S POV
Oh, how times have changed.
I find myself wondering about a time long before the shift between my parents living in their 20s versus me in my 20s. Sometimes the ‘90s feel as if they almost never existed — just a blip in time. How did the culture change so drastically from then to the current day?
For starters, technology was easing its way into society, just enough to plant a seed, not enough to give people an option to completely stop interacting with each other.
We’ve grown comfortable with choosing interactions amongst the people we’ve already befriended. Instead of starting casual conversations with people sitting next to us, we stay inside our bubbles, never venturing outside of them.
Isolation has replaced the idea of community.
If Gen Z wants to revisit how life once was, we need to start at ground zero. Shared eye contact, visual cues such as smiles and nods, harmless casual chitchat that can lead to an exchange of contact info for future meetups or not, the basics.
Weeks ago, a discussion was broached in my English seminar about what is known as “the third
AVA FRANCIS Columnist SAVOY’S SCOOP
space.” For those who aren’t familiar, the third space is the last category of social architectural theory. This theory focuses on creating inclusive, people-centered spaces that nurture and provide social cohesion. The first space is the home environment, the second space is the workplace and last but not least, the third space functions as a public space — for example, a coffee shop.
As my classmates filled the atmosphere with their opinions regarding third spaces, I couldn’t help but wonder if the third space is on its way to extinction.
Take a third space like the coffee shop I mentioned above. Coffee shops will not likely disappear anytime soon, but the warm and cozy interactive models we see in vintage television and film don’t seem to exist anymore. Central Perk coffeehouse, made popular through one of the most successful ‘90s sitcoms, “Friends,” embodied the third space concept.
I fear that the charming feeling of those idyllic spaces has been lost over recent decades. Today, most people who attend coffee shops are drive-through attendees only and have probably never seen the interior of the establishment they’re frequenting.
Although I have parted ways with Starbucks and opt to support local businesses instead, I remember those inexplicable vibes the millennial crowd remi-
nisces about.
If you haven’t sparked up a rom-com-quality convo with a mysterious non-psycho stranger at your last coffeehouse visit, maybe you can try a social club.
Social clubs also act as a third space. Soho House is an example of an exclusive, private membersonly club that provides a social space for relaxation and networking. Its members-only mission statement poses the question: Is it exclusive or exclusion? Should third spaces be available to everyone?
Exclusivity is nothing new; it has existed since the beginning of time. Our very own campus is an example of housing various exclusive third spaces. Whether it’s a sorority, fraternity or other extracurricular club or organization, private third spaces have maintained the right to self-govern and define who’s welcome in their institutions.
I personally believe it’s more interesting when third spaces are a melting pot of people from diverse walks of life. Maybe that’s why pickleball has become such a phenomenon over the last few years. People have flocked to this third space because it’s inviting to all people regardless of age, race, gender, fitness level or socioeconomic status.
While the most popular third spaces may very well be on their way to extinction, there’s an evo -
lution happening now. Pickleball, group fitness, running clubs, inperson social-media driven meetups and watch parties are on the rise.
So yes, there will most likely always be exclusive members-only spaces where fitting the same mold, conforming to the same standards and existing within the same financial brackets are prerequisites.
Not exactly my type of hype.
Honestly, a running club is also not my type of hype, despite the great things I’ve heard from my TikTok girlies; that’s still a lot of cardio. I’m more of a ten-
nis girl, not necessarily pickleball, but I can really get behind a watch party full of an eclectic, interesting crowd and yummy snacks.
Try inserting yourself into third spaces to alleviate social anxiety and conquer loneliness simultaneously while creating community. All good things. All necessary things for balance. There are so many good times to be had, new hobbies to explore and new people to connect with.
Ava Francis is a 22-year-old journalism major from New Orleans.
Dear Democrats: Can we please just trust the establishment?
CADE SAVOY Columnist
Editor’s note: The following column is satire.
Guys, I’m upset.
I’m a lifelong Democrat. Ever since I watched former President Joe Biden fall down that flight of stairs at Air Force One, I was sold. What’s not to like? Law and order, common sense, old people? No more malarkey for me, thanks.
