New Beginnings: What stands out about future LSU non-conference schedule

Something that LSU fans have been clambering for is set to come to fruition. On Friday, LSU announced several non-conference games on the future schedule. The Tigers will host four in-state programs from the 2027-30 seasons. Here are the four dates the purple and gold released: Aug. 28, 2027: Northwestern State Aug. 26, 2028: Louisiana-Monroe Sept. 9, 2028: Southern Aug. 31, 2030: Tulane The headliner of this collection of in-state matchups is of course the Green Wave. It’s the first time Tulane has been put on the schedule since the 2009 season, a game that LSU won 42-0. It was the last of a four year annual meeting between the two programs in the Superdome and Tiger Stadium. Those were pretty routinely poorly attended outings in New Orleans compared to the size of the venue and the Green Wave were nowhere near the program they’ve become over the last decade. This is a fun future addition to the schedule as these two programs have a history that dates back to the early 1900s. LSU and Tulane will be meeting for the 99th time in 2030 when that game kicks off, a series that the purple and gold lead 68-23 with seven ties as well. Tulane’s last win came in 1982, a 31-28 victory in Tiger Stadium. In addition to the Tulane game, what’s really interesting from an LSU perspective is the fact that three of these games will fall on “week zero” of the college football season. Over the last several seasons, LSU’s openers have been against pretty storied programs, whether it be Florida State, Clemson or USC. Before last season’s 2025 opening win over Clemson, LSU had dropped five straight opening games and one of the ‘headlines’ centered around the possibility of LSU scheduling a game exactly like these the week prior to some of these big time non-conference battles. In 2027, after LSU takes on Northwestern State in Tiger Stadium, they play a very competitive Houston program the next week on Sept. 4. In 2028, after the matchup with Louisiana-Monroe, the purple and gold take on SMU in Death Valley. The non-conference game with Tulane will come on Labor Day weekend in 2030 but two of the four in-state matchups coming in week zero is a change. LSU was able to get that opening game monkey off its back last season and will have to do it again against Clemson, but this time in Tiger Stadium. It’s the start of a really tough first month for the Tigers that includes a week three road matchup at Ole Miss followed by a home game in week four against Texas A&M to close the month of September. This is a worthwhile four games to add to the future schedules, particularly the Tulane game which will renew a storied piece in LSU football history.