LSU Country

Report: Live Tiger Mascot Set to Return to Tiger Stadium for LSU vs. Alabama Matchup

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry will bring in a live tiger from an "out-of-state" refuge for Saturday night in Death Valley.

Zack Nagy

Sep 28, 2024; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers mascot Mike the Tiger performs during the second quarter against the South Alabama Jaguars at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
Sep 28, 2024; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers mascot Mike the Tiger performs during the second quarter against the South Alabama Jaguars at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
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LSU will have a live tiger on the sidelines this weekend when the Bayou Bengals take on the Alabama Crimson Tide, LouisianaSports.net reported on Thursday.

Louisiana governor Jeff Landry has been an advocate for Mike The Tiger to make a return to the sidelines for LSU home games.

Now, he has gone deep into his bag of tricks in order to get a live tiger to return to the sidelines for Saturday night in Death Valley.

“I think the opportunity to bring our mascot back onto that field is an unbelievable opportunity. How ’bout we honor Mike VI by bringing us a live tiger on the field?” Landry said in early October. “Tigers that live out in the wild, they don’t get an opportunity to go around the corner and see a veterinarian. Everybody that has some anxiety over this needs to calm down.”

Louisiana State Univeresity made an announcement in January of 2017 that Mike VII would not be in attendance for any home football games as the school attempted to have Mike’s habitat "accredited as a tiger sanctuary."

The important note here is that Gov. Landry will not not be using Mike VII for this this. Instead, he will be bringing in a different tiger to display at the game from across state lines, the report states.

The Impact of Tiger Stadium: Alabama QB Jalen Milroe Weighs In

Baton Rouge has been itching for the Alabama Crimson Tide to make their way to town for the rivalry showdown, and with high stakes once again, it's set to be an impressive, energetic environment once again.

For Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe, he's seen what the stadum has to offer. He was in town two years ago as a backup signal-caller for Bryce Young.

Now, it's his opportunity to soak in the scenes of Tiger Stadium and feel the impact it has on opponents when on the field.

“So I had an experience two years ago, we played at LSU on the road and it’s definitely a place that external factors are at a high when it comes to their crowd noise, when it comes to the fans impacting the game as much as possible,” Milroe said on Tuesday. “Also just the energy that’s poured into the to the stadium.”

Milroe has been in impressive atmospheres as a starting signal-caller for Alabama. He's an SEC quarterback where the stakes are high nearly every weekend.

Despite Death Valley offering one of the loudest scenes in college football, Milroe has the road experience to keep him composed in the moment.

“So for us, when you’re playing games like this on the road it’s all about being a great communicator. Being on the same page, starting fast, all being on the same page, and when we simplify the game into those key components that’ll allow us to elevate our game and allow us to be prepared as much as possible,” Milroe said.

“But the biggest thing we try to do is eliminate bad plays, eliminate miscommunication, and just try to be on the same page so that we can be our best us. And that’s what’s going to allow us to be our best us, being on the same page and having the right mindset.”

Brian Kelly and Co. are hoping for another raucous crowd in Baton Rouge where the fans give the program a boost.

Just one month ago it was the Ole Miss Rebels heading to town where the energy from the crowd provided LSU with a boost down the stretch.

Now, Kelly and the staff hope for the same result in Week 11 against the Crimson Tide.

“Hopefully, our crowd is loud and will cause a lot of pre-snap penalties,” Kelly said on Monday. “That’s one thing we can hope for. Maybe we’ll turn the lights off on them a couple of times. We’re going to try everything. Other than that, it’s about maintaining our composure. For us, we can’t be that team that gets flagged.”

No. 14 LSU will return to game action on Nov. 9 against the Alabama Crimson Tide with kickoff slated for 6:30 p.m. CT in Tiger Stadium.

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Zack Nagy
ZACK NAGY

Zack Nagy is the Managing Editor and Publisher of LSU Country, a Sports Illustrated Publication. Nagy has covered Tiger Football, Basketball, Baseball and Recruiting, looking to keep readers updated on anything and everything involving LSU athletics. 

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