I’ve heard a lot of bluehaired freaks complaining about “the establishment” on TikTok lately. But I think that’s ridiculous. How else are we supposed to stand up to Trump? We impeached him twice. It’s not Biden’s fault that deplorables are so stupid. Log off of Rednote and get another septum ring, buddy.
Honestly, these progressives are what are losing us elections. Just look at what happened in New York. Frankly, I’m flabbergasted that Zohran Mamdani won. I can barely pronounce his name, much less bring myself to vote for the guy (good thing I’m from Breaux Bridge — New York sounds cold).
He’s such a grifter. He keeps whining about free public trans -
portation, but we already have Amtrak. I’ve never ridden on a train (my parents don’t even pay taxes), but it can’t be that hard to get to work. For Christ’s sake, buy a bike. I’m a Schwinn guy myself.
Seriously, these New Yorkers are so impatient. If they could just wait until Gov. Gavin Newsom wins in 2028, we’ll all get tax credits. Who needs free childcare when you can get 400 bonus bucks from the IRS?
Besides, the subways will get so much safer once Newsom sends all the homeless people to Santa Cruz. Maybe Curtis Sliwa wouldn’t have gotten shot five times if he would’ve trusted the system a little more.
And what’s this crap about freezing rent? Get a roommate and buy a blanket. Burlington has cute jackets. I’d rather shiver through a few cold winters than put some socialist nut in office.
At least Andrew Cuomo has experience. He grew up in the governor’s mansion, after all. I’m sure he’s learned his lesson this time.
I just don’t get why people don’t trust establishment Democrats anymore. They’ve done so much for the working class. I’m sure they’ll forgive my student loans eventually.
What this country really needs is some faith in democracy. Jan. 6 really scarred me, you know? I still remember the day: I was skiing in Aspen with my mother’s third husband, when all of a sudden I got a Facebook post notification saying that a police officer had been shot.
That really shook me, because I love the police so much. I had a mall cop give me a donut one time. So much for ACAB.
Anyway, Mamdani scares me more than Jan. 6. First of all, his name scares me (I can’t put a finger on why). But second, I just feel like this country needs more moderates. Cheaper rent, free subways, universal childcare? What’s next? Trans women running track? Caitlyn Jenner already has an Olympic medal. What more do you people want?
This country needs a return to normalcy. As someone who goes to a public university (I got waitlisted at Tulane), I think I have a pretty good pulse on what the average American
needs. Let me be the first to tell you Brooklyn commies: they don’t need free healthcare. They need stability.
If we want to win in 2028, we should stop listening to what New York voters are telling us. They don’t know what’s good for them. Frankly, Hurricane Sandy should’ve finished the job.
If the Democratic Party doesn’t put Newsom on the ticket in three years, I’m going to make Jan. 6 look like a field trip. Have a little faith in the establishment, guys. Sure, we might’ve lost to Trump last year, but that’s because former Vice President Kamala Harris kept posting about “Brat Summer.” As the old saying goes, third time’s the charm, right?
I really like voting blue. Seeing a bunch of Ds on my ballot on Election Day gives me a patriotic rush. There’s something about the Kennedys and the Clintons and the Cuomos that makes me feel safe and warm. So if you’re mad about ICE raids, worried about SNAP benefits and are in a tizzy over Trump, don’t worry. Close your eyes, hum the national anthem and pray for the establishment. I’m sure we’ll get ‘em next time.
Cade Savoy is a 21-year-old political science and philosophy major from Breaux Bridge, La.
GRAPHIC BY CARMEN RANDOLPH
YUKI IWAMURA / AP Photo
Zohran Mamdani speaks after winning the mayoral election Nov. 4, in New York.
RISE AND FALL
LSU and Alabama have followed opposite paths to this point
BY TRE ALLEN Staff Writer
Two teams with two different beginnings. One opened the season with victory, ecstasy and celebration, while the other faced agony, defeat and uncertainty.
This week, LSU travels to face Alabama. These are two teams that started the season on opposite tones.
The first game of the season in college football is arguably the most important game of the season, as it can pave the way for the trajectory of the season.
When the season started in late August, LSU entered the season ranked No. 9, and Alabama was one step ahead at No. 8.
