April 22, 2004
TO: Fans, Friends, and Supporters of LSU Athletics
FROM: Skip Bertman, LSU Athletics Director
THIS WEEK:
We are moving into the final weeks of the spring sports season at LSU, but we anticipate plenty of post-season action from our various teams and we hope you’ll be there to cheer them on.
LSU has traditionally hosted many NCAA post-season events, and this year may be one of our busiest. LSU has already been the site of NCAA regional play for women’s basketball and gymnastics, and an NCAA Track & Field Regional will be held here May 28-29. In addition, are submitting bids to host NCAA regional tournaments for men’s and women’s tennis, softball and baseball.
It is because of your support that the NCAA views Baton Rouge as a good venue for hosting these events. NCAA events are a great opportunity for you to see some of the best teams and athletes from around the country, and to show them what south Louisiana hospitality is all about. We enjoy hosting these events and will be aggressive in continuing to bring them to the LSU campus.
The annual LSU Spring Football Game will be held in Tiger Stadium on Saturday at 1 p.m. The Tigers have had a productive spring practice season as they prepare to defend our national championship this fall. Come preview the 2004 edition of the Tigers at the Spring Game as the Tigers wrap up spring drills.
Tickets are $5 in advance and $10 on the day of the game. All seats are general admission. The first 5,000 fans will receive a free national championship key chain, compliments of Bank One.
Please be aware that all entry and seating for this game will be on the east side of Tiger Stadium due to the construction underway on the west side of the stadium.
LSU vs. Tulane is one of the great rivalries in college baseball because of the competitive nature of the games and the intense baseball following of both schools. The next chapter in this series will take place in the Louisiana Superdome on Tuesday, April 27.
Two years ago, this game set a college baseball record for attendance with a crowd of 27,673. That record was broken earlier this year when 40,106 saw Tony Gwynn’s San Diego State team play Houston in San Diego. Let’s remind America that Louisiana is the home to the greatest college baseball in the country by filling up the Superdome.
Tickets are $15 and $12 for adult reserved seats and $8 for youth reserved tickets. General admission tickets are $6 for adults and $4 for youths. Tickets are available at the LSU Athletics Ticket Office, at LSUsports.net, or by calling the LSU Ticket Office at (225) 578-2184. Tickets can also be purchased at the Tulane ticket office (504-861-WAVE), through TicketMaster at www.ticketmaster.com or any TicketMaster outlet.
My thanks to all of you who paid all or part of your Tradition Fund contribution by the March 31 deadline. Because of your financial commitment, we can move forward with our vision to continue to improve LSU Athletics for many years to come.
Already you can see LSU’s vision for athletics coming to fruition. Through a cooperative endeavor with the Tiger Athletic Foundation, renovation work has begun on the west side of Tiger Stadium and design plans are being finalized for the new football operations building.
The roof of the Pete Maravich Assembly Center will be completed soon, and renovations to the concourse of the arena are nearly finished. Also, we are securing an architect to analyze Alex Box Stadium to provide us with the best answer to the question of whether we should renovate that facility at its current location or to build a new one.
The new revenue provided by the Tradition Fund also ensures that we will continue to be able to attract and maintain the finest coaches in America for our student-athletes.
Your contributions to Tiger Athletics are making all of this possible. Remember that LSU Athletics uses no state tax dollars and no student fees. All revenue associated with Tiger Athletics is self-generated through ticket sales, radio and TV contracts, SEC revenue sharing, merchandise sales, concessions, corporate sponsorships and a few other assorted areas of income.
Invoices are being mailed this week to football season ticket holders. Only those season ticket holders who have paid at least half of their required Tradition Fund contribution will receive an invoice for their season tickets. The deadline for full payment of your season tickets is May 31.
We welcome your feedback, so write to us at LSUvision@etigers.net. I cannot promise a response to every letter we receive, but I promise that every one will be read. Your letters help us know how to make LSU Athletics better for you.