The SEC has announced that starting next season, member programs will play nine conference games instead of the previous eight. Under the new format, each SEC team will play three annual opponents focused on maintaining traditional rivalries. The other six league games would rotate among the remaining SEC schools.
The three annual opponents for each team are not yet known, but Tiger fans can make some educated guesses on who LSU will be paired with.
Rivalries with Ole Miss, Alabama, and Florida can live on
Ole Miss is a team that quickly comes to mind when discussing LSU's historic rivalries. The Magnolia Bowl between LSU and Ole Miss is one of the most historic rivalries in all of college football. Additionally, it is one of the most anticipated games on the schedule every year. The Tigers and Rebels first met way back in 1894, and have played each other every year without interruption since 1945. LSU owns the all-time advantage 66-43-4 in 112 meetings.
The First Saturday of November has produced plenty of heavyweight fights between LSU and Alabama over the years. The series first started with a 12-6 win for LSU in 1895. The Tigers and Tide have met every season since 1964, and have met a total of 87 times. There are plenty of intriguing storylines in this rivalry, and in recent decades, the Nick Saban subplot between the two schools ignited the intensity of Tiger/Tide matchups.
The Florida Gators also make a lot of sense to be a common opponent for the Tigers. LSU and Florida first met in 1937, and have been annual opponents since 1971. The two schools have been extremely successful in recent years, as the Gators and Tigers have combined to win 11 SEC titles and five national championships over the past two decades. The all-time series is tied 34-34-3, and the two schools are set to meet this season on Sept. 13 to begin SEC play.
Texas A&M and Arkansas also in the mix
LSU also has regular rivalry matchups against Arkansas and Texas A&M as well. While they may not be the frontrunners, it would not be surprising to see the Aggies and/or Razorbacks become permanent opponents of LSU.
The Tigers and Aggies have met 63 times dating back to 1899. They played in bunches before 2012 when Texas A&M joined the SEC, and since then, the two schools have met every season with LSU winning nine of the 13 meetings in that stretch.
The Tigers and Razorbacks played nearly every season in the early 1900s, meeting in all but one season from 1906 to 1936. They met only five times between 1936 and 1992, with LSU winning all five contests. The rivalry was renewed in 1992, and the two teams have met every season since. LSU has won eight of the last nine meetings.