Both teams had Week 1 games that had no margin for error. LSU traveled to Clemson to take on the No. 4 Tigers in the “Death Valley” game, while the Crimson Tide went on the road to play in a hostile environment against a new and improved Florida State team.
While the Seminoles weren’t a top 5 team like Clemson, some anticipated a close fight.
Still, Alabama was favored by almost two touchdowns. Many people picked Alabama to take care of business, while LSU was the underdog by a couple of points.
It wasn’t a baseless claim to make LSU the underdog. The Tigers had lost four straight season openers, and in their way was one of the best teams in the country.
In a rugged, hard-fought defensive game, LSU came out on top, defeating Clemson 17-10.
The streak was snapped, and the sweet feeling of relief draped over the city of Baton Rouge as LSU finally won a season opener for the first time since its national
FOOTBALL
championship season in 2019.
The defense was elite, quarterback Garrett Nussmeier managed the game well and most importantly, LSU closed the game and secured the win.
After wearing 1-0 warmup Tshirts, LSU manifested the start of its season and was on the path toward a possible championship.
“These wins are big, there’s no doubt,” then-head coach Brian Kelly said in his postgame press conference. “There’s a boomerang effect for them, but they had confidence coming into this game. We just need to keep doing what we’re doing, we’ll come back at it on Monday, and we need to go 1-0.”
Approximately 390 miles south, Alabama was trying to start off strong to bounce back from what it thought was a disappointing season the year before.
The Crimson Tide finished the
2024 season 9-3, missing the College Football Playoff after losing to Oklahoma, and then losing to Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl.
Facing Florida State to start the 2025 season was an opportunity for Alabama to begin a new chapter in the Kalen DeBoer era against a team that went 2-10 in the 2024 season.
Things quickly went downhill for Alabama as it went down 24-7 in the first half. Put the Crimson Tide, just like in classic Alabama fashion, cut the deficit to seven and soon the three-possession game was just one.
The Seminoles, however, responded with a touchdown of their own, putting it back to a twopossession game. They stopped Alabama on the following drive and secured the victory, defeating the Crimson Tide, 31-17.
For the first time since 2001, Alabama was 0-1 and many fans
were beginning to think that the era of dominant football was long gone.
“I can use a lot of different words to explain it, but just really upset about how it went,” Deboer said following the loss. “These aren’t learning moments anymore; this is us and our program. We understand the situation we’ve put ourselves in and that we’re in, but it is a long season.”
On the weekend that felt like a new beginning, LSU won and Alabama lost. The Tigers leapfrogged to No. 3, and the Tide sputtered to No. 21.
LSU won its next three games thanks to a few underwhelming performances before traveling to Oxford, Mississippi, to take on the Ole Miss Rebels.
In a close game, LSU squandered opportunities on both sides
VOLLEYBALL
What the Alabama rivalry means in volleyball
BY MARISSA REISS Staff Writer
The LSU and Alabama rivalry is a classic tradition that runs deep in college football.
From the intensity of the game atmosphere to the level of fan enthusiasm, the entire rundown of game days has stemmed from the two fan bases’ competitive drive against each other.
However, fans usually don’t hear much about said rivalry regarding smaller sports programs at LSU. In volleyball, there have never been huge conversations surrounding the rivalry against the Crimson Tide on the court.
Those factors beg a question: Is this rivalry still as meaningful to the athletes on LSU’s volleyball roster?
Anna Claire “AC” Froehlich, the team’s junior right side hitter, believes so.
Froehlich, a Lafayette native, said matchups against Alabama are intense for her regardless of the sport because of her Louisiana upbringing and her overall passion for the Tigers.
“I’m from Louisiana, and being a part of LSU’s program is such an important thing to me,” Froehlich said. “I’m playing for the pride of my school and if we’re competing against an LSU rival, especially a team like Alabama, it’s a need-towin.”
Looking at the two teams’ history, the Tigers have a 45-31 all-time
see RISE AND FALL, page 15 see RIVALRY, page 15
Looking back at the biggest games in LSU-Alabama history
BY ISABELLE CALLAHAN Staff Writer
It’s another November Saturday in Tuscaloosa, and the air is thick with tension. The crowd at Bryant-Denny Stadium will hum with over 100,000 voices, crimson shakers and the hollers of Tiger fans waving beneath the glow of the stadium lights.
