Tiger Sports Update: Everything but quiet in the bye week

Death Valley may sit empty this weekend, but the Tigers are still running full throttle. Between high-stakes schedule shakes, breaking roster news, and a jam-packed slate across the diamond, court, and field, here is everything happening across LSU.

LSU Football enters its scheduled bye week resting up and recalibrating before welcoming Alabama to Tiger Stadium next weekend. The biggest topic around Baton Rouge, however, is the kickoff window. The SEC officially designated the LSU-Alabama clash for a 2:30 afternoon start. For a rivalry defined by deafening Saturday nights in Death Valley for nearly twenty years, the daylight kickoff caught fans and coaches completely by surprise.

Head football coach Lane Kiffin voiced surprise during the week, remarking that an afternoon slot for one of the sport’s most anticipated rivalries caught him completely off guard.

“Especially in 16 years, this game has been at night here all the time,” Kiffin said. “I never even considered that it wouldn’t be at night. So I guess that’s probably naive of me.”

LSU Men’s Basketball received a critical roster boost ahead of the regular season. Guard RJ Luis has been granted a temporary court injunction, legally clearing him to suit up for the Tigers. Luis is now eligible for the season opener against LSU-New Orleans on Tuesday at 7 p.m. inside the PMAC.

Kim Mulkey’s Lady Tigers take the PMAC court for their final preseason exhibition against Loyola Thursday. Expect trademark Mulkey basketball from the opening tip with suffocating transition pressure, dominance on the glass, and an up-tempo attack designed to run opponents out of the gym. They officially open the regular season Monday against Southeastern Louisiana.

Jay Johnson’s squad is putting the finishing touches on fall intra-squad competition at Alex Box Stadium before traveling to Biloxi, Mississippi, for exhibition matchups against Samford. Softball action is also underway at Tiger Park, highlighted by a midweek test against McNeese ahead of a home doubleheader on Sunday.

Volleyball continues to grind through the meat of its SEC schedule, tightening its defensive net presence ahead of key conference matchups at the PMAC. Beach volleyball is hosting its home fall tournament Saturday, serving as critical prep for the upcoming AVCA Pairs Championship.

After closing out their regular-season home slate, soccer is traveling to Columbia to face Missouri on Sunday in the regular-season finale before shifting focus to the SEC Tournament in Pensacola, Florida.

Cross country is traveling to Columbia, Missouri, to compete in the SEC Cross Country Championships, while men’s tennis locks down doubles pairings and individual rankings following a physical fall regional campaign.

With regular seasons winding down and postseason tournaments taking center stage, LSU Athletics remains fully locked in across every front.