LSU finalized an agreement Wednesday to host Louisiana Tech in football on Sept. 12, rounding out a trio of 2026 nonconference games that also includes Clemson and McNeese.
Traditionally, the Tigers have played four nonconference matchups each season. But because the SEC decided in August to add a ninth league battle to their teams’ schedules, LSU and its peers will now face only three nonconference teams in 2026 and beyond.
One of those games, according to conference rules, has to be against either Notre Dame or a team from the Big 10, ACC or Big 12. That matchup for LSU in 2026 will be at home against Clemson in Week 1 — the second half of a home-and-home series that began this season, when LSU defeated coach Dabo Swinney’s Tigers on the road on Aug 30.
LSU will host Louisiana Tech in Week 2, then play a road game against coach Lane Kiffin’s former Ole Miss team in Week 3 before returning home to face Texas A&M in Week 4 and McNeese in Week 5.
The Tigers will then play on the road at Kentucky in Week 6, at home against Mississippi State in Week 7 and on the road at Auburn in Week 8. In Week 9, they’ll have their customary open date ahead of their home matchup with Alabama — which will kick off the last month of the season.
In November, LSU will host the Crimson Tide and Texas. It’ll also face Tennessee and Arkansas on the road.
The Tigers played Louisiana Tech in Week 2 of this season. They won that game 23-7.
LSU will pay the Bulldogs $1.6 million to visit Tiger Stadium again in 2026, according to the game contract that The Advocate obtained on Thursday.
Wilson Alexander contributed to this report.