LSU vs. Alabama. The name alone carries weight — a collision of power, pride and history that defines the SEC. Every year this matchup shapes the SEC Championship picture, decides legacies and fuels the eternal flame between Baton Rouge and Tuscaloosa.
“I think Saturday night will give us an opportunity to put all those things together to play what is still our best football, which is ahead of us,” said in-
terim head coach Frank Wilson.
The first meeting between the two came in 1895, ending with a 12-6 LSU win. By the 1960s, both programs had emerged as national powerhouses, and every contest became a battle of southern excellence.
In 1982, Alabama was looking to extend its 11-game winning streak, but it just wasn’t meant to be, as it suffered a 2010 upset. LSU came out on top and fans poured onto the field, celebrating one of the great moments in LSU history.
Then came the Nick Saban era — the ultimate twist in the rivalry. The man who once led LSU to a national championship in 2003 became the face of Alabama dominance, turning the matchup into a yearly war for control of the SEC West.
The rivalry reached its mod-
ern peak in 2011, when No. 1 LSU and No. 2 Alabama met in what became known as the “Game of the Century.” In front of the roaring Tuscaloosa 101,821-strong crowd, celebrities lined the sidelines, and 45 players on the field would later get drafted to the NFL with 14 going in the first round.
With such powerful defenses on both sides, every snap of the ball felt like it would be the deciding factor of this nail-biting overtime game. Not a single touchdown was scored through the entirety of the three hours and 21 minutes; the Tigers would walk away victorious with a 9-6 win.
In a slugfest that left both fan bases breathless, Alabama got revenge two months later when it shut out LSU 21-0 and reclaimed the crown.
For years, Alabama held the upper hand — until Joe Burrow and the 2019 Tigers changed everything. In a game clouded with tension and legacy, Burrow threw for 393 yards and three touchdowns, leading LSU to a 46-41 victory in Bryant-Denny.
“I grew up watching football, and LSU versus Alabama was one of those hard-nosed matchups I enjoyed watching,” Burrow said after the game. “This was just such a great night for us.”
The rivalry continued to deliver fireworks in 2022, when Brian Kelly’s Tigers stunned Alabama 32-31 in overtime at Tiger Stadium. Kelly’s gutsy call to go for two for the win solidified the game as an instant classic.
Now, the Tigers return to Tuscaloosa, where history al-
ways seems to hang heavy in the air. For Alabama, it’s another chance to defend the dynasty after walking all over LSU last year in Death Valley, taking a 42-13 win after a standout game from quarterback Jaden Milroe.
But for LSU, it’s an opportunity to prove that the climb back to the top won’t be a fluke. There’s a new coach in charge and a positive team atmosphere going into the week.
“I think we are prepared for this moment,” Wilson said. “Our football team is eager to play in this game against Alabama on Saturday. We know what we are up against.”
When LSU and Alabama face off, it’s never just a game. It’s a test of heart, a clash of history and a reminder that legends are made under the bright lights on the field.
JASON WILLIS / The Reveille
season has felt like a team with talent with too many seams exposed — and when facing the Alabama Crimson Tide, the margin for error shrinks dramatically.
LSU came into the year with high hopes on offense. Receivers like Barion Brown and Aaron Anderson, the return of fifth-year quarterback Garrett Nussmeier and expectations that the running game would stabilize.
However, the reality has been rough. LSU’s list of offensive problems runs long, and right now, the Tigers rank 89th in total offense. Red zone issues have become recurring as the Tigers average just 1.13 yards per rush inside the opponent’s 20.
Add to that an increase in three-and-out drives, the Tigers have gone three-and-out on 17 of 75 drives; that’s a little more than double what LSU did during the 2024 season.
So when LSU takes the field against Alabama, what challenges will it face?
Alabama’s strengths are mul-
tiple and well-defined.
