The LSU Tigers were originally set to open the 2024 campaign in the same way that they will open in 2021. However, in 2024 it was going to be UCLA visiting Death Valley on Aug. 31. In light of the USC-LSU game set for the opener of that season, plans have changed.
According to Sports Illustrated’s UCLA site, the Bruins-Tigers showdown has been moved to Sept. 21.
The game between the Tigers and Trojans was pegged for Aug. 31, 2024 – the same exact date UCLA was supposed to travel to Baton Rouge and play LSU to kick off their season. The Bruins’ matchup with the Tigers was announced all the way back on March 31, 2014, as part of a home-and-home and there had been no announcements suggesting it had moved or been pulled by either team.
All Bruins has confirmed with a UCLA Athletics spokesperson that the game has officially been moved to Sept. 21, 2024. The spokesperson did not disclose the timeline of the decision.
This is how the 2024 nonconference schedule shakes out after moving UCLA to later into September.
- Aug. 31 vs USC in Las Vegas
- Sept. 7 vs Rice in Baton Rouge
- Sept. 21 vs UCLA in Baton Rouge
- Sept. 28 vs South Alabama in Baton Rouge
This would leave the Sept. 14 date open for the first SEC game of the season or a very early bye week. The interesting dynamic would be if the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns would be in the conference by 2024. This could likely mean the nonconference schedule gets decreased to just three games.
This could mean that either Rice or South Alabama might come off the schedule or they look to move a game to a future date.