Over the weekend, word leaked out of the Wisconsin camp that the Badgers were interested in locking up a neutral site game against LSU.  The neutral site?  The Green Bay Packers’ Lambeau Field… which isn’t exactly neutral.

Earlier this week, LSU AD Joe Alleva admitted that his school is in discussions with Badger brass about the matchup:

“We’re still in the preliminary stages of talking to them.  It’s too early.  There’s too many things to consider.  The biggest thing to consider is the value of playing a game that far away versus the value of playing a game in Tiger Stadium.  That’s what it comes down to.

From a recruiting standpoint it’s a great game to tell kids you are going to play in Lambeau Field.  But Wisconsin is a long way away…

The novelty of playing at Lambeau is great, but there’s a whole lot of things to weigh.  The financial things.  We’ll see.”

Alleva said the schools are actually talking about playing two games against one another — one at Lambeau and one in Houston.

When it comes to tickets to LSU football, freshmen students get the scraps.  Upperclassmen and the public get the first crack, forcing freshmen to sometimes resort to scalping tickets to get entry to Tiger Stadium.  A Louisiana state representative is not a fan of the current system, calling it a “crime” that freshmen students pay as much as $300 for scalped tickets.

State Rep. Terry Brown has introduced a bill that would require the LSU Board of Supervisors to offer incoming freshmen tickets to all home games.

“LSU should be ashamed of themselves for doing the students that way. It’s about fairness. All I’m asking is for those children, students who made the score to get into the flagship university, (to be) allowed the privilege of sitting in Tiger Stadium…

“Legislators are allowed to buy (tickets). Governmental officials are allowed to buy them. So why not students that attend the university?”

With a current maximum capacity of about 92,000 and with more than 30,00 students, ”the math becomes the problem here,” said LSU Associate Vice Chancellor for Communications Herb Vincent. The student section seats 14,600.

One thing that could help solve part of the problem – a planned expansion of Tiger Stadium that will push total capacity to nearly 100,000.

While the push is on expanding the availability of student tickets at LSU, Georgia recently cut its allotment of student tickets by more than 2,000.

Texas A&M reportedly has the largest percentage of student seats in a collegiate stadium. The Aggies make roughly 30,000 tickets available to students.

The news on LSU tickets comes on the same day the university has been certified by the National Center For Spectator Sports Safety and Security.  The organization is attempting to set a standard for safety at sporting events.  LSU is the fourth SEC school to be certified, joining Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Texas A&M.

LSU 41 – Washington 3

1. Tigers offense rolls up 437 yards while the defense limits the Huskies to just 183.

2. LSU hounds Huskies QB Keith Price – four sacks and seven hurries.

3. Zach Mettenberger 12-of-18 throwing – receivers drop five balls.

4. From a Supreme Court justice to Shaq – celebrity sightings at Tiger Stadium.

LSU Video Highlights

Kentucky 47 – Kent State 14

5. Kentucky wins its seventh straight home opener in front of the smallest crowd since 1996.

6. Joker Phillips on attendance: ”We’ve got to put a better product on the field than we have in the past and they’ll come.”

7. 11 catches for 100 yards for wide receiver Aaron Boyd.

8. 27 plays gained at least seven yards.

Kentucky Video Highlights

You’ve probably heard this by now, but I don’t think we’ve posted it officially — LSU’s home game against North Texas will go on as scheduled tomorrow in Baton Rouge.  Hurricane Isaac battered the area, but LSU AD Joe Alleva said yesterday afternoon that the show must go on:

“Our options are limited as far as opportunities to play this game and there was minimal damage to the stadium, so we are proceeding with the season opener on Saturday night.  We understand there are portions of the state that are still recovering from the storm and there may be some fans that cannot, for various reasons, make it to Tiger Stadium. We wish those people and everyone adversely affected by the storm our best wishes for a full recovery.”

The damage to the stadium was described as “minimal” water damage in the pressbox and Stadium Club areas.

