4:45 LRN Sportscast

Georgia, Auburn, Vanderbilt and South Carolina took the stage at SEC Media Days today. LSU visits Auburn and new head coach Alex Golesh October 24th. Golesh took over at Auburn after a 9-and-3 season at USF last year. He brought 13 players with him, including quarterback Byrum Brown. Brown says those former Bulls have a chip on their shoulders as they take the step to the SEC.

Cut 16 (14) “…should be.”

UL Lafayette Athletics Director Doctor Bryan Maggard is leaving to take a job as the Deputy AD at Missouri. Locked On Sun Belt Podcast host Dave Schultz says he guided the Cajuns through a new era in college athletics.

Cut 10 (12) “…on to Missouri.”

Southland Conference Media Day was today. McNeese head coach Matt Viator is entering his second season back in Lake Charles after winning four conference titles with the Pokes from 2006 to 2015. He says the Cowboys have a tough week one matchup against defending champs Stephen F Austin.

Cut 17 (15) “…have a shot.”

Northwestern State head coach Blaine McCorkle is still trying to build the Demons program after notching just one win in two seasons. The Demons hosts Louisiana Christian in this year’s opener and McCorkle expects an electric atmosphere.

Cut 18 (16) “…need it again.”

4:45 LRN Sportscast

LSU is canceling a home-and-home series against Arizona State in 2029 and 2030. The two were scheduled to square off after years of postponement, going back to Hurricane Katrina, but the Tigers have decided to drop the series as they adjust future schedules for a nine-game conference slate.

SEC teams will play their first nine-game conference schedule this year, the most ever in a single season. At SEC Football Media Days today, Commissioner Greg Sankey said the conference is the best in the nation with the toughest schedule, but the College Football Playoff Committee has not pledged to reward the challenge of an extra game.

Cut 7 (11) “…about that reality.”

Sankey also said the future of the SEC championship could be in doubt after this year.

Cut 8 (08) “…College Football Playoff.”

First-year Kentucky head coach Will Stein named former LSU offensive coordinator Joe Sloan to the same role on his new staff. The Tigers will face Sloan and the Wildcats October 10 in Lexington. Stein has high praise after a short time with his new coordinator.

Cut 21 (19) “…impressed with.”

Stein says Sloan will handle play-calling duties on Saturdays.

Former LSU receiver and Westgate High School alum Kayshon Boutte hosted a free youth football camp in his hometown of New Iberia yesterday. Boutte said he wants to prioritize giving back to his community and plans to make the camp an annual event. Now an NFL, wideout, Boutte has spent three seasons with the Patriots and helped New England to a Super Bowl appearance this year with over 500 receiving yards and six touchdowns.

11:40 LRN Sportscast

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey kicked off SEC Football Media Days in Tampa. In his State of the SEC address, Sankey echoed official statements from the conference and many member schools that support the effort behind the Protect College Sports Act but say it needs changes. He says his top priority is that the legislation is enforceable.

Cut 6 (12) “…following the law.”

Sankey also said there have been real conversations about the SEC breaking away from the NCAA due to frustrations with the governing body and the reluctance of other Division-one members to facilitate change.

Former LSU All-American golfer Sam Burns of Shreveport had a two-stroke lead entering the fourth round of the British Open. But he bogeyed the first three holes on Sunday, lost the lead and never got it back. Burns finished third behind the winner Ryan Fox and the second-place finisher Cameron Young.

LSU and new head coach Lane Kiffin will not take to the podium at Media Days until Thursday, the final day of the event. The trio of players accompanying Kiffin is linebackers Whit Weeks and T.J. Dottery, and tight end Trey’Dez Green. LSU Sports Information Director Michael Bonnette says the Tigers have a really deserving group.

Cut 14 (12) “…preseason All-America.”

Former ULM running back Ahmad Hardy has been medically cleared after being shot at a concert in Mississippi in May. Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz says today was his first day back to a full recovery but does not know what his recovery and return-to-play will look like.

Former LSU star Paul Skenes won his third start in a row on Sunday as the red-hot Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Cleveland Guardians seven to one. Skenes allowed one run over seven innings for his ninth win of the year.

4:45 LRN Sportscast

LSU announced week zero matchups with Northwestern State and ULM in 2026 and 2027. The Tigers will also host Southern for only the second time ever in 2028 and renew a historic in-state rivalry with Tulane in 2030- the first meeting between the schools since 2009.

LSU baseball outfielder commit Anthony Murphy decommitted from the Tigers after being selected in the 16th round of the MLB Draft. Murphy is Perfect Game’s 39th-ranked high schooler but would have had a tough path to see the field in Baton Rouge with three incoming transfer outfielders and a trio of top incoming freshmen.

