LSU is stepping into a new chapter with Lane Kiffin set to take over in 2026, and that kind of shakeup deserves a visual reset too. If the Tigers are going to lean into the idea that they’ve become the SEC’s villain, then the uniform answer is sitting right there: go all black.
That’s the case for a blackout look in Death Valley, where the traditional gold-white-gold setup has long defined the program but has also given way more often in recent seasons to alternate combinations like gold-purple-gold and even gold-gold-white. LSU has already shown a willingness to play around with the look, and an all-black uniform would take that idea to its sharpest possible finish.
The concept fits neatly with the themed-game energy LSU has already embraced. The Tigers have hosted a gold-out against Texas A&M and a purple-out against Louisiana Tech, and a black-out would push that formula even further. In a rivalry setting, it would feel made for the stage.
LSU wouldn’t be breaking new ground by doing it, either. Plenty of programs have gone to black even when it isn’t part of their core identity.
Oregon rolled out its black “Fly Era” uniform in 2024, and the look connected with Ducks fans as the school entered the Big Ten. Nebraska unveiled black alternates in 2025 with a black jersey and pants and a white helmet with a black stripe, and the reaction around that launch helped set up the program’s blackout game, when the stadium’s end zones go black and the crowd turns from red to black.
In 2026, that Nebraska blackout lands on Halloween night.
Tennessee has also leaned into the aesthetic. The Volunteers’ black alternates, announced in a video that could sit near the top of college football’s hype-package rankings, brought a surge of excitement when “Dark Mode” returned in October 2021 just in time for Halloween.
LSU has already dipped into black in other sports, too. The volleyball and soccer programs hosted black-out games in 2026, and gymnastics has regularly worn bedazzled black leotards for multiple seasons. The school even sells official black football jerseys with gold and purple stripes on the sleeves.
For a program entering a new era under Kiffin and welcoming a new generation of fans, the move seems obvious. An October blackout game would fit the season, fit the mood and add another jolt to the Death Valley atmosphere that already makes LSU one of college football’s most iconic stages.
In Other News...
LSU Suddenly Has Real QB Intrigue Before McNeese
LSU heads into Saturdays 6:45 p.m. kickoff against McNeese in Death Valley with a little more quarterback intrigue than expected. Sam Leavitt is still the name most closely associated with the Tigers starting job, but a left hamstring injury has opened the door to questions about whether LSU will need to look elsewhere under center for this one.
Lane Kiffin has not yet settled on a starter, which leaves the door open for Landen Clark or Husan Longstreet to factor into the plan if Leavitt is limited. McNeese brings its own familiar face to Baton Rouge in third-season quarterback Devin Lippold, but for LSU the real focus is internal right now, with a simple nonconference game suddenly carrying a little extra suspense before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Quarterback Situation Just Got More Interesting Before McNeese
McNeese is heading into its matchup with LSU without third-year quarterback Devin Lippold, who will miss the game because of a right wrist injury, so Jake Strong is set to take over the offense. On the other side, LSUs quarterback picture remains one of the more closely watched parts of this weeks buildup, with Sam Leavitt expected to start as he continues working back from a left hamstring injury.
The Tigers also have some intrigue behind Leavitt, with Landen Clark and Husan Longstreet both possibilities to see the field depending on how the game unfolds. Between Leavitts recovery and the chance to evaluate depth at quarterback, LSU enters the matchup with a few more moving parts than usual, even against an opponent dealing with its own key absence. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Is Drawing National Attention In A Way Fans Will Love
LSUs early-season run is not just turning heads in Baton Rouge, it is pulling in a national audience at a level few programs can match. According to Nielsen data from the first four weeks of the 2026 college football season, the Tigers rank second in average television viewership, drawing about 7.8 million viewers per game across broadcasts on multiple major networks from Aug. 29 through Sept. 26.
Only Texas has averaged more, sitting at a little over 9 million viewers, which puts LSU in rare company on a week-to-week basis. For a program that already knows how to command attention, the numbers are another reminder that when the Tigers are on the screen, plenty of people across the country are still making time to watch. [Read more 🡒]