LSU’s game with N. Texas going on as scheduled despite “minimal damage” to Tiger Stadium
LSU’s leading rusher — Michael Ford — has been cleared to play
Missouri AD Mike Alden gets two-year contract extension
Tennessee opens the season against NC State tonight at 7:30 in Atlanta
South Carolina eeks past Vanderbilt 17-13 Thursday night in Nashville
Steve Spurrier on Vandy: “They don’t have any slow dudes like they used to.”
Keep up with SEC news on MrSEC.com and twitter.com/mrsec

Well that’s eye-catching.

LSU has created a gold-purple-gold lighting scheme for the exterior of Tiger Stadium and it looks straight out of 1977.

Don’t get me wrong, I like it.  But it does bring to mind the dance floors from “Saturday Night Fever.”  Or an ELO concert.

Or maybe the final scene from “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.”

The new lights are part of a larger renovation project at Tiger Stadium.  Shine a little love, indeed.

1. Unlimited texting and phone calls – now available to a college coach near you.

2. Reaction from Tennessee basketball coach Cuonzo Martin: ”There are some cases where you’re going to turn off a lot of players and then there are others who will like it. It will depend on who you’re recruiting.”

3. Missouri basketball coaches like the new NCAA rules allowing more structured workouts in the summer.  “It’s phenomenal,” associate coach Tim Fuller said.

4. Florida basketball will open its season against Georgetown on the deck of an aircraft carrier.

5. “The possibility of four games on naval ships next season exposes the lack of leadership at the top of college basketball.”

6. Why the next few days are critical for former Florida gator Bradley Beal.

7. 18 months later, Harvey Updyke is going to trial next week.

8. Memorial service for former Auburn player Ladarious Phillips.

9. Kevin Sumlin likes having Kliff Kingsbury in charge of the Aggies offense.  ”He’s a student of the game and he’s one hell of a quarterback coach. We’re fortunate to have him.”

10. Mark Bradley: “The governing body of intercollegiate sports runs the playoff for every intercollegiate sport at every level — except for big-time football…”

11. Alabama trustees approve and name  the $2.8 million Champions Plaza.

12. Reverberations felt from Robert Nkemdiche’s decision to go to Clemson: Alabama recruiting options along the defensive line. LSU explores its options.

