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It was Arch mania at SEC Media Days on Tuesday afternoon as Arch Manning answered questions from hundreds of reporters. Even though Manning has started just two games for the Texas Longhorns, there’s a belief he will lead the Longhorns to a national championship and he’ll be a Heisman contender. Manning says he’s not sure where people get these opinions…

Cut 27 (04) “…go prove it”

For LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier to lead the Tigers to a national title, he’ll need cut down on the 12 interceptions he threw last year….

Cut 17 (16) “…need to”

Nussmeier says he plans to run the ball more instead of throwing reckless passes this year.

It’s a big day for Louisiana Tech as the Bulldogs will hold a press conference at 3 PM today to discuss joining the Sun Belt. The Bulldogs will owe Conference USA at least five-million dollars to leave the league. They can depart for the Sun Belt as soon as 2026 and were invited to join no later than July of 2027. KNOE-TV Sports Director Aaron Dietrich hopes things will move quickly.

Cut 6 (13) “…would generate?”

Paul Skenes started for the National League last night in the Major League Baseball All-Star game and struck out the first two hitters he faced and then got Aaron Judge to ground out in his only inning of work. The National League ended up winning in the first ever swing off, a mini home run derby, because the game was tied at 6.

LSU baseball players, Chris Stanfield, Zac Cowan and Tanner Reaves all say they are returning next season.

LSU wide receiver Chris Hilton represented the Tigers at SEC Media Days yesterday. Hilton has been plagued by injuries at LSU, but projects to be the Tigers’ top wideout this season. He missed the first seven games of last season and totaled only nine receptions for 243 yards and three touchdowns. Hilton has always been a big play threat, but quarterback Garrett Nussmeier says he’s improved as he’s gotten healthier.

Cut 14 (11) “…season last year.”

Hilton arrived in Baton Rouge the same year as Nussmeier and says he’s seen his quarterback grow off the field.

Cut 18 (13) “…work in.”

LSU center fielder Chris Stanfield announced he’ll be returning for his senior season in Baton Rouge after going undrafted. The Auburn transfer hit .298 with 31 RBI this year.

Former LSU star and Pirates ace Paul Skenes will start for the National League in back-to-back years in tonight’s MLB All-Star game. Skenes is posting a 2.01 ERA with 131 strikeouts through 121 innings for Pittsburgh this season. First pitch is set for 7:00.

LSU Gymnastics star Haleigh Bryant will return to the Tigers as an assistant coach on the 2026 staff, the team announced today. Bryant is one of the most decorated athletes in LSU and N-C-Double-A history. She is a 33-time All-American and led LSU to its first-ever team NCAA title in 2024, earning the individual All-Around title along the way.

Louisiana Tech officially accepted the invitation to the Sun Belt today. The Sun Belt Board of Directors voted unanimously to invite the Bulldogs to the conference as soon as 2026 but no later than 2027. LA Tech will owe at least a $5 million exit fee to leave Conference USA.

Georgia, Auburn, Tennessee and Texas will take the stage at SEC Football Media Days today. Yesterday, Garrett Nussmeier spoke about the expectations for his second year as a starter. He’s the nation’s only returning 4,000-yard passer, but with a year’s worth of film to review, he’s been looking for ways to improve. The gunslinger threw 12 interceptions last year and says he can take better care of the football.

Cut 17 (17)  “…different outcome.”

When it was all said and done, nine tigers were taken in the MLB Draft. Pitcher Zac Cowan announced he will be returning for his senior season in Baton Rouge after going undrafted. The same goes for infielder Tanner Reaves. Center Fielder Chris Stanfield went undrafted but has made no indication whether or not he’ll return for a final season in Baton Rouge.

Tulane right-hander Michael Lombardi was selected 61st overall by the Royals Sunday. Green Wave lefty Tayler Montiel was selected by the Diamondbacks in the 12th round, and infielder Connor Rasmussen went to the Royals in the 15th.

Southeastern catcher Conner O’Neal was picked by the Dodgers in the ninth round, and right-hander Brennan Stuprich went to the Yankees in the 14th.

Louisiana Tech righty reliever Logan Forsythe was picked in the 13th round by the Braves. Forsythe led the Bulldogs with 71 strikeouts and becomes coach Lane Burrough’s 13th drafted player.

Southern outfielder Cardell Thibodeaux was selected by the Padres in the 16th round. Thibodeaux was the SWAC Player of the Year this season and had recently entered the transfer portal.

The Saints released a teaser for what appears to be a new jersey set to be released July 22. New Orleans announced a new white alternate helmet to go with the color rush jersey last week. The teaser video shows defensive end Cam Jordan opening a glowing gold duffel bag with the throwback thin black fleur-de-lis which was used until the 2000s on the side.  Jordan has been a vocal advocate for the return of the 2002 gold jerseys. The new threads will replace the current throwback alternate.

It’s believed that with Garrett Nussmeier returning as starting quarterback, the LSU Tigers will have one of the best offenses in college football. At SEC Media Days, Nussmeier talked about the talent around him…

Cut 16 (19) “…different ways.”

