The Saints have announced they are raising ticket prices for next season. The NFL franchise has told their fans that 75-percent of the seats will see an increase of 10-percent or less and some seats could see even higher increases. The team says the extra revenue will be used to improve the fan experience inside the Mercedes Benz Superdome. The Saints also say it will put their ticket prices around the league average.

The Pelicans begin a three-game road trip in Philadelhipa tonight as they take on the 76ers. New Orleans is just 1-4 since All-Star DeMarcus Cousins went down with a season ending knee injury. But the Pels should feel fresh after Wednesday night’s game was postponed because of a leaky Smoothie King Center roof. Tip off is at 6 PM in the Wells Fargo Center.

LSU baseball has been picked to finish fourth in the SEC West in a preseason poll of the coaches. Arkansas is the favorite to win the West, followed by Texas A-and-M and Ole Miss.

The LSU men’s basketball team is back home Saturday afternoon to host the Ole Miss Rebels. Both teams are 4-7 in league play, but the Rebels have lost four in a row. Tigers Coach Will Wade says Ole Miss has good size and they are physical. He says the key is keeping them off the free throw line.

After losing their first Sun Belt game of the year, UL Lafayette is at Georgia Southern on Saturday for a 4 PM tip. ULM visits Georgia State, who just beat the Cajuns. The Warhawks are coming off an overtime win over Georgia Southern.

Louisiana Tech has a tough matchup inside the Thomas Assembly Center on Saturday night as they host Old Dominion. The Monarchs are 9-2 in Conference Play, while the Bulldogs are 6-and-6.

In the Southland, first place Nicholls State hosts Houston Baptist. Southeastern Louisiana, who is a half-game back of the Colonels is at McNeese State.

Grambling who has won eight in a row visits Prairie View A-and-M. Southern hosts SWAC leader Arkansas Pine Bluff.

Governor John Bel Edwards has set today as the deadline to call a February special session to address the fiscal cliff. Matt Doyle has more…
voicer 2 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle”

Three members of Louisiana’s Congressional delegation voted this morning for a spending bill to reopen government after a brief shutdown. US Representatives Ralph Abraham, Clay Higgins and Steve Scalise voted for it, while no votes came from Garret Graves, Mike Johnson, Cedric Richmond and both of Louisiana’s U-S Senators.

Even though it looks nice today, a wet rainy weekend is still threatening to dampen Mardi Gras parades around the state on Saturday. Rain is expected, especially in south Louisiana. State Climatologist Barry Keim says it won’t be a heavy continuous downpour
Cut 6 (08) “of that.”
Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser, who leads tourism efforts in the state, knows the rain will not dampen the spirit…
cut 4 (12) “…of the state”
An 83-year-old woman from Gonzales has claimed a 525-thousand Lousiaina Lotto prize. Her quick-pick ticket bough at Little Capital of Louisiana in Breaux Bridge matched all six numbers on the January 20th drawing. Josephine Prendergast told Lottery officials she’ll spend her winnings on really good P-J’s coffee.

LSU Football Coach Ed Orgeron has completed filling out his 10-person coaching staff with the hiring of former Rutgers co-defensive coordinator Bill Busch. Busch also coach underneath Dave Aranda, when he was the D-C at Wisconsin.

There’s a report LSU has hired Doug Nussmeier as an offensive analyst. He’s a former offensive coordinator at Florida, Alabama and Michigan. His offenses at Florida and Michigan did not perform well.

Louisiana Tech signed eight high school prospects and two transfers on national signing day. That’s a total class of 24, 13 of them on the offensive side of the ball. Five on the offensive line and five more in the backfield.

Ragin Cajuns Billy Napier’s first recruiting class consists of 16 players. Ten of the signeees are from the Louisiana-Mississippi-Texas area. The group includes former Ole Miss defensive lineman Garrald McDowell and running back Chris Smith who scored 23 touchdowns last season as a prep player in Mississippi.

It was a very active NBA trade deadline, where the Cavaliers did a complete overhaul of their roster as they nearly built a new team around LeBron James. The Pelicans made one trade as they sent veteran forward Dante Cunningham to Brooklyn for third year guard Rashad Vaughn. Vaughn is a former 2015 first round pick and has averaged just 3 points in 134 NBA games.

Also, former Ragin Cajun Elfrid Payton was traded by Orlando to Phoenix for a second round pick.

Big game for the Ragin Cajuns men’s basketball team tonight as they visit Georgia State. UL Lafayette has won 10 straight, the Panthers have won nine in a row. Six-foot-three sophomore guard D’Marcus Simonds leads the Panthers, averaging 21 points a game. But Coach Bob Marlin says their hottest player at the moment is shooting guard Devin Mitchell….
Cut 17 (09) “by 30″

LSU’s 15^th ranked recruiting class features 23 players, 13 from the state of Louisiana. The Tigers could have signed as many as 25, but they missed out on signing the nation’s top-rated cornerback, Patrick Surtain Junior, they were also in on a cornerback from Missouri and a Q-B from Alabama. But all three players went elsewhere. Head Coach Ed Orgeron is not overly concerned they didn’t sign the maximum number of players allowed…

Cut 14 (09) “…the plan” (2x)

Orgeron says they could use the two scholarship spots on transfers or hold them for the 2019 recruiting class.

