LSU Tigers

LSU Fighting Tigers
University	Louisiana State University
Conference(s)	Southeastern Conference
NCAA	Division I
Athletics director	Joe Alleva
Location	Baton Rouge, LA
Varsity teams	20
Football stadium	Tiger Stadium
Basketball arena	Pete Maravich Assembly Center
Baseball stadium	Alex Box Stadium
Mascot	Mike the Tiger
Nickname	Fighting Tigers, Bayou Bengals
Fight song
Colors	Purple and Gold
Homepage	www.lsusports.net

The LSU Tigers are the athletic teams of Louisiana State University. They participate in the NCAA's Division I, in the Southeastern Conference. It fields teams in 14 varsity sports (5 men's, 7 women's, 2 coed). Its official team nickname is the Fighting Tigers and the school mascot is Mike the Tiger. The official school colors are purple and gold, although in actuality the "gold" color which appears on the university's sports uniforms is canary yellow. LSU's nickname is a throwback to its Confederate heritage and is drawn from the Civil War fame of a New Orleans infantry company, the "Tiger Rifles," who fought so fiercely in General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia that they, and eventually all other Louisiana troops, became known as "Louisiana Tigers."

Based on winning percentage, the University's athletics program is consistently one of the best in the nation. Its arenas include Tiger Stadium aka "Death Valley" (football), Pete Maravich Assembly Center (basketball, volleyball, gymnastics), Carl Maddox Fieldhouse (indoor track), Bernie Moore Stadium (outdoor track), Tiger Park (softball), and Alex Box Stadium (baseball). Important rivals in football include one of the longest running college football rivals with the Ole Miss Rebels, and the Tulane Green Wave. Other rivals include the Alabama Crimson Tide, Arkansas Razorbacks, and the Auburn Tigers.

Keeping with the French/Cajun character of South Louisiana, LSU support can be seen by its distinctive spelling of "Go Tigers" as "Geaux Tigers".

Sports

By winning the SEC championship in Men's Basketball for the 2008-2009 season, LSU became the first SEC school to win at least 10 SEC championships in the big 3 sports of Football, Men's Basketball, and Baseball.^[1]

Football

Main article: LSU Tigers football

The LSU football team is a football program in NCAA Division I-FBS college football. They participate in Tiger Stadium, which holds 92,400 people. LSU has won three national championships, including two in the last decade. LSU won the 2003 BCS National Championship amid controversy, as the USC Trojans were awarded the Associated Press National Championship even though they did not play in the BCS Championship Game. With their win in the 2008 BCS National Championship Game (for the 2007 season) the Tigers became the first two-loss team to compete for and win the national championship, and the first team to ever win two Bowl Championship Series titles.

• National Championships (3): 1958, 2003, 2007
• SEC Championships (10): 1935, 1936, 1958, 1961, 1970, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2007

Baseball

Main article: LSU Tigers baseball

The LSU baseball team has won six national championships since 1991. The team participates in the West division of the Southeastern Conference and they are currently coached by Paul Mainieri. They play home games in the new Alex Box Stadium.

• National Championships (6): 1991, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2009
• SEC Championships (16): 1939, 1943, 1946, 1961, 1975, 1986, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2010

Men's Basketball

Main article: LSU Tigers basketball

See also: 2009-10 LSU Tigers men's basketball team

The LSU men's basketball team participates in the West division of the Southeastern Conference. The team is currently coached by Trent Johnson.

• National Championships (1): 1935
• Final Four Appearances (4): 1953, 1981, 1986, 2006
• SEC Championships (10): 1935, 1953, 1954, 1979, 1981, 1985, 1991, 2000, 2006, 2009

---

Women's basketball

Main article: LSU Lady Tigers basketball

The LSU women's basketball team participates in the Southeastern Conference. Nikki Caldwell became the new head coach on April 2, 2011, succeeding Van Chancellor, who had coached the team from 2007-2011.

• National Champions (0)
• Final Four Appearances (5): 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
• SEC Championships (3): 2005, 2006, 2008

---

Softball

Main article: LSU Lady Tigers softball

The softball team participates in the Southeastern Conference. They are currently coached by Yvette Girouard.

