It will be Carolina and Denver in Super Bowl 50. For New Orleans native, Peyton Manning, it will be his fourth appearance in the Super Bowl . The game will also feature former LSU Tiger, Trai Turner, who is a starting guard for the Panthers and former Saints safety Roman Harper, who also plays for the Panthers.

And looking ahead to next season, the Saints will play both teams that will appear in Super Bowl 50. Of course New Orleans will face Carolina, its division rivals, twice and the Saints are set to host Denver next season. We’ll find out exact dates most likely in April.

Saints tight end Benjamin Watson has been named a finalist for the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. The award recognizes an NFL player for his excellence on and off the field. Watson gives back to the community through his Watson One More Foundation. Giants quarterback Eli Manning and 49ers wide receiver Anquan Boldin are the other finalists. The winner will be announced Super Bowl weekend.

The Pelicans continue their seven game homestand tonight against the Houston Rockets. New Orleans has won five of its last six, but remain four games behind Sacramento for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Rockets are coming off an 11 point win over Dallas yesterday.

In college hoops…McNeese State hosts Incarnate World, Northwestern State is at Nicholls State. The Demons are winless in league play this season and Southern hosts Alabama A-and-M.

Baseball America’s college baseball preseason poll came out today and LSU is ranked 11th, while UL Lafayette is ranked 13th. Florida is ranked number one.

LSU sophomore pitcher Alex Lange has been named a first-team preseason All-American by D-1 Baseball, while junior outfielder Jake Fraley received third-team preseason All-America recognition. UL Lafayette first baseman Stefan Trosclair also received third team honors.