BATON ROUGE — LSU has finalized its 2003 football schedule with a season-opening game against Louisiana-Monroe in Tiger Stadium on Aug. 30. The following week, the Tigers travel to Arizona for the first time in school history.
The LSU football team will play a 12-game regular season schedule for the second year in a row, including seven home games in Tiger Stadium.
In addition to its five Southeastern Conference Western Division opponents, the Tigers will face regular Eastern Division foe Florida, plus Georgia and South Carolina from the East. In non-conference games, the Tigers host ULM, Marshall and Louisiana Tech, while traveling to Arizona.
In 2003, the Tigers will face six teams that played in post-season bowl games in 2002.
The Louisiana-Monroe game was the final addition to the schedule. LSU was originally scheduled to open the season at Arizona on August 30, but that game was moved back one week to allow each team to play a home game before the intersectional match-up in Tucson.
“Making a schedule change of this nature is very difficult when the game is less than one year away,” said Dan Radakovich, LSU senior associate athletics director. “Schedules for Division I-A schools are created so far in advance that we were fortunate Louisiana-Monroe was available for Aug. 30. (ULM athletic director) Bruce Hanks did a great job orchestrating the change.”
LSU’s game against Louisiana-Monroe was finalized after a series of scheduling changes involving four different schools.
LSU attempted to move its game against Troy State, originally scheduled for September 6, to the season opener, but Troy is contracted with Kansas State for that date. Kansas State was unable to accommodate the move, so LSU has moved its game with Troy to September 6, 2008.
LSU contacted by phone or fax over 40 Division I-A schools in an attempt to schedule the August 30 season opener. Louisiana-Monroe was the only Division I-A opponent willing and able to play on August 30.
LSU and Louisiana-Monroe were scheduled to play on September 11, 2004, but that game has been cancelled and LSU is now looking for an opponent for that date.
LSU’s 2003 Football Schedule
Date, Opponent, Site
Aug. 30, Louisiana-Monroe, Baton Rouge
Sept. 6, Arizona, Tucson
Sept. 13, Marshall, Baton Rouge
Sept. 20, Georgia, Baton Rouge
Sept. 27, Miss. State, Starkville
Oct. 11, Florida, Baton Rouge
Oct. 18, South Carolina, Columbia
Oct. 25, Auburn, Baton Rouge
Nov. 1, Louisiana Tech, Baton Rouge
Nov. 15, Alabama, Tuscaloosa
Nov. 22, Ole Miss, Oxford
Nov. 29, Arkansas, Baton Rouge
Dec. 6, SEC Championship, Atlanta