• National Championships (0)
• WCWS Appearances (2): 2001, 2004
• SEC Championships (5): 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004

---

Men's indoor track and field

Main article: LSU Tigers track and field

The Men's indoor track and field team is currently coached by Dennis Shaver.

• National Championships (2): 2001, 2004

• SEC Championships (4): 1957, 1963, 1989, 1990

Former Coaches

Pat Henry

---

Women's indoor track and field

Main article: LSU Lady Tigers track and field

The Women's indoor track and field team is currently coached by Dennis Shaver.

• National Championships (11): 1987, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2002, 2003, 2004

• SEC Championships (11): 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2007, 2008

Former Coaches

Pat Henry

---

Men's outdoor track and field

Main article: LSU Tigers track and field

The Men's outdoor track and field team is currently coached by Dennis Shaver.

• National Championships (4): 1933, 1989, 1990, 2002

• SEC Championships (22): 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1951, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1963, 1988, 1989, 1990

Former Coaches

• Bernie Moore
• Pat Henry

---

Women's outdoor track and field

Main article: LSU Lady Tigers track and field

The Women's outdoor track and field team is currently coached by Dennis Shaver.

• National Championships (14): 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2008

• SEC Championships (8): 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1996, 2008

Former Coaches

Pat Henry

---

Women's gymnastics

Main article: LSU Lady Tigers gymnastics

The women's gymnastics team participates in the Southeastern Conference. They are currently coached by D-D Breaux.

• National Championships (0): None

• SEC Championships (1): 1981

---

Women's soccer

The women's soccer team participates in the Southeastern Conference. They are currently coached by Brian Lee.

• National Championships (0): None

• SEC Championships (0): None

Former Coaches

Miriam Hickey

Gregg Boggs

George Fotopoulos

---

Men's golf

The Men's golf team is currently coached by Chuck Winstead.

• National Championships (4): 1940, 1942, 1947, 1955

• SEC Championships (15): 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1942, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1953, 1954, 1960, 1966, 1967, 1986, 1987

Former Players

• Brian Bateman
• Fred Haas
• Mac McLendon
• Johnny Pott
• Earl Stewart
• David Toms

---

Women's golf

The Women's Golf team is currently coached by Karen Bahnsen.

• National Championships (0): None

• SEC Championships (1): 1992

Former Coaches

Buddy Alexander

Mary Rehling Holmes

---

Swimming & diving

The swim team is currently coached by Dave Geyer. The diving team is currently coached by Doug Shaffer.

• National Championships (0): None

• SEC Championships (1): 1988

---

Men's tennis

The Men's Tennis team is currently coached by Jeff Brown.

• National Championships (0): None

• SEC Championships (4): 1976, 1985, 1998, 1999

Former Coaches

• Mike Donahue
• Dub Robinson
• Charles Diel
• Paul Young
• Steve Carter
• Steve Strome
• Jerry Simmons

Women's tennis

The Women's Tennis team is currently coached by Tony Minnis.

• National Championships (0): None

• SEC Championships (0): None

Former Coaches

Goeff Macdonald

Phillip Campbell

Betty Sue Hagerman

Karen McCarter Elliot

Pat Newman

---

Volleyball

The Volleyball team is currently coached by Fran Flory.

• National Championships (0): None

• Final Four Appearances (2): 1990, 1991

• SEC Championships (4): 1986, 1989, 1990, 1991

Former Coaches

Scott Luster

Ruth Nelson

Gerry Owens

Jinks Coleman

---

Facilities

Name	Sports	Capacity
Tiger Stadium	Football	92,401
Pete Maravich Assembly Center	Men's & women's basketball, Gymnastics, Volleyball	13,472
Alex Box Stadium	Baseball	10,150
Tiger Park	Softball	1,289 (official capacity); 2,500 (with outfield seating)
Bernie Moore Track & Field Stadium	Men's and women's outdoor track and field	5,680
Carl Maddox Field House	Men's and women's indoor track and field	3,000
LSU Natatorium	Swimming & Diving	2,200
LSU Soccer Complex	Soccer	1,500
W.T. "Dub" Robinson Tennis Stadium	Men's and women's tennis	550
University Club	Men's and women's golf	N/A

National championships

LSU has won 46 team national championships, 42 of which are recognized by the NCAA, tying them for 5th all time in total national championships.^[2] Four of them are not recognized because there was not an NCAA sanctioned event in place at the time to determine a champion, and thus polls were used.