LSU outfielder Daniel Harden announced his commitment to Houston after entering the transfer portal earlier this summer. The Prairieville native played in 22 games with two starts.

Former LSU All-American golfer and Shreveport native Sam Burns tied the lowest ever round at men’s major championship with a 62 at The Open Championship. Burns miraculously birdied the final three holes to enter the weekend five-under and only three strokes behind the leader, Lucas Herbert.

ULM lost eight straight games to close out the 2025 season. The Warhawks retained starting quarterback Aidan Armenta and four starting offensive linemen. Head coach Bryant Vincent says he has great talent in the trenches.

Cut 20 (18) “…just become infectious.”

The Warhawks host Louisiana Tech October 17 in the first game in the I-20 rivalry in over 25 years. Bulldogs coach Sonny Cumbie says fans on both sides can start creating their own memories and traditions in the historic rivalry.

Cut 6 (09) “…conference play.”

The Pelicans wrap up Summer League with a game against the Pacers Saturday night. Tip-off is at 8 p.m.

11:40 LRN Sportscast

LSU announced week zero matchups with Northwestern State and ULM the next two seasons and a week one game against Tulane in 2030. The Tigers will also host Southern in week two of the 2028 season.

Ex-LSU golfer Sam Burns tied the lowest-ever round in a men’s major championship with a 62 at The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. Burns holed six birdies on the back nine and scored no bogies.

Former LSU star Tommy White makes his major league debut tonight as the A’s host the Nationals. Another former LSU star Gage Jump will make the start for the Athletics.

UL Lafayette is coming off a 6-and-7 season last year. Head coach Michael Desormeaux returns a lot of production but will depend on some young talents. He says he likes what he has in Lafayette.

Cut 16 (16) “…fast as possible.”

Five-star wideout Monshun Sales committed to Indiana. He’s 247Sports’ number-one receiver in the 2027 class and 13th-overall prospect. The Indianapolis native chose the hometown team over Texas, LSU, Alabama and Ohio State.

Louisiana Tech makes its Sun Belt debut October 10 against UL Lafayette. Offensive coordinator Tony Franklin retired, so it’s up to offensive line coach and former co-coordinator Nathan Young. Young inherits redshirt junior starting quarterback Blake Baker, who led the Dogs to a 4-and-1 record in games he stayed healthy in last year. Baker was sidelined with a torn ACL last season, but head coach Sonny Cumbie expects him to be back like he never left.

Cut 19 (13) “…before the injury.”

Former Lady Tigers star Flau’jae Johnson and the Storm take on Caitlin Clark and the Fever tonight at 6:30. The pair, of course, faced off in the 2023 national championship and 2024 Elite Eight.

5:30 LRN Newscast

Supporters of year-round Daylight Saving Time are calling on the U.S. Senate to approve the Sunshine Protection Act. The U.S. House has passed legislation that would make Daylight Saving Time permanent. President Trump has said he’ll sign the bill if it reaches his desk. Louisiana is prepared to immediately adopt permanent Daylight Saving Time thanks to legislation sponsored by Haughton Representative Dodie Horton that was approved in 2020…

Cut 3 (11) “…clock.”

A state judge has ordered Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill to pay nearly 245-thousand dollars in legal fees after her office sued the Caddo Commission for allegedly violating the state’s Open Meetings Law. Murrill says she plans to appeal the ruling…

Cut 5 (12) “…enforcing the law.”

U-S Senator John Kennedy says the Republican-backed measure known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill” has reduced the number of Americans who were receiving SNAP benefits by four-million. Kennedy says that’s because the legislation required able-bodied adults to work, volunteer or attend school in order to receive the government benefits

Cut 11 (06) “…food stamps.” (2x)

Louisiana Tech enjoyed its first winning season under coach Sonny Cumbie in its final season in Conference USA. The Bulldogs have the most returning production of any Sun Belt school. Cumbie was able to retain defensive coordinator Luke Olsen and a lot of his dominant group.

Cut 18 (17) “…ready to emerge.”

4:45 LRN Sportscast

11 LSU football players were named to Nike’s Blue Ribbon Elite NIL partnership, more than any other school. Headliners include linebacker Whit Weeks, tight end Trey’Dez Green and cornerback DJ Pickett.

Saints running back Alvin Kamara is finalizing a reworked deal to give the Saints more cap room and secure his spot alongside Travis Etienne in the backfield. The two are expected to split carries, with Etienne taking the lead after signing a 52-million-dollar deal in March.

