BATON ROUGE — Defending national champion Auburn and perennial Pac-10 power Stanford highlight the list of opponents on the 2006-07 LSU swimming and diving schedule, which was released by head coach Adam Schmitt on Wednesday. <?xml:namespace prefix=”o” ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office”?>
Six of the Tigers’ 10 meets will come against teams who placed in the top 15 at the 2006 NCAA Championships, including three who earned top-three finishes.
“My main focus is to make this a yearly thing when we go back and forth and compete against each other,” said Schmitt. “We need to compete against the best to become the best. When we go toe to toe against the world’s best that is not only going to season our young team to winning championships, it is also going to help us develop as a program.”
The LSU men open the season against the third-ranked Cardinal on Sept. 15 in the first meeting between the two schools, followed by the team’s annual Purple and Gold Intrasquad on Sept. 29. It will also be the Tigers’ first dual meet against a Pac-10 opponent in the program’s history.
“I look at it as a great opportunity to compete against obviously one of the best teams in swimming,” said Schmitt. “They have won multiple national titles, and it will be good for them to come into our facility and swim a meet.”
LSU then engages another tough challenge when the full squad visits defending national champion Auburn at the James E. Martin Aquatic Center on Oct. 6. The Tigers turned in a valiant effort against the six-time national champion at the Natatorium last October.
Florida will be the third consecutive top-five ranked opponent as the men’s team returns home to play host to the Gators on Oct. 19. The Lady Gators visit the Natatorium on Nov. 9. The Lady Tigers also travel for a separate meet against Arkansas on Nov. 4.
Dual meets against Delta State (Oct. 28) and Alabama (Nov. 10) close the fall slate of competition before LSU heads to the annual Texas A&M Invitational in College Station, Nov. 17-19.
The Tigers open the second-half of the semester with a holiday training meet in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Jan. 2. LSU plays host to Florida State on Jan. 13 and travels to Texas A&M on Jan. 20.
The women’s team then tunes up for the conference championships with a tri-meet against Houston, Rice and UNO, Jan. 26-27 in Baton Rouge.
The SEC Diving Championships take place, Feb. 2-4, in Lexington, Ky., followed by the swimming portion of the event, Feb. 7-10.
Both NCAA Championships will be held in Minneapolis, Minn., March 8-17.