LSU’s first game is August 30^th at Clemson. Linebacker Whit Weeks likes playing one of the best teams in the country to start the season…

Cut 30 (18) “…first week”

Louisiana Tech is Sun Belt-bound after school leaders voted Monday to invite the Bulldogs. Tech replaces Texas State as the Bobcats head to the PAC-12, but Sun Belt East schools preferred expansion into a new market over a third Louisiana program. But Locked On Sun Belt Podcast host Dave Schultz says most of the conference’s recent additions have been in the east.

Cut 19 (13) “…ULM dramatically.”

Louisiana Tech would give the Sun Belt 14 schools. An official announcement from Tech and the Sun Belt is expected in the next day or so.

LSU had five more players selected during the second day of the Major League Baseball Draft. Daniel Dickinson went in the sixth round to the Brewers. The Pittsburgh Pirates picked Jared Jones in the ninth round. Also going in the ninth round, relief pitcher Jacob Mayers to the Red Sox. Monroe native Kade Woods went in the 10^th round to Atlanta and Conner Ware was drafted in the 15^th round by the Mets. Zac Cowan was not drafted so he’ll return for his senior season.

LSU football coach Brian Kelly kicked off SEC Media Days in Atlanta this morning. LSU brought in 18 veterans in the top-ranked transfer class this offseason. Kelly expects the class to bolster a defensive unit he acknowledged was improved last season, but not championship level. He says defensive coordinator Blake Baker is elite, and his players should be as well.

Cut 4 (14) “…level defense.”

Louisiana Tech was officially invited to the Sun Belt this morning. Locked On Sun Belt Podcast Host Dave Schultz says the Bulldogs need to reinvest the money it will save from regional rivalries to compete in one of the top mid-major conferences.

Cut 14 (12) “…the Sun Belt is.”

LSU ace Kade Anderson was selected 3^rd by the Mariners in the first round of the MLB Draft. Anderson says Seattle was the only team to visit him in Louisiana, and he had a great visit with Assistant General Manager Andy McKay…

Cut 20 (22) “…like a dream.”

Right-hander Chase Shores went to the Angels with the 47th pick. The Red Sox grabbed a pair of Tigers righties in juniors Anthony Eyanson 87th overall and Jacob Meyers at pick 268. D-H Ethan Frey was selected 95th by the Astros, and the Brewers used pick 185 to grab infielder Daniel Dickinson in the sixth round. First baseman Jared Jones will be joining former teammate Paul Skenes after being picked 263rd by the Pirates.

LSU football coach Brian Kelly opened SEC Media Days this morning. Kelly highlighted a revamped roster he says is built to compete for championships. For the Tigers, that path will begin in Clemson week one.

Cut 21 (07) “…one and oh.”

Kelly is 0-and-3 in season openers with LSU. The Tigers have lost their last five straight.

He expects quarterback Garrett Nussmeier to improve in year two.

Cut 22 (10) “…with that.”

Southern University defensive end Ckelby Givens was named the preseason SWAC Defensive Player of the Year. Givens leads the nation in tackles for loss with 26-and-a-half and ranked eighth last season in sacks.

LSU lefty Kade Anderson went third overall to the Mariners in the first round of the MLB Draft yesterday. The 21-year-old was expected to be the top pick to the Nationals, who instead selected high school shortstop Eli Willits.  Anderson celebrated the moment with his family in Madisonville.

Cut 19 (10) “…grateful for.”

Right-handed pitcher Chase Shores was also selected 47^th overall by the Angels. Righty Anthony Eyanson went to the Red Sox with pick 87, and D-H Ethan Frey was selected by the Astros with the 95^th pick.

Louisiana Tech is returning to the Sun Belt after conference leaders voted to officially invite the Bulldogs this morning. Tech was previously art of the league from 1991 to 2001 before departing for the WAC. The earliest LA Tech can make the move is 2026, the same year Texas State departs for the PAC-12. The Bulldogs will have to pay the five-million-dollar buyout from Conference USA.

It didn’t go as exactly as planned, but LSU left-hander Kade Anderson is still excited about the team that drafted him. The Washington Nationals and the Los Angeles Angles both passed on the D-1 baseball National College Pitcher of the Year, which allowed the Mariners to grab Anderson with the third overall pick. Seattle’s V-P of Amateur Scouting Scott Hunter. says they are thrilled Anderson dropped to them…

Cut 18 (18)  “…impressive.”

The Los Angeles Angels used their second round pick to take LSU flame throwing right hander Chase Shores. Fellow right-hander Anthony Eyanson went in the third round to the Boston Red Sox and Designated hitter-slash-outfielder Ethan Frey from Rosepine also went in the third round to the Astros.

Today could be a monumental day for Louisiana Tech athletics as the Sun Belt schools will vote on whether to invite the Bulldogs into the Sun Belt. The votes are reportedly there, despite resistance from schools in the East Division over having three schools from Louisiana in the Sun Belt.

