Is LSU being difficult?

[NamelessHusker]

UT not happy LSU game still at night

 

Sought time change to help fans with travel

 

By CHRIS LOