ESPN’s “College GameDay” is set to kick off the season in Baton Rouge, and LSU has no shortage of star power for the celebrity guest picker role when Clemson visits on Saturday, Sept. 5.
With Lane Kiffin making his coaching debut with the Tigers, the pregame spotlight figures to be heavy on LSU flavor. The last time “GameDay” came to Baton Rouge for the Clemson matchup, John Goodman was the guest picker in 2019. More recently, LSU fans saw former baseball star Paul Skenes and his girlfriend Livvy Dunne take the stage, giving ESPN a reminder that this campus can supply big names from just about every corner.
That’s the challenge for the network: LSU’s reach is enormous, and the options are wide open. A few names stand out.
Shaquille O’Neal is an easy one to imagine. His “Inside the NBA” role now sits under the ESPN umbrella, and he already looms large around LSU with a statue on campus.
Before becoming a basketball icon, he put together a monster college career, averaging 21.6 points, 13.5 rebounds and 4.6 blocks per game over three seasons. He was a two-time first-team All-American and the AP National Player of the Year as a sophomore.
Add in his personality, and it’s the kind of pick that would feel made for “GameDay.”
Joe Burrow would bring a different kind of buzz. The Bengals quarterback is still one of the most popular names connected to LSU after steering the Tigers to the 2019 national championship and winning the Heisman Trophy in a season that stands among the greatest ever by a college quarterback. He may be difficult to line up, but with the NFL’s Week 1 not arriving until a week after college football’s opening weekend, the timing at least gives ESPN a window.
Lainey Wilson is another strong possibility. She was on ESPN’s “SEC Nation” last year for LSU’s game against Florida, and the country star fits naturally into the Tigers’ orbit.
Born in Gaskin, Louisiana, Wilson is an LSU fan and a football fan overall. She’s married to Duck Hodges, the former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback who played at Samford.
Boosie Badazz would bring a different kind of energy entirely. The Baton Rouge native is one of LSU’s most visible celebrity supporters and has never hidden his love for the Tigers.
He backs the whole program, not just football, and has been seen at Lady Tigers basketball games in recent years. LSU even used his song “Set It Off” for a stadium light show last season.
Then there’s Lil Wayne, who already has “GameDay” experience. The New Orleans rapper served as the guest picker when LSU played Alabama in 2016, and he remains closely tied to the program.
He also has a song with former LSU women’s basketball star Flau’jae Johnson. His son, Dwayne Carter, is a kicker for Gainesville High School in Georgia.
For ESPN, LSU offers a deep bench of names. The only real question is which one gets the nod when “College GameDay” opens the season in Baton Rouge.
In Other News...
LSU Just Got Pulled Into A Roster Fight With Real Stakes
LSUs offseason has taken on a legal edge, with the SEC filing a lawsuit against the school, its Board of Supervisors, president Wade Rousse, athletic director Verge Ausberry and head coach Lane Kiffin over how the program has gone about recruiting former professional athletes. The conferences complaint argues that LSU crossed a line under SEC rules and is asking a court to step in before the dispute grows into something bigger than a roster issue.
The filing is aimed at stopping LSU from being tied to conduct the league says runs counter to its purpose, and the crux of the dispute centers on players who previously signed NFL contracts. At the same time, a separate hearing in Baton Rouge is still working through whether those players should be considered eligible under NCAA and SEC rules, leaving LSU in the middle of a fight with real stakes and no immediate resolution in sight. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Lands In A High Stakes Eligibility Fight Before The Opener
With the opener looming, LSU has been pulled into a dispute that stretches well beyond the usual late-summer roster chatter. The SEC has filed a federal lawsuit against the school, head coach Lane Kiffin and other administrators over the eligibility status of several potential players who spent time on NFL training camp rosters, pushing the issue into court just as teams are finalizing plans for the season.
The conference is seeking injunctions to stop LSU from violating league rules by recruiting and rostering professional athletes, arguing the schools approach is harming the SEC as a whole. A separate state court hearing is also moving forward on the eligibility of specific players, including DaeQuan Wright and Zxavian Harris, adding another layer to a situation that could shape LSUs available options before the first game is even played. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Just Added A Homegrown Twist To Its Clemson Spotlight
College GameDay is rolling into Baton Rouge with a distinctly Louisiana flavor before LSUs showdown with Clemson, and the guest picker this time is bringing some Bayou State star power with her. Lainey Wilson, the country music artist from Louisiana, will serve in the celebrity role and also perform live on the show as the pregame spotlight gets going at 8 a.m. CT.
The staging only adds to what should already be a packed scene, with Rece Davis hosting, Nick Saban among the analysts and Lane Kiffin set for a live appearance as the Tigers build toward kickoff. LSU and Clemson are scheduled to meet later that night at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC, giving the campus a full day to lean into the moment. [Read more 🡒]