SEC Media Days begin today in Atlanta. We will hear from Commissioner Greg Sankey this morning and he’ll likely talk about the future of the college football playoff which is expected to expand to 16 teams in 2026. The Big 10 and the SEC have previously pushed for each league to receive four automatic qualifiers but the Host of the Locked on SEC Podcast, Chris Gordy, says there is a movement for five automatic qualifiers, all going to conference champions and then 11 at-large bids…

Cut 9 (12) “…gonna happen”

LSU’s proposed new arena project is facing yet another delay after the CEO of the firm, who was the sole finalist to build the facility, was indicted for allegedly rigging the bid process for a similar project at UT Austin. Tiger Rag Executive Editor Todd Horne says there’s a lot of unknown.

Cut 12 (11) “…right now reeling.”

The LSU football team added two more front office members. The Tigers hired Ohio State Director of Player Personnel Sam Petitto to be the team’s Director of Scouting and Personnel Strategy. The Amite-native spent nearly a decade under Nick Saban at Alabama, where he annually helped orchestrate top recruiting classes. New Orleans native Jeff Martin is returning to LSU as the Executive Director of Player Personnel after serving as USC’s Director of Scouting and relations.

ESPN analyst Kiley McDaniel is still mocking LSU ace Kade Anderson to go first overall in the MLB draft. Anderson’s pitching partner, right-hander Anthony Eyanson, is another top-50 prospect. The UC San Diego transfer’s stock skyrocketed after a dominant season in Baton Rouge, and D1 Baseball analyst Aaron Fitt says it might not be done rising.

Cut 15 (13) “…in Omaha.”

McDaniel projected Eyanson to go 42nd overall to the Rays.

LSU commit Raegan Ricken pulled his name from the MLB Draft. The 6-foot-5 right-handed pitcher is ESPN’s 121st-ranked prospect in the draft and Perfect Game’s 69th-ranked high schooler in the class.

Louisiana Tech announced its Conference USA basketball schedule. The Bulldogs will open league play at home December 29 versus UTEP, and close the season with back-to-back road games at Liberty March 5 and Delaware March 7.

LSU baseball commit Raegan Ricken will make it to campus. The 6-foot-5 right-hander out of California pulled his name from this weekend’s MLB Draft. Perfect Game ranks Ricken as the No. 69 high school prospect, and ESPN has him 121st among all draft-eligible players.

One Tiger who certainly will be heading to pro ball is pitcher Kade Anderson. After a season where he led the nation in strikeouts and earned Most Outstanding Player at the College World Series, D1 Baseball analyst Aaron Fitt expects him to go first overall. He says Anderson is already the best college pitcher.

Cut 14 (13) “…even harder.”

United Airlines is adding two new flights to the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport for LSU fans this season. The airline will fly direct to Birmingham November 7 ahead of the Tigers’ matchup with Alabama and to Benton, Arkansas November 14 when the team faces off against the Razorbacks. Flights will depart the Friday before the games and return Sunday.

The Pelicans signed lockdown defender Her Jones to a three-year, 68-million-dollar contract extension. The 26-year-old is now under contract for five years with a player option in 2029.

New Orleans lost their Summer League Debut to the Timberwolves yesterday 98-to-91. First-round duo Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen had 14 and 13 points, but both rookies posted seven turnovers in 27 minutes.

LSU has the 6th-ranked recruiting class in the country, according to On3, after landing a pair of defensive line commits yesterday. U High five-star and top-ranked athlete Lamar Brown announced his commitment in a heated recruiting battle versus Texas A&M. Three-star edge rusher DeAnthony Lafayette chose the Tigers over Miami and Oklahoma.

The nation’s number one high school football recruit according to ESPN, University High lineman, Lamar Brown, is staying home to play for LSU. Texas A&M was also pushing hard for a verbal pledge from Brown, but the Erwinville native chose the Tigers during an announcement aired live on ESPN Two…

Cut 26 (11)  “…(applause) go Tigers.”

LSU also received a verbal pledge from three-star edge rusher DeAnthony Lafayette from Orlando. Lafayette chose LSU over Oklahoma and Miami.

A proposed new sports and entertainment arena on LSU’s campus is in jeopardy after the CEO of a firm that was the sole finalist to develop the project was indicted for allegedly rigging the bid process for a similar facility built at the University of Texas in Austin. LSU says its weighing how the criminal charges could affect the Baton Rouge project.

The Pelicans lost their summer league opener to the Minnesota Timberwolves 98 to 91. New Orleans first round picks Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears combined to score 27 points. Queen had a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Former McNeese star Christian Shumate did not play.

The Pelicans have reportedly signed fan favorite Herb Jones to a 68-million dollar extension that would keep him in New Orleans through 2029.

LSU baseball star Ethan Frey has a big decision looming. He’s expected to be selected in the first four rounds of the Major League Baseball Draft which begins Sunday. Frey could return for his senior season at LSU or go pro. D-1 Baseball’s Aaron Fitt believes Frey has played his last game at LSU…

Cut 16 (11) “…I would expect”