September 2, 2005
Federal government may stop LSU-Arizona State
The LSU football game with Arizona State next week in Baton Rouge could be in jeopardy, according to LSU AD Skip Bertman.
Facilities on the LSU campus close to Tiger Stadium are being used for emergency medical services. Those include the Maravich Assembly Center for medical triage, the Maddox Fieldhouse for special needs shelter and the Bernie Moore Track Stadium for helicopter staging."It could happen that the federal government could tell us not to play the game," LSU Athletic Director Skip Bertman told Gannett News Service on Thursday. "It depends on what is happening in New Orleans next week."
Bertman said that one option would be to play the game elsewhere in Louisiana, perhaps Lafayette, or to play the game at Arizona State, reversing the home-and-home to have the Sun Devils at LSU in 2008.
"We feel good about the (ASU) game being next Saturday, but the other day we thought we were going to be playing North Texas this Saturday," Bertman said. "You never know. We think things might lighten up between now and then. But with the information we have now, I feel real good about the LSU-Arizona State game staying where it is."
Comments:
posted on September 4, 2005 8:25 AM — link — abuse?Kevin Donahue said:
There are negotiations to reschedule the game for late October, but nothing has been signed.
Karl said:
posted on September 4, 2005 11:33 AM — 67.180.49.195 — link — abuse?
ASU-LSU game should NOT be played at Baton Rouge.
Some people have strange priorities in life. 200,000 Hurricane / Flood evacuees have come to Baton Rouge taxing local resources, security, lodging, etc.
And they want to play a game and have tailgate parties??? Wake Up LSU! Play at ASU ... ASU could come in 2 yrs.
posted on September 4, 2005 12:30 PM — 152.163.100.139 — link — abuse?
I am with Karl on this one. The best thing to do is to flip the site: got to ASU this year and then have them come to Baton Rouge in 2008.
To host this game in Baton Rouge will be a logistical nightmare. There are no hotel rooms available in SE Louisiana and to put 110,000 extra people into a city that has doubled in size in the past seven days is MADNESS!!!
To play it in Shreveport and give NO REFUND to people who can't make it is an insult to the fans...especially those from New Orleans who lost their tickets in the flood or who physically can't be there. Bertman is turning into the new Joe Dean...all dollars and no sense.
posted on September 4, 2005 2:21 PM — link — abuse?
Shreveport is out as an option, because there aren't sufficient hotel rooms available. If it's not in Baton Rouge or Lafayette, then it will be in Tempe.
posted on September 4, 2005 3:08 PM — link — abuse?
So I guess the number of hotels in Shreveport is the same as it was for the '85 Independence Bowl? (We ended up staying in Bossier City.)
Lee said:
posted on September 5, 2005 12:04 PM — 68.111.58.204 — link — abuse?
Play the game in Baton Rouge. This city needs a break. I've been on campus the last few days and the situation there, while not perfect, is overblown. If the logistics would allow a game in Lafayette, then just house personnel there and let them commute over (its 45 min.)
Everyone here wants the game played here, even alot of evacuees.
Of course ASU wants to move the game, nobody ever wants to play in Tiger Stadium.
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Jeff said:
posted on September 2, 2005 11:28 PM — 24.236.89.88 — link — abuse?Sounds good...Play the game!!!