First, the offense is efficient, averaging 34.38 points per game this season, a mark that ranks among the nation’s best. Complementing that is Alabama’s defensive re -
Challenges Alabama poses based on film
BY ISABELLE CALLAHAN
sume; the Tide only allows 18.2 points per game this year.
On film, Alabama’s defense is disciplined and forces opposing offenses to be simplistic and onedimensional. When the run game doesn’t work, the pass must carry, but LSU has had issues with making explosive pass plays this year.
Against top opponents, Alabama has held teams to manageable chunk plays and pressured quarterbacks into mistakes. For example, Alabama’s defense has allowed just over 350 total yards per home game, and on the road allow under 350. This defense doesn’t give many freebies.
Offensively, Alabama’s passing and rushing numbers are solid; it averages about 118.9 rushing yards per game and around 291 passing yards. So for LSU, that means if you stack the box to stop the run, the Tide will rely on the rushing attack. Neutralizing one piece of the Alabama offense won’t be enough.
For LSU’s offense to succeed in this game, there will need to be a flip in two major switches. The first of two is establishing the run game early; if the Tigers can run with some consistency and force Alabama into a more neutral situation, that will then open up play-action and give the passing game more space.
This has been a season-long
struggle for the Tigers, but things may be different under interim head coach Frank Wilson, who has expressed a desire to use the run more.
Second, move the chains. Third-down conversion rate, explosive-play frequency and red zone efficiency have all seen low numbers for the Tigers. Against a team like Alabama, there won’t be any second chances.
The Tide’s defense is built to capitalize on stalled drives and poor down-and-distance situations. LSU needs clean throws, fewer three-and-outs and at least one or two “big swing” plays that jumpstart drives.
Some players to be on watch for are senior defensive tackle Tim Keenan III, who has quietly become the heart of the Alabama front seven. He controls the interior with power and technique that makes him a nightmare for opposing guards. Last season Keenan totaled 40 tackles and 2.5 sacks, but his impact goes far beyond the stat sheet.
While Keenan holds down the trenches, sophomore All-SEC cornerback Zabien Brown controls the air. Last season, he arrived onto the scene as a powerful upand-coming star cornerback with a total of 18 tackles and one interception that attributed for 99
yards. His ball skills and confidence in man coverage make him a natural fit in Alabama’s aggressive secondary. Defensive lineman Nelson Overton brings length and discipline to Alabama’s front. His consistency in setting the edge and disengaging blocks influences how offenses attack the line of scrimmage. The film shows some key strengths from him, maintaining outside leverage, forcing plays back inside and collapsing pockets when the offense runs drop-backs. Against Alabama, failing to convert when in a manageable down-and-distance will lead to
long third-downs, predictable plays and pressure that will collapse any rhythm built up.
In short, LSU’s offense is the storyline. Whether the Tigers walk away with a win or not isn’t the question, but rather can LSU play to its strengths and overcome the inconsistencies it’s displayed this season? Alabama means any hesitation is magnified.
The Tide is not perfect either, but there is a fundamental strength they bring to the field, which means LSU must be sharper, more physical and more efficient than before.
HIGH STAKES, from page 6 hasn’t lived up to the preseason Heisman-candidate expectations. His offensive line has far too many cracks as the sacks pile up each game, the worst of it being when the Aggies got seven.
Wilson is promising to change that, though. He’s got a mountain in front of him, and his climb begins with running the ball.
LSU has been dominated in the run game by almost every SEC team it has faced this season and has 850 total yards to its opponents’ 1,078.
What’s been a glaring issue all season came to a climax against Texas A&M — the Tigers rushed for only 60 yards.
“I think one of the keys for victory for us is that we will have to be able to run the ball,” Wilson said. “I think it’s something that you have to invest in, and you can’t just talk about it.”
If they can show at least some improvement here against Alabama, it could have major implications for the trajectory of the season.
This year, the annual LSU vs.
Alabama game means a whole lot more than just another rivaled matchup. It marks the beginning of a new era for a team seeking a fresh slate. They may have nothing to lose, but there is everything to be gained on Saturday night.
If the Tigers can show up and put on a good show in Tuscaloosa, it could be what frees them from this deadlock and puts the three letters “LSU” back into the minds of college football fans across the country.