Frustrating night at the Smoothie King Center, the Pelicans-Pacers game was postponed last night, because a leak in the roof, led to a wet court. A make up date has not been announced.

_____________________________________________

The Tigers failed to score in the final 3:50 and lost to Florida 73-64 last night. The Gators forced 16 turnovers and outscored LSU 21-10 in points off turnovers.

Nicholls remains in first place in the Southland as the Colonels downed Abilene Christian 69-65. Roddy Peters had 18 points.

Southeastern Louisiana defeated Incarnate Wold 86-68, Lamar outlasted Northwestern State 79-75.

The Ragin Cajuns have won 10 straight, but tonight they visit a Georgia State squad on a nine game winning streak. UL Lafayette Coach Bob Marlin says his team is looking forward to the challenge….

Cut 16 (16) “…with his team”

Tip off is at 6:15. ULM is at Georgia Southern, while La Tech hosts Charlotte.

Some good and bad for LSU on national signing day. They saw prized recruit and five-star cornerback Patrick Surtain Junior announce he’s signing with Alabama. They also missed out on four-star cornerback Mario Goodrich, who signed with Clemson. But the Tigers added two more players to their 2018 class with signed national letters of intent from Scotlandville Safety Kelvin Joseph and Rummel wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase. Tiger Rag Associate Editor James Moran says the 2018 class features just one five-star prospect…
cut 13 (10) “…the top”
24-7 sports ranks LSU’s recruiting class as the 15th best in the nation. The worst ranking for LSU since 2005, which was Les Miles first class.

24-7 sports ranks Louisiana Tech’s recruiting class as the third best in Conference USA. Dual threat quarterback Aaron Allen is one of 16 three-star prospects.

In the Sun Belt, ULM has the 8th best class. The Warhawks have five three-star recruits, including a couple of quarterbacks, Brennen Wooten and Colby Suits. Both of them are from Texas. The Ragin Cajuns are ranked as the 10th best class. Leesville quarterback Chris Vargas signed with UL Lafayette today.

The SEC Network carries tonight’s matchup between the LSU Tigers and Florida Gators. The Bayou Bengals should be a confident group after shooting well in a 94-86 win over Arkansas, while the Gators are looking to rebound from an 18 point loss to Alabama last Saturday. Tip-off is at 5:30.

The top team in the Southland, Nicholls State, is at Abilene Christian.

NBA tonight, the Pelicans will look to snap a three-game home losing streak when they host Indiana.

Today marks National Signing Day, but it’s not like how it used to be. LSU signed 21 players during the first ever December signing period and they will likely sign four more players today to complete the 2018 recruiting class. Geaux 24-7 recruiting analyst Shea Dixon says Scotlandville safety Kelvin Joseph is expected to sign with the Tigers and Dixon also anticipates Rummel wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase will do the same…
Cut 16 (15) “pick LSU”
LSU is also hoping to sign the number one cornerback in the country, Patrick Surtain Junior. Alabama is also in on the five-star prospect. The Tigers are also after Mario Goodrich a cornerback from Missouri.

Former Saints safety Malcom Jenkins who just won his second Super Bowl ring says he will not visit the White House with his Eagle teammates. Jenkins says he wants to see changes in the criminal justice system and he’s pushing for a better relationship between communities and law enforcement.

Saints tight end Josh Hill had surgery on a finger that was locked at a 90-degree angle. He’s expected to be ready when offseason workouts begin.

LSU starting catcher Hunter Feduccia suffered a hairline fracture in his non-throwing hand when it was hit with a bat. But Paul Mainieri told Tiger Rag he’s hopeful Feduccia will be okay for next Friday’s season opener against Notre Dame.

In college basketball tonight….LSU is at Florida. The Tigers are coming off a win over Arkansas, while the Gators suffered an 18-point defeat to Alabama on Saturday.

In the Southland…the first place Nicholls State Colonels are at Abilene Christian. Nicholls is trying to win its fourth straight road game and they’ve won eight of their last 10 overall.

The Pelicans host the Indiana Pacers.

LSU announced its Spring Football game will be played on Saturday, April 21st at 5 PM in Tiger Stadium. The SEC Network will televise the game. Spring practice will begin on March 11th as the Tigers will learn a new offense and we can expect a quarterback battle between Myles Brennan, Lowell Narcisse and Justin McMillan.

Ten former LSU players have been invited to participate in the 2018 NFL Combine in Indianapolis. Quarterback Danny Etling got an invite, but defensive linemen Greg Gilmore and Christian LaCouture did not, despite participating in last month’s Senior Bowl.

The Saints have released defensive tackle Nick Fairly after not playing in 2017 because of a heart condition. After a standout 2016 campaign, Fairly signed a four-year, 28-million dollar contract. But after not playing a down in 2017, it remains to be seen how much of that money he’ll receive.