13. Tiger Stadium is getting a makeover.

14. When it comes to Georgia’s most important games in 2012 - Tennessee comes in at No. 7.

15. Former Tennessee players recall their days with Phillip Fulmer. Al Wilson: “We all believed in Coach Fulmer.”

1.  Tony Barbee wants his Auburn basketball team to toughen up.

2.  The Tigers could be without two suspended guards tomorrow in Tuscaloosa.

3.  Will the injured ankle of Alabama’s Trevor Lacey allow him to play against the Tigers?

4.  A tougher Tide team has emerged after multiple suspensions to key players.

5.  Arkansas hopes to send its seniors off in style when Ole Miss visits tonight.

6.  LSU will try to bounce back from a Rebel beatdown when Tennessee arrives for senior night tomorrow.

7.  The first hurdle has been cleared in LSU’s push to expand Tiger Stadium’s south end zone.

8.  Mississippi is aiming for a season sweep of Arkansas tonight.

9.  UM is also looking for some consistency.

10.  Florida starts the final week of the regular season with a tough road trip to Vanderbilt.

11.  A win locks up the #2 seed in the SEC tourney for the Gators.

12.  Here’s a breakdown of Georgia’s tournament outlook.

13.  Kentucky has made the hire of receivers coach Pat Washington official.

14.  South Carolina fans haven’t exactly been filling up Colonial Life Arena.

15.  Cuonzo Martin’s steady leadership is paying dividends for Tennessee.

16.  Vandy’s veterans will try to keep their emotions in check when Florida visits on senior night tonight.

1.  After dropping back-to-back games, Alabama got back in the win column with a 63-54 victory over Detroit yesterday.

2.  With Mike Dyer suspended, Auburn has but only two scholarship backs with carries this season.

3.  Bobby Petrino has restocked the coaching cupboard at Arkansas.

4.  LSU is exploring an expansion of Tiger Stadium (and the plans look mighty slick).

5.  It’s looking more and more like Duke O-line coach Matt Luke will join the staff at Ole Miss.

6.  MSU is using the early part of bowl practice to work with the Bulldogs’ younger players.

7.  Florida, meanwhile, its using bowl practices to get tougher… by holding another training camp in December.

8.  The Georgia football has handed out its awards for 2011.

9.  Kentucky is 8-1 and the one loss came on a buzzer-beating shot by undefeated Indiana on Saturday… but the Cats “problems” are fixable.  (Oh, what team wouldn’t trade for UK’s problems?)

10.  South Carolina assistants Steve Spurrier Jr. and Shawn Elliott are rumored to be head coaching candidates at Coastal Carolina.

11.  Cuonzo Martin is planning to use Tennessee’s loss to Austin Peay as a painful lesson to his team.

12.  Bob Shoop turned down overtures regarding Richmond’s head coaching job to remain in Nashville as Vanderbilt’s defensive coordinator.

13.  The SEC has named its Players of the Week in basketball.

14.  Kentucky falls to #3 in the latest polls, which include four other SEC teams in the Top 25… six if you count soon-to-be-members Missouri and Texas A&M.

15.  The Sports Business Journal has listed Mike Slive as the 35th most influential person in sports.

It’s going to be a quickie kind of Friday for us.  We’ve already posted our thumbnail projections for this weekend’s games and the finale of our 10-part series: “Expansion By The Numbers” will be going up a little later.

In between, some headlines from around the league:


1.  So far, Alabama has been able to avoid mistakes this season.

2.  The Crimson Tide’s O-line continues to bond, continues to improve.

3.  Auburn’s run game has revived the Tigers…

4.  But after five games, the squad is still a bit of a mystery.

5.  Auburn will come at Arkansas quarterback Tyler Wilson “with a lot of respect” tomorrow.

6.  The Razorbacks are “not a very good tackling team.”  (Good think Jake Bequette will be back.)

7.  Florida’s Will Muschamp will be returning to the scene of his early success when he takes the field at LSU tomorrow.

8.  Les Miles says the Louisianans on his roster seem to “care more” about wearing the purple and gold.

9.  MSU coaches sold James Carmon on a move from left tackle to right guard by talking about his NFL draft value.

10.  When it comes to the Bulldogs’ offense, there’s plenty of blame to go around.

11.  Ole Miss tailback Jeff Scott — all 5-7, 175 pounds of him — is putting up some big numbers.

12.  Houston Nutt says his teams needs this weekend’s open date.

13.  Florida’s goal at LSU — win the line of scrimmage.

14.  Freshman quarterback Jeff Driskel has had a lot of success in life (but making the first start of his career in Tiger Stadium is a tall order).

15.  Mark Richt revealed this morning that his offensive line will feature a new starting lineup tomorrow.

16.  UGA receiver and Tennessee native Marlon Brown wants more boos from the Knoxville crowd.

17.  Kentucky offensive coordinator Randy Sanders isn’t as popular as he used to be.  (Amazing what losing Mike Hartline, Randall Cobb and Derrick Locke will do to a man’s reputation.)

18.  UK isn’t getting the production the recruiting rankings suggested.

19.  John Calipari had to pay off some Memphis attorneys who were threatening — of behalf of “certain ticket holders — to sue him for leaving the Tiger basketball program on probation.  (What a bad precedent this sets.)

20.  A look at the numbers shows that whether it’s Stephen Garcia under center or not, the South Carolina passing game has struggled under Steve Spurrier.

21.  Bruce Ellington’s role may expand in Carolina’s offense.

22.  Tennessee has played four games… and has but one interception on the season.

23.  Quarterbacks Tyler Bray and Aaron Murray will be fighting for a “quality win” on Saturday.

24.  Unlike Tennessee, Vanderbilt has used pressure to help tally a nation’s best 14 interceptions.

25.  Vandy might shuffle its offensive line against Alabama tomorrow.