By GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
Lane Kiffin is blending in well as LSU’s football coach less than a year on the job. He already believes in some of the silly conspiracy theories and myths of the LSU Nation.
Why else would the Southeastern Conference not give LSU its usual night kickoff for a home game against Alabama next week? It’s got to be a conspiracy against LSU, right?
The SEC this week announced announced that No. 10 Alabama (6-2, 4-2 SEC) will play at No. 15 LSU (6-2, 3-2 SEC) on Saturday, Nov. 7, with a 2:30 p.m. kickoff in Tiger Stadium on ABC. (Both teams are open this Saturday.)
There have been seven consecutive night time kickoffs for LSU home games against Alabama since 2012 and three straight in 2002, ’04 and ’06. Overall, there have been 15 consecutive night kickoffs in the series from 2011-25 in Baton Rouge and Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
“I mean, I was shocked,” Kiffin said on the SEC teleconference Wednesday when asked about the rare day kickoff for a game that has been one of the SEC’s best rivalries since 2007 when former LSU coach Nick Saban became the Crimson Tide’s coach.
“I didn’t even think to even think about the time. I just assumed (it would be at night),” said Kiffin, who was Alabama’s offensive coordinator from 2014-16 when all three games were at night. “Especially because in 15 years, this game has been at night all the time. So I never even considered that it wouldn’t be at night. I guess that’s probably naive of me.”
Kiffin said he was “joking” with LSU football sports information director Michael Bonnette earlier about a conspiracy involving the kickoff time.
“You (Bonnette) were saying, ‘Well, obviously, the SEC wanted to change this year from how it’s been to give LSU less advantage because of obviously how well LSU plays at night and how intimidating it is to play here,'” Kiffin said. “And I was like, ‘Well, if someone thinks the SEC wants us to win this year after what’s been going on, they must have just been on Mars the last four months.’ So, I guess when I look at it that way, I’m not surprised.”
And he chuckled.
Whatever. Kiffin might even have trouble comprehending his own comment there.
When Kiffin said, “after what’s been going on,” he was referring to SEC commissioner Greg Sankey’s personal battles with Kiffin and LSU over Kiffin recruiting and signing a pair of his players from his previous job at Ole Miss last season – tight end Dae’Quan Wright and defensive lineman Xavian Harris. They were both briefly on NFL training camp rosters over the summer before being cut. But in the end, Kiffin never put either player on his roster, obeying Sankey’s wishes.
Nevertheless, Sankey and the SEC have kept alive a reaching lawsuit in Birmingham, Alabama, against LSU in relation to Kiffin and the two players that has a court date on Nov. 18.
A judge in the SEC’s federal lawsuit against LSU has set a hearing date on the latest motion in the case. The hearing is scheduled for 10 am CT on Nov. 18 in Birmingham.
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) October 27, 2026
Kiffin’s SEC conspiracy comment was the second wisecrack by Kiffin this week aimed at Sankey concerning Wright and Harris. He joked on Sunday that he kept the hiring of an assistant from the NFL over the summer “because he was a pro guy.”
Interestingly, Kiffin and Bonnette may need to both look at LSU’s recent record at night in Tiger Stadium against Alabama before they start spinning conspiracy theories in jest or not. Because LSU is 1-6 in Tiger Stadium in its last seven night games against Alabama with two shutouts – 29-0 in 2018 and 10-0 in 2016 – and two other blowouts – 42-13 in 2024 and 55-17 in 2020. LSU’s only win over that stretch was 32-31 in overtime on Nov. 5, 2022.
Meanwhile, LSU is 2-1 in its last three day time kickoffs against Alabama at Tiger Stadium – 30-28 in 2000, 24-21 in 2010 with a 27-21 loss in overtime in 2008.
Alabama, by the way, is 30-10-2 in Tiger Stadium overall, including a 21-6-2 mark at night at LSU with six shutouts.
So, be careful what you wish for, LSU fans.
And could Sankey and the SEC actually be trying to help LSU now by making its next home game against Alabama during the day?
Just kidding.
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