The LSU football team has announced they will not comply with a request to be on the field during the playing of the national anthem.
A spokesperson for the university’s athletic department made it clear they had no intentions of changing a pre-game routine they’ve been engaged in for decades.
“There will not be any changes to our pre-game football processes this season,” Zach Greenwell told the Louisiana Illuminator.
Greenwell was responding to a highly publicized request last year from Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry. The governor sent a letter to Louisiana’s four higher education boards last April calling for a policy change.
RELATED: LSU Players Leave Court Before National Anthem – Coach Kim Mulkey: ‘Sorry Not Intentional’
LSU Won’t Be On Field For National Anthem
Governor Landry was disappointed after seeing reports regarding the LSU women’s basketball team leaving the floor before the national anthem was played for their matchup against Caitlin Clark’s Iowa squad in April.
Video of the incident caused a storm of controversy. And it prompted Landry to threaten athletic scholarships for schools who don’t change their processes involving the anthem.
“It is time that all college boards, including Regent, put a policy in place that student-athletes be present for the national anthem or risk their athletic scholarship!” he wrote on X. “This is a matter of respect that all collegiate coaches should instill.”
For their part, the LSU Tigers women’s basketball head coach claimed the team was simply caught up in their pre-game routine and didn’t intend to snub the national anthem.
“Honestly, I don’t even know when the anthem was played,” Kim Mulkey said. “We kind of have a routine when they’re on the floor and they come off at the 12-minute mark. I don’t know, we come in and we do our pregame stuff.”
“I’m sorry, listen, that’s nothing intentionally done.”
How Will The Governor Respond?
Thus far, Landry’s office has not commented on LSU’s decision to keep their pre-game routine in place and remain in the locker room during the playing of the national anthem.
To be clear, LSU is not protesting the anthem in any manner. They say their routine involves staying off the field while the band does their own pre-game routine.
It’s unclear if the Louisiana governor will continue to pursue the matter.
LSU is currently ranked 13th and will open their season against #23 USC on Sunday.
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