Southern Defensive back Herman Brister is a preseason All-SWAC first-team selection. The Jaguars had their worst season since 2010, winning just two games last year. Brister says he expects this year’s group to be a different team with new head coach Marshall Faulk at the helm.

Cut 19 (16) “…off the field.”

Sun Belt Media Days wrapped up today. Louisiana Tech joins the conference after its first winning season under head coach Sonny Cumbie. He says the Sun Belt has premier programs in all major sports.

Cut 16 (18) “…is excited.”

Tech was picked by the coaches to finish fourth in the West in its first season. ULM was picked to come last, but third-year head coach Bryant Vincent says they don’t know his team.

Cut 17 (18) “…who are we.”

1:30 LRN Newscast

We could be switching to year-round Daylight Saving Time if the U.S. Senate approves the Sunshine Protection Act. When Louisiana switches from Daylight Saving Time to Standard Time, the sun sets around 5 p.m. in December and January. Haughton Representative Dodie Horton says her constituents want more daylight later in the day…

Cut 4 (08) “…than negative.”

Even though President Trump never put Sharpie to paper, the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act is now law. The most sweeping federal housing legislation in a generation aims at making home ownership more accessible. Norman Morris, the CEO of Louisiana Realtors, says one of the biggest ones is placing restrictions on single-family home purchases by investors.

Cut 8 (12) “…off the market.”

Judge John Davidson said the state’s lawsuit against the Caddo Commission for violating the state’s Open Meetings Law was frivolous, was never properly investigated and should never have been filed. Attorney General Liz Murrilll’s Office was ordered to pay nearly 245-thousand-dollars in legal fees. But Murrill says her office is charged with enforcing the open meetings law, and after an investigation, it was determined a violation occurred…

Cut 7 (07) “…judicial scrutiny.”

At Sun Belt Media Days in New Orleans, UL Lafayette head coach Michael Desormeaux says after taking over midseason and starting eight games last year, quarterback Lunch Winfield will be a game changer for the Cajuns.

Cut 21 (11) “…adverse situations.”

The Cajuns were picked to finish second in the Sun Belt West in the preseason coaches’ poll.

12:30 LRN Newscast

As the size of the Meta data center in Richland Parish grows, so do concerns over how much it could cost utility ratepayers. Jeff Palermo reports.

Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

If you bought a Louisiana Powerball ticket, you might want to go check those numbers. An unclaimed ticket sold in St. Bernard Parish won two-million-dollars. The winning ticket expires January 11.

A state judge has ordered Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill to pay nearly 245-thousand dollars in legal fees after her office sued the Caddo Commission for allegedly violating the state’s Open Meetings Law. Murrill says she plans to appeal the ruling…

Cut 5 (12) “…enforcing the law.”

Murrill alleges seven Caddo Commissioners violated the law when they privately met to discuss preparing a resolution to welcome U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders to Shreveport in June 2025.

A man and woman from Houma were arrested for allegedly physically and sexually abusing children. Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Deputy Blake Tabor says what’s especially disturbing is that 57-year-old Thomas Tucker passed himself off as someone children could trust and confide in.

Cut 14 (10) “…of Society Ministries.”

11:40 LRN Sportscast

Saints running back Alvin Kamara is finalizing a restructured deal to take a pay cut to stay in New Orleans. The 30-year-old had a jaded back-and-forth with the front office regarding his future after the Saints signed free-agent running back Travis Etienne (AY-chan). Nola.com’s Matt Paras (“Paris”) says in an offseason where the Saints lost Taysom Hill and Demario Davis, it’s good to see a veteran star return.

Cut 11 (10) “…people are happy.”

Grambling is picked to finish second in the SWAC West in the conference preseason poll. Third-year head coach Mickey Joseph says he tried to lead a balanced attack when he arrived at Grambling, but now he knows the team’s identity.

Cut 16 (15) “…want to bang.”

Ex-LSU star Tommy White is headed to the Majors. The Athletica called up the slugging third baseman and he’s expected to make his Major League debut tomorrow against former teammate Dylan Crews and the Nationals. The former second-round pick was hitting .301 with one home run and 17 RBIs in 21 games in Double-A this season.

The Sun Belt West takes the stage at Sun Belt Media Days today. UL Lafayette came second in the West in the preseason coaches’ poll with fifth-year head coach Michael Desormeaux. Quarterback Lunch Winfield took over midway through the season and led the Cajuns to a 4-and-4 record. Desormeaux says that experience makes a big difference heading into this year.

Cut 21 (18) “…long time.”

Louisiana Tech finished fourth in the poll and ULM was picked last in the division.