Get to know Baylor’s Texas Bowl opponent, LSU

When Baylor and LSU meet on New Year’s Day in the Kinder’s Texas Bowl, the accomplishments of both schools’ football and athletics programs will be on display for a national audience.

But before kickoff gets here… Let’s learn a little about the university behind the football team the Bears will be facing: LSU.

The school opened in 1860 as Louisiana State Seminary of Learning & Military Academy (15 years after Baylor was chartered by the Republic of Texas). William Tecumseh Sherman was the school’s first superintendent, though he resigned a year later when Louisiana seceded from the Union. After a couple of stops and starts during the Civil War, the school was renamed Louisiana State University in 1870.

Like Baylor, LSU is an R1 institution. The flagship university for the state of Louisiana, LSU came in at No. 97 in this year’s U.S. News ranking of public universities (No. 179 overall). For context, Baylor came in this year at No. 47 among private universities (No. 91 overall).

LSU has about twice as many students as Baylor (41,000 vs. 20,000) — about the same size as Texas Tech. The school is one of just eight universities nationwide to offer a law school, dental school, medical school, veterinary school, and an elite MBA program.

Like Baylor, LSU has a live animal living on campus. Just as Indy and Belle live in the Williams Bear Habitat, Mike the Tiger lives on campus at LSU’s Tiger Habitat, just across the street from the school’s football stadium.

LSU’s list of notable alumni includes political strategist James Carville, Christian music artist Lauren Daigle, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, and orthopedic surgeon James Andrews, as well as such sports stars as Shaquille O’Neal (NBA), Odell Beckham Jr. (NFL), and Alex Bregman (MLB).

The Bears and Tigers have faced each other just 11 times since their first meeting in 1907, with their last meeting coming almost 40 years ago. LSU holds an 8-3 all-time edge, but Baylor has won both times the two team have met in a bowl — the 1963 Bluebonnet Bowl and 1985 Liberty Bowl.

Sic ’em, Baylor and LSU!