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The governor of Louisiana made waves earlier this year when he suggested schools in the state should take scholarships away from players who aren’t present for the national anthem, but LSU has made it clear they have no plans to alter a pregame routine where players aren’t present.
At this point, I feel like virtually everyone is familiar with The Discourse surrounding athletes and their behavior during “The Star-Spangled Banner,” which can be traced back to the saga that began to unfold in 2016 when Colin Kaepernick started kneeling for the national anthem in the hopes of calling attention to police brutality.
In April, we were treated to a new battle in that culture war courtesy of Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, who called out LSU’s women’s basketball team for not being present on the court when the national anthem was playing ahead of their loss to Iowa in the Elite Eight while suggesting the state’s publicly-funded universities should institute a policy stripping scholarships from players who aren’t present for the song.
My mother coached women’s high school basketball during the height of desegregation, no one has a greater respect for the sport and for Coach Mulkey. However, above respect for that game is a deeper respect for those that serve to protect us and unite us under one flag !
It is…
— Jeff Landry (@JeffLandry) April 2, 2024
Kim Mulkey quickly pointed out this was far from the first time her team had been absent while “The Star-Spangled Banner” was playing, as she noted they’d traditionally remained in the locker room during the anthem as part of their well-established pregame routine.
LSU’s athletic director nonetheless responded to the proposal by saying “We consistently look at our processes and will do so again,” but it doesn’t appear there are any major changes in store.
On Sunday, the LSU Tigers will kick off this year’s football season when they face off against USC at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, and according to the Louisiana Illuminator, the team will also be posted up in the locker room when the national anthem is played for that game (and all others in the foreseeable future).
A spokesperson for LSU’s athletic department confirmed that will be the case with a statement that reads, “There will not be any changes to our pre-game football processes this season”
As the outlet notes, the football team’s pregame routine has historically revolved around the LSU band, which performs the “Tiger Rag,” the school’s alma mater, and the national anthem before the Tigers make their way out of the tunnel.
Landry has not responded to the development as of this writing.