
LSU Tigers football has been woven into the fabric of Baton Rouge since 1893, when chemistry professor Dr. Charles E. Coates organized the school's first team, which faced Tulane in New Orleans. What grew from that start is one of college football's most decorated programs: four national championships, 12 SEC titles, and a home venue, Tiger Stadium, that packs in more than 102,000 fans on fall Saturdays. The purple and gold, as legend has it, were chosen because they were Mardi Gras colors.
The championship eras stack up across more than a century. LSU was a founding member of the Southeastern Conference in 1933, and Paul Dietzel's 1958 team delivered the program's first national title with a perfect 11-0 season. Nick Saban brought LSU back to the top in 2003, Les Miles won it all again in 2007, and Ed Orgeron's 2019 team went 15-0 behind quarterback Joe Burrow and beat Clemson in the College Football Playoff National Championship in New Orleans. In all, LSU counts 16 conference championships across three conferences.
Game day is where the program separates from the pack. Tailgaters claim their spots days before kickoff in a scene that national outlets have repeatedly ranked among the best in college football, Mike the Tiger, a live tiger mascot, walks down Victory Hill before every home game, and Garth Brooks' "Callin' Baton Rouge" plays at every game. When a big rival comes to Death Valley, the whole city recalibrates around kickoff.
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