The LSU men’s basketball team left for Gainesville today where they’ll play Florida tomorrow night at 5:30 PM. The Tigers are coming off a 94-86 win over Arkansas. Freshman Point guard Tremont Waters led the way with 27 points and 11 assists. Waters has struggled in several SEC games, but he’s not worried about the past
cut 27 (13) “…next game”
LSU is 4-6 in the SEC and in a five-way tie for eighth place. Florida is 6-4.

The Pelicans have fallen to 8th place in the Western Conference Standings after losing to the Utah Jazz 133 to 109 last night. New Orleans is 1-4 since All-Star DeMarcus Cousins went down with a season-ending injury. The Pelicans host the Pacers tomorrow night.

The Pelicans continue to struggle without the injured DeMarcus Cousins. New Orleans lost again last night as Utah won its sixth straight beating the Pels 133 to 109. Utah hit 14 of 21 from three-point land. Jrue Holiday led New Orleans with 28 points and he says they tried to be aggressive on the defensive end of the floor…
cut 30 (11) “…lack of effort”
New Orleans hosts Indiana on Wednesday night.

The Saints have released defensive tackle Nick Fairley. The six-foot-four, 308-pounder did not play in 2017 because of a heart condition. After a solid season in 2016, he signed a four-year, 28-million dollar contract. It’s not known how much of that money Fairley will see as grievances have been filed by both parties.

Grambling State men’s basketball won its eighth straight last night as they dribbled past Alcorn State 81-72. Shirmane Thomas had 21 points, while Ivy Smith Junior had 20 points, nine rebounds and six assists. The Tigers are now 8-3 in the SWAC, one game back of Arkansas-Pine Bluff for first place.

Southern improved to 6-5 in the SWAC with a 67-62 win over Jackson State. Senior Jared Sam had a double-double, 18 points and 13 rebounds.

Nicholls State senior guard Roddy Peters has been named the Southland Conference Player of the Week by both the league and College Sports Madness. Peters had 27 ponts, six assists and three steals in the Colonels big win over UNO on Saturday night that vaulted Nicholls into first place.

Mike Lucas is back as the defensive coordinator for Northwestern State. The former Southeastern Louisiana head coach spent the last two seasons as the defensive coordinator at UL Lafayette.

Former Louisiana high school football coach and ex-ULM quarterback Doug Pederson is a Super Bowl champion after guiding the Eagles to an upset win over the Patriots. Philadelphia was not given much of a chance at winning, but Pederson kept the faith.
Cut 12 (12) “of these”
Pederson becomes just the eighth coach to win a Super Bowl within his first two years on the job.

Former LSU star Odell Beckham and New Orleans native Eli Manning showed off their dance moves during NFL Super Bowl ad that has received a lot of good reviews. Nelson Stewart, O-B-J’s former coach at Newman High School, says Beckham once danced his way out of a penalty…
cut 14 (11) “…his skills”

The Pelicans are home tonight to face a Utah Jazz team that’s won five games in a row. New Orleans hopes to see Nikola Mirotic can make a nice first impression in front of the home fans. It will be Mirotic’s first game in a Pelicans uniform at the Smoothie King Center. He had 18 points and 12 rebounds in a road loss to Minnesota on Saturday.

Tonight in the SWAC, Grambling puts its seven game winning streak on the line as they host Alcorn State. Southern is at Jackson State

The season opener for the LSU baseball team is approaching. The Tigers will have a new starting catcher, former Barbe star Hunter Feduccia. LSU hitting coach Sean Ochinko says they know Feduccia can play outstanding defense, they also expect him to hit at a high level too….
cut 18 (12) “….Eunice”
The season opener is February 16th at home against Notre Dame.

Former Louisiana high school football coach and ex-ULM quarterback Doug Pederson is a Super Bowl champion today after guiding the Eagles to an upset win over the Patriots. Pederson made a gutsy decision when he called for a trick play right before halftime, it worked as quarterback Nick Foles caught a touchdown pass giving Philadelphia a 10 point lead…
cut 11 (11) “…yourself aggressive”
Former LSU Tigers Donnie Jones and Jalen Mills are also Super Bowl champs and former Saints safety Malcom Jenkins has won his second Super Bowl ring.

National signing day in college football is Wednesday. LSU can add four more players to its 2018 recruiting class. Rummel wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase released a pitcture on social media that shows LSU’s entire coaching staff in his living room.

The Pelicans host the Utah Jazz tonight to begin a stretch of four games in six days. It will be the home debut for newly acquired Nikola Mirotic, who had 18 points and 12 rebounds in a loss to Minnesota on Saturday night.

Tonight in the SWAC, Grambling puts its seven game winning streak on the line as they host Alcorn State. Southern is at Jackson State

LSU baseball season begins next week. For the Tigers to be successful in 2018, they need a solid year from starting third baseman Jake Slaughter. The former Ouachita Christian star had an up and down freshman campaign. LSU hitting coach Sean Ochinko says Slaughter can be a future major leaguer if he puts it all together…
cut 17 (20) “…for us”