Lane Kiffin’s first big Baton Rouge showcase came with a little extra shine.
Ahead of LSU’s home game against Alabama on Saturday, the Tigers turned their pregame “Tiger Walk” into a full-on reunion of some of the program’s most recognizable names. Shaquille O’Neal, Angel Reese, Paul Skenes and Livvy Dunne were all part of the scene as Kiffin led the team down Victory Hill and into Tiger Stadium.
The timing fit the moment. LSU’s matchup with Alabama opens a brutal three-game stretch, and the Tigers need at least two wins over Alabama, Texas and Tennessee over the coming weeks to stay in the CFP conversation. With two losses already on the board and two ranked SEC opponents still ahead, Saturday carried obvious weight.
The walk itself had the usual pregame pieces - team, cheerleaders, band and the march into the stadium - but the guest list gave it a different feel. O’Neal and Reese, both former LSU basketball stars, joined Skenes, who starred for LSU baseball, in walking with Kiffin. LSU football also leaned into the moment on social media, posting: “We really are Just Different https://t.co/x1RoxFSb99”
There was another surprise name in the mix, too: actor Kevin Costner.
Livvy Dunne was also in town, and Sports Illustrated noted her alongside Landry Kiffin before the game.
Ryan Clark, the former LSU defensive back who became an NFL and media figure, added a little humor of his own on X, saying he’ll “never get to do the Tiger Walk pregame” if Kiffin keeps rolling out names like this.
One thing the scene did not mean: Costner is not an LSU alum. He did not attend LSU, earning a bachelor’s degree in business from California State University, Fullerton in 1978.
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