On the flip side, Alabama’s season has gone quite differently than LSU’s.
The Tide is 7-1 in Kalen DeBoer’s second season as head coach, but many were quick to assume the case would be different this year after the shocking 17-31 loss unranked FSU handed then-No. 4 Alabama in Week 1.
Despite this, things quickly turned around for DeBoer’s team. It’s found itself ranked in the top 5 for SEC defenses and complements that with an offense that averages almost 35 points a game.
Redshirt junior quarterback Ty Simpson leads the way for the Crimson Tide’s offense. He’s
thrown for 20 touchdowns, which ranks second in the conference, just like his average of 273 passing yards a game.
His story is similar to that of LSU’s Nussmeier. Like Nussmeier did behind Jayden Daniels, Simpson waited his turn behind Jalen Milroe, who was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The wait paid off; after three seasons of silent grind, Simpson made his debut at quarterback this season. Although his first game ended with a loss, his 254 passing yards ranked in the top five for debut performances by an Alabama quarterback.
Simpson has proved through eight games that he’s a strong leader, something every team needs out of their quarterback.
Aside from these in-game qualities, there’s a conversation to be had about the meaning of this game beyond football. Simpson and Alabama have more to play for than just a win.
During his media availability Tuesday, Simpson opened his statements with condolences to the Hardin family after the passing of
Brion Hardin on Monday.
Hardin was supportive of not just Alabama football but Alabama Athletics in general, Simpson said. He also said Hardin would let players go out to his property to hunt sometimes, something Simpson remembers doing since his freshman year in 2022.
“[I] became pretty close to Mr. Brion,” Simpson said. “A lot of guys have. It was something to get away from everything… A guy who loves Alabama Athletics and football dearly. Heaven gained a great man.”
Simpson will be the guy Alabama looks to for support in both game and emotional aspects. This responsibility isn’t something Simpson takes lightly, and he knows games in the midseason are important tests for teams to prove their worth, he said.
“We say, ‘You’re remembered for what you do in November,’” Simpson said. “We [set] ourselves apart in November by being resilient and ready to go beat anybody.”
Offensively, Simpson anchors Alabama and will be key for LSU to focus in on. He has 2,184 passing yards this season so far, compared
to Nussmeier’s 1,806. Simpson also has 79 rushing yards while Nussmeier has -44.
On the defensive side of the ball, Alabama will look a little different.
On Saturday, sophomore defensive back and Alabama legacy Dre Kirkpatrick Jr. was charged with five misdemeanors, including three for reckless endangerment. DeBoer and Alabama made the decision to suspend him indefinitely, he said at his press conference Monday.
Alabama’s now without a player that’s seen action in every game thus far, and will head into this LSU game with Kirkpatrick’s situation lingering in its players minds. Can Alabama keep its composure and compete to its highest ability? Against LSU, it’s going to have to.
“Heading into this game against LSU, we expect nothing but their best,” DeBoer said. “This is going to be a physical game. It was last year. I think it always has been, that’s the tradition here. You can see what their team is made up of, it’s physical players. I think they’ve got elite skill, both offensively and defensively.”
ERIN BARKER / The Reveille
LSU football junior tight end Mason Taylor (86) jumps to avoid a tackle on Nov. 9, 2024, during LSU’s 42-13 loss to Alabama at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La.
CULTURE
LSU-Alabama rivalry is so deep, it affects every sport’s recruiting
BY DELANEY POTTHAST Staff Writer
When people think of LSU versus Alabama, they picture Saturday nights and packed stadiums. But for LSU athletes, the rivalry stretches far beyond Tiger Stadium, becoming yearlong competition and building one of the SEC’s most consistent rivalries.
The LSU versus Alabama rivalry is both a historic and present part of the culture here at LSU. It’s a rivalry that’s woven into recruiting, campus culture and athletic identity.
One of the clearest signs of this deeply integrated rivalry is how rarely LSU athletes come from Alabama, even though the two states have close borders and compete together in nearly every sport.
A look at LSU’s current rosters shows that athletes from Alabama are a rarity, being far outnumbered by those from Texas, Florida and Georgia. In fact, across every roster for the program’s 2025-26 season, there are only 11 athletes that share an affiliation with Alabama.
