LSU and Southern University will meet again, giving the Baton Rouge HBCU another shot at its prominent neighbor across town.
LSU announced Friday that it has added Southern to its 2028 non-conference football schedule. The Jaguars will visit Tiger Stadium on Sept. 9 for the second meeting between the two programs.
The schools sit only a few miles apart. However, they occupy very different lanes in college football. LSU competes in the Southeastern Conference and routinely plays on the sport’s biggest stage. Southern University has built one of the country’s most recognizable HBCU brands. Its football tradition, alumni base and famed Human Jukebox marching band fuel that identity.
LSU and Southern share recent history
The two Baton Rouge schools played football for the first time in 2022. LSU defeated Southern 65-17 in the Tigers’ home opener that season. Still, the final score told only part of the weekend’s story.
The historic matchup created a citywide spotlight on Baton Rouge. It also placed Southern’s football team and culture in front of a large in-state audience. The Human Jukebox and LSU’s Tiger Band shared the field during a memorable halftime performance. That moment added another layer to a game that carried meaning beyond the scoreboard.
This next meeting gives Southern another opportunity to measure itself against LSU. It also brings the visibility that comes with playing an SEC opponent. For LSU, the game keeps an in-state opponent on the schedule. The matchup can again unite fans from both sides of Baton Rouge.
Southern is one of four Louisiana programs added to LSU’s future schedules. The Tigers will host Northwestern State in 2027, Louisiana-Monroe and Southern in 2028, and Tulane in 2030. LSU will also begin the Lane Kiffin era against Clemson on Sept. 5 this season.
For HBCU fans, however, the Southern rematch stands apart. The first meeting carried decades of anticipation because the campuses are so close. Now the schools are preparing to do it again. It will also give a new generation of players, students and alumni a chance to experience the rivalry. The matchup connects two powerful brands and two distinct football traditions in the same city.