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LSU AD: Non-con opponents ‘afraid to get their butts beat’ at Tiger Stadium

By Nathaniel Reeves

Oct 25, 2014; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; An LSU Tigers fan crowd surfs after fans stormed the field following the Tigers 10-7 victory agains the Mississippi Rebels at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Crystal LoGiudice-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 25, 2014; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; An LSU Tigers fan crowd surfs after fans stormed the field following the Tigers 10-7 victory agains the Mississippi Rebels at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Crystal LoGiudice-USA TODAY Sports /
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LSU Athletic Director Joe Alleva has a simple explanation as to why teams won’t come to Baton Rouge.

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Major SEC football programs are often criticized for scheduling weak opponents during the non-conference slate. With a brutal conference schedule awaiting at the end of each year, it often makes more sense for top teams to cruise through the non-conference portion of the season and rely on the strength of the SEC schedule to get into the College Football Playoff.

However, some feel the weak schedule is due to circumstances out of their control. Count LSU Athletic Director Joe Alleva among them, as he believes non-conference teams are scared of coming into Death Valley in fear of losing big, according to an interview with 104.5 FM ESPN via College Football Talk.

"“Literally 80 percent just say ‘no’ right away…They’re a little more open to the so-called neutral-site game. That’s why we were able to attract a Wisconsin, a TCU … BYU in the future…Teams don’t want to come to Tiger Stadium and get their butts beat. That’s just a fact of life. I’m being as blunt as I can be…they don’t want to schedule losses.”"

On the surface, its hard to argue with Alleva’s comments. LSU plays in perhaps the most intimidating stadium in the country, owns a 62-9 record at home in the Les Miles era and has won 49 straight non-conference games overall.

Most teams have no need to start off the season with a loss and take themselves out of championship contention right away. The last major conference team to come to Tiger Stadium in non-conference play was Washington in 2012. The Huskies, a middling team in a strong Pac-12, promptly got trounced 41-3.

LSU has had a bit more luck with the neutral site games, playing Oregon, TCU and Wisconsin in recent years. The Tigers will play a “neutral site” game against Wisconsin in Lambeau Field in 2016 and take on BYU in Houston the year after.

However, Alleva is a little off base if he thinks no big teams want to come to Tiger Stadium. Texas, UCLA, Arizona State and Oklahoma all are set to visit Tiger Stadium in the future.

Both sides are a bit to blame: Top SEC teams are hesitant to schedule tough non-conference slates, and other teams don’t want to come play at their stadiums, particularly if they aren’t given a home game of their own in return. Perhaps Alleva’s comments will light a fire under some teams, but it’s understandable if most don’t want to start off a season with an automatic loss.

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