NEW ORLEANS — With over 350,000 LSU fans expected in downtown New Orleans for Sugar Bowl weekend, the LSU Alumni Association’s Crescent City Tigers announced a slate of events for Sugar Bowl Sunday. Beginning at noon on Sunday, Jan. 4th, LSU fans are invited to begin their party at historic Antoine’s Restaurant in the French Quarter with food, wine and jazz until 5 pm. Afterwards, the Crescent City Tigers are sponsoring the only wide-screen showing of the game in town at the Sheraton Hotel’s Grand Ballroom-headquarters for LSU Alumni in New Orleans. Each of the events is expected to be a sellout.
“We’re expecting a sellout for both events” said local alumni president, Kenneth Bickford, commenting on Sugar Bowl weekend. “Our first event on gameday will be a five hour ‘luncheon’ at Antoine’s Restaurant beginning at noon.” For a $25 dollar entry donation to the Crescent City Tigers, LSU fans will be treated to Dixieland Jazz plus a sumptuous meal including a trio of Antoine’s appetizer favorites, demi-Trout Almondine and Chateaubriand, all for $75 per person fixed price, tax and gratuity included. Adult beverages are extra. “We Louisianans are well known for our love of good food and good wine-almost as much as we love our LSU football!” said alumnus Tim Phinney, “It should be an outstanding afternoon for anyone who loves the Tigers.”
Antoine’s Restaurant, founded in 1840, is one of the world’s oldest restaurants and has played host to practically every celebrity in the world, from President to Pope, since the 19th century. Colette Guste, LSU fan and direct descendent of founder Antoine Alciatore commented that “We’ve had some big parties at Antoine’s in the last 160 years, but this is as big as it gets!”
The afternoon festivities will include music by the Jimmy LaRocca Original Dixieland Jazz Band. LaRocca is the son of jazz pioneer Nick LaRocca, who recorded the world’s first jazz album in 1917. Nick LaRocca was also the composer of “Tiger Rag”, the single most popular song played during LSU athletic events-and a song also favored by other collegiate teams with “Tigers” as their mascots, such as Auburn and Clemson Universities. “My dad always liked LSU” said LaRocca, recalling his father’s football preferences, “it’s great being around Louisiana people who appreciate his contribution.”
According to Phinney, reservations for the event can be obtained by registering with a credit card either online at www.crescentcitytigers.com or by calling (504) 525-1115. Out of town parties can call toll free at (877) 917-1115. Participation is open to all LSU fans, not only alumni.
Big Screen Showing
Immediately following the Antoine’s party, LSU Tigers in need of a place to watch the game are invited to a pre-game buffet at the Sheraton Hotel’s Grand Ballroom prior to watching the 7:00 p.m. kickoff on two wide screen projections. According to Bickford, a cash bar and “gift shop” will be available in the ballroom. “We know that a lot of our Tiger faithful didn’t get a ticket to get into the game, so we wanted to provide a place where a thousand or so of our fans could get together and enjoy the atmosphere of Tiger Stadium as a group,” said Bickford.
Doors to the event will open at 5:00 p.m., and the cost is $45 dollars, which includes the buffet. “There will also be a silent auction for a framed CCT National Championship poster signed by Coach Saban,” said Bickford. “I’m only sorry the room won’t hold the 50,000 people who would like to see the game with us, but the New Orleans Arena wasn’t available so we’ll just have to make do.”
Money raised at both events will directly benefit Louisiana State University in the form of scholarships, endowed professorships, and physical plant improvements, according to Bickford. “LSU alumni in New Orleans have a decades-long history of supporting their alma mater,” according to Bickford. “Having the Tigers compete for the National Championship right here in the Sugar Bowl will only make our citywide party that much sweeter.”
According to Phinney, reservations for both lunch at Antoine’s and the Big Screen Showing at the Sheraton New Orleans can be obtained by registering with a credit card either online at www.crescentcitytigers.com or by calling (504) 525-1115. Out of town parties can call toll free at (877) 917-1115. Participation is open to all LSU fans, not only alumni.
For nearly sixty years, the Louisiana State University Alumni Association’s Crescent City Tigers have been a non-profit corporation, dedicated to the support of both academics and athletics at Louisiana State University. Membership is open to ALL LSU fans!
The Crescent City Tigers supports LSU by sponsoring alumni events and programs that have raised funds required for the creation and awarding of 6 endowed annual student scholarships. In 2002 it co-affiliated and also became the Greater New Orleans Chapter of the Tiger Athletic Foundation which benefits every athlete and team at LSU through scholarship and academic awards, as well as through the construction and maintenance of athletic facilities.
Our current funding projects are to raise:
- $60,000 for the Endowment of The Greater New Orleans Chapter – LSU Alumni Professorship
- $100,000 Pledge to the LSU Academic Center for Student Athletes
- Further Scholarships for GNO high school graduates to study at LSU