Details of the Saints’ 2022 schedule are out. New Orleans opens with three straight NFC South matchups; at Atlanta in Week 1, home against Tampa in Week 2, and then on the road at Carolina before heading to London to face Minnesota. Joe Burrow and the Bengals visit New Orleans Oct. 16 and the Super Bowl champion Rams are in the dome Nov. 20. Other notable home opponents include the Raiders on Oct. 30, the Ravens on Monday Night, Nov. 7.
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College baseball series starting tonight include McNeese trying to hold on to first place in the Southland with a road doubleheader at Houston Baptist while Southeastern tries to do the same against Nicholls. UNO and Northwestern State are among four teams tied for second in the standings, and they face off in Natchitoches to jockey for position.
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A bill that would let Louisiana colleges and boosters of their athletic programs pay student-athletes as part of name, image and likeness deals continues to advance through the Louisiana legislature. The head of LSU’s NIL department Taylor Jacobs says the intent of this legislation is not to allow a booster organization to pay a student-athlete as a recruiting inducement.
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In the Southland Softball tournament, 4th-seeded Northwestern State was eliminated after dropping a 4-3 heartbreaker to Texas A&M Corpus-Christi. With a 1-0 lead following the top of the first, the Demons gave up three runs in the bottom of the frame. NSU scratched out another run in the third to pull within one, but the Islanders matched it again. The Demons had their final opportunity to win or tie in the seventh, but after picking up one run and having the bases loaded…they couldn’t push across another run.
Top-seeded McNeese and number two Southeastern are playing this afternoon. The winner advances to Friday’s championship game, while the loser plays tonight in an elimination game.
UL-Lafayette blew by Troy 9-1 this afternoon in the Sun Belt tournament. Outfielder Raina O’Neal had the big bat for the Cajuns. She went 2-for-2 with three RBI and two runs scored, including a two-run home run in the third that put UL up 6-1. Taylor Roman also went yard for the Cajuns and Sam Landry gave up just one run in five innings to improve to 19-3 this season. UL will take on either South Alabama or Texas State in the winner’s bracket final Friday at 10 am.