LSU NCAA National Championships Year Sport 1933 Men's outdoor track and field 1940 Men's Golf 1942 Men's Golf 1947 Men's Golf 1949 Men's Boxing 1955 Men's Golf 1987 Women's indoor track and field 1987 Women's outdoor track and field 1988 Women's outdoor track and field 1989 Men's outdoor track and field 1989 Women's indoor track and field 1989 Women's outdoor track and field 1990 Men's outdoor track and field 1990 Women's outdoor track and field 1991 Baseball 1991 Women's indoor track and field 1991 Women's outdoor track and field 1992 Women's outdoor track and field 1993 Baseball 1993 Women's indoor track and field 1993 Women's outdoor track and field 1994 Women's indoor track and field 1994 Women's outdoor track and field 1995 Women's indoor track and field 1995 Women's outdoor track and field 1996 Baseball 1996 Women's indoor track and field 1996 Women's outdoor track and field 1997 Baseball 1997 Women's indoor track and field 1997 Women's outdoor track and field 2000 Baseball 2000 Women's outdoor track and field 2001 Men's indoor track and field 2002 Men's outdoor track and field 2002 Women's indoor track and field 2003 Women's indoor track and field 2003 Women's outdoor track and field 2004 Men's indoor track and field 2004 Women's indoor track and field 2008 Women's outdoor track and field 2009 Baseball

LSU Other National Championships Year Sport 1935 Men's Basketball^ 1958 Football (AP, Coaches)^^ 2003 Football (Bowl Championship Series)^^^ 2007 Football (AP, Bowl Championship Series)^^^

^ Prior to 1939, the NCAA did not conduct a tournament to determine the men's basketball national champion, and thus this is a "Mythical National Championship" as determined by polls.

^^ The NCAA does not award a national championship in Division I-FBS football. Instead, polls are used to determine national champions. In this case, AP Poll and the Coaches Poll, the two biggest selectors at the time, awarded LSU the national championship. Many members of the sports media and fans refer to Division I-FBS national championships as "Mythical National Championships" (a national championship that is won without a tournament).

^^^ In 1998 major Division I-FBS conferences came together to created the Bowl Championship Series in an effort to establish a more legitimate national champion. LSU won the 2003 BCS national championship and the 2007 BCS national championship. These are not NCAA sanctioned national championships, and because of that, many members of the sports media and fans still refer to them as Mythical National Championships.

---

Athletic directors

Name	Years Served
Russ Cohen	1928-1931
T.P. "Skipper" Heard	1932-1955
Jim Corbett	1955-1967
Harry Rabenhorst	1967-1968
Carl Maddox	1968-1978
Paul Dietzel	1978-1982
Bob Brodhead	1982-1987
Joe Dean	1987-2001
Skip Bertman	2001-2008
Joe Alleva	2008-Present

Broadcast information

The LSU Sports Radio Network's flagship station WDGL-FM ("The Eagle 98.1") in Baton Rouge.

Name	Position
Jim Hawthorne	Director of Broadcasting; Play-by-Play (Football, Men's Basketball, Baseball)
Jordy Hultberg	Sideline Reporter (Football)
Doug Moreau	Analyst (Football)
Patrick Wright	Play-by-Play (Women's Basketball, Softball)
Kevin Ford	Studio Host (Football); Analyst (Men's Basketball)
Charles Hanagriff	Play-by-Play/Analyst (Baseball)
Bill Franques	Analyst (Baseball)
Kent Lowe	Analyst (Softball)

See also

• LSU Hall of Fame
• 256th Infantry Brigade

References

1. ^ First SEC "triple-double" 2theadvocate.com
2. ^ NCAA.org Schools with the most NCAA championships