The football program currently includes three Alabama natives and only has two transfers from the state: wide receiver Aaron Anderson from the University of Alabama and safety Austin Ausberry from Auburn. Even so, both transfer athletes are Louisiana natives.
Beyond football, only four other LSU athletes come from Alabama plus one additional transfer from either Auburn or Alabama in two separate sports.
Out of over 600 athletes at LSU, fewer than 10 list Alabama as home. That scarcity raises a question that looks deeper than geography — why don’t more athletes make the short trip west to Baton Rouge?
Part of the answer lies heavily in recruiting. For LSU, its strongest recruiting pipelines run through Louisiana, Texas and Florida, all of which are states that have long been known to produce SEC talent.
Having only around a sixth of current student athletes being native to the state of Louisiana, the story is slightly different for Alabama.
Alabama keeps its recruiting tendencies within its own
PLAYERS, from page 7
Adding
Rushing 1,400
through-
this season — Miller’s speed is likely to play a part in the Crimson Tide scoring touchdowns.
Miller rushed one touch-
borders for the majority of its teams.
On another hand, crossing state lines can also mean crossing a cultural line. The history of the rivalry goes back generations, from family traditions, fan loyalties and state pride all forming around it.
Due to the pressures of those around them, it’s no surprise that wearing purple and gold could be difficult for Alabama athletes.
Even without many Alabama-born athletes, the rivalry between the two finds other ways to make itself known in every sport.
In gymnastics, two of the SEC’s most decorated programs meet multiple times each season, often with championship implications on the line.
Having not lost to the Crimson since the 2023 SEC Championship, LSU gymnastics has gone 5-1 in its last six meets against Alabama.
In many other athletics, LSU and Alabama have built storylines that feel just as fierce, as seen in LSU baseball’s close series loss from the 2024 season
down in both the 30-14 win over Vanderbilt and 37-20 win over Tennessee.
On the receiving side of things, Miller has scraped together 80 receiving yards this season, averaging 6.7 yards per rush attempt.
Germie Bernard
Senior wide receiver Germie Bernard has 129 receptions and 1,867 career receiving yards to his name.
RIVALRY, from page 13
series record against the Crimson Tide. LSU has won eight of the last 10 matchups against Alabama and went on a seven-match win streak before suffering an 0-3 sweep earlier this season.
Against Alabama, LSU has a 1721 record of matchups in Tuscaloosa, but takes a 21-6 advantage over the Tide at home in Baton Rouge.
Whether LSU has faced Alabama away or at home, the Tigers have always gone into those matches with an “us versus them” mindset.
“I think for us, we approach those games with almost like a vengeance, especially if football doesn’t beat that team that year,” Froehlich said. “We kind of are like, ‘Well, now we have to [beat Alabama] because we’re good too.’”
A specific moment that Froehlich recalled from past matchups against Alabama was the way the Tigers felt taking a 3-1 victory over the Crimson Tide in their final game of the 2024 season.
“Last season, our last game of the season was against Alabama. It was kind of just a battle of will,
RISE AND FALL, from page 13
of the ball and fell short, losing 24-19. It was a frustrating loss, but one that came on the road while missing some key players, so it posed as something the Tigers could bounce back from.
or soccer’s late-game defeat from earlier this 2025 season.
Even softball’s impressive series win from 2025 in which the team earned a six-point run difference over the Crimson Tide adds fuel to the rivalry.
Ongoing competition like this is what helps to define what it means to play for LSU, even for those who have never called Alabama home.
The near absence of Alabama-born athletes and transfers at LSU doesn’t just reflect a pattern in recruiting, but also an emotional boundary that such rivalries create.
For the Tigers, that invisible border supports the meaning of wearing the Tiger logo with a sense of belonging that is built on both competition and community.
In a way, the rivalry shows up not just by who’s on the field or in the arena, but by who’s missing. From such a perspective, LSU and Alabama’s meet on Saturday in Tuscaloosa won’t just be two programs on the field, but the meeting of two worlds whose pride results in their rare overlap.
Bernard is a two-time transfer student from Michigan State and Washington who began competition for the Crimson Tide last year, where he secured 50 receptions and 794 yards as a junior.
This season, he’s caught 38 receptions, 526 yards and six touchdowns. His season high was in Alabama’s 73-0 win over ULM, where he brought home two touchdowns and averaged 22.3 yards per reception.
because at that point this is our last one,” Froehlich said. “I remember that match feeling very much like, ‘This [win] needs to happen.’”
The fun behind this Alabama rivalry doesn’t just stop with the athletes.
LSU associate head coach Jill Wilson has a reputation for blaring “Dixieland Delight” during the team’s warmups when facing the Crimson Tide. Wilson does this almost as if to get the team angry in their need to win, Froehlich said. Seeing the overall statistics, the strategy must work.
As Froehlich reflected once more on the LSU versus Alabama rivalry, she noted that it doesn’t matter how good either team is or what sport it is. Although the fan base for volleyball might not be as vast as the fan base for football, that rivalry still carries the exact same level of importance, she said.
To the Tigers, it will always simply be LSU versus Alabama, and that’s more than enough to fuel Froehlich’s match day energy.
“The pride of competing for LSU is for everything,” Froehlich said. “If I’m LSU, nobody can beat us.”
After a 20-10 win over South Carolina, LSU went on the road to face Vanderbilt. Despite being slight underdogs, many people picked the Tigers due to the amount of talent on the roster.
Having no answer on defense, the Commodores ran all over the Tigers and gave them their second loss of the season.
A team that was picked to not only win the SEC but the national championship as well sat at 5-2 with playoff hopes on life support.
Still, with undefeated Texas
A&M coming to Death Valley, LSU had another chance to stay alive and add a big win to its resume.
In the first half, it was nothing short of excitement.
The offense for the Tigers started to look like what people imagined. Nussmeier was finding his easy targets, the running game was efficient and they capitalized on red zone opportunities.
It was a four-point lead for LSU at halftime, and the upset seemed within reach. However, things got out of hand quickly for the Tigers as the Aggies scored 35 points in the second half compared to LSU’s seven.
Justin Jefferson
No, this Justin Jefferson isn’t the same person that LSU fans know all too well.
He’s instead Alabama’s very own redshirt senior linebacker from Memphis, Tennessee, who’s ready to hit the ground running this weekend.
Jefferson has 112 total tackles in his career — 60 of those solo and 53 of them assisted — with 47 total tackles made this
LSU lost 49-25 embarrassingly and decided to part ways with Kelly and offensive coordinator Joe Sloan quickly after. Athletic director Scott Woodward was also dismissed a few days later, and running back coach Frank Wilson was promoted to the interim head coach. Since Woodward’s dismissal, previously interim AD Verge Ausberry has been promoted to take over the role entirely.
As for the Crimson Tide, they won seven straight after losing in Week 1, including wins over No. 5 Georgia, No. 16 Vanderbilt, No. 14 Missouri and No. 11 Tennessee. They’ve solidified themselves as one of the best teams in the nation.
The Tigers, now 5-3, will travel to the 7-1 Alabama Crimson Tide in hopes of pulling off the upset against the No. 4 team in the country.
Just a few months ago, the national championship and the 1-0 mentality were in their reach — now they’re looking to get back on track and end the season strong.
Even with the chaos,” Wilson has rallied his team together and looks forward to going against one of the best teams in the country
“I like us, Wilson said. “I think we have the potential to be a good football team, and I think Saturday night will give us an opportunity to put all those things together to play what is still our best football, which is ahead of us.”
season.
Jefferson had his best performances across two games with 14 tackles and one sack against Vanderbilt followed by seven tackles and another sack against the South Carolina Gamecocks.
During his time at Alabama, Jefferson has only shown improvement, and given that he totaled six tackles against LSU last year, Tiger fans should expect him to bring the heat once more.
ERIN BARKER / The Reveille LSU football freshman running back Caden Durham (29) fends off an Alabama defender on Nov. 9, 2024, during LSU’s 42-13 loss to Alabama at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La.
Jam Miller
to Alabama’s offensive line is Tyler, Texas, native senior running back Jam Miller.
yards
out his career — with 308 of those from
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