LSU left an indelible mark on opponents and opposing head coaches during the 2006-07 season. That was proven when the Tigers were recognized in the College Swim Coaches Association of America poll for the first time since 2000.
LSU returns 14 letterwinners from that team and two athletes who have recorded multiple All-America honors, and the Tigers bring in the top freshman class ever signed during the Adam Schmitt era. All of the ingredients add up for even higher expectations as LSU returns to national prominence.
Schmitt, who enters his fourth season as head coach, has changed the philosophy of the program since his arrival in 2004. The goal is not to just compete against elite competition but to defeat them and improve as a team. The Tigers’ depth should help them do so in 2007-08.
“In the past, the focus was to come in and change the mentality of the program,” said Schmitt. “We are going to win more dual meets. We have been going against some of the top in the country, but it is time for us to step up and win. There is nothing like winning to get your momentum going.”
The Schedule
For LSU to succeed in its quest, they will have to do it against top-tiered competition for the third straight season. The Tigers face four teams who finished in the top 10 at the 2007 NCAA Championships — Stanford, Georgia, Florida and Florida State. LSU makes its first trip to South Carolina to officially open the season on Oct. 13. That meet is followed by a home opener against the Bulldogs on Oct. 19.
Competitions versus Delta State, Alabama and Vanderbilt are also on the schedule. LSU looks to avenge a close loss to the Crimson Tide it suffered last season in Baton Rouge. The Tigers took No. 21 Alabama down to the final race, and the two teams meet again on Nov. 2. LSU carried its momentum from that meet into the Art Adamson Invitational. The Tigers won it convincingly and seek to defend their title, Nov. 16-18, in College Station, Texas.
LSU rings in the New Year with a holiday meet against Notre Dame in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The toughest portion of the schedule then follows as the Tigers travel to back-to-back meets at Florida State and Florida, Jan. 11-12, followed by the second-half home opener on Jan. 19 against Texas A&M. LSU stunned the 10th-ranked Seminoles last season in Baton Rouge by a score of 154-146.
The Tigers hope to build on their sixth-place conference finish last season by competing in Tuscaloosa for the third time during the season at the SEC Championships, Feb. 20-23. Those swimmers attempting to solidify their postseason chances take part in the Last Chance Meet during the first weekend in March. The NCAA Championships close the season, March 27-29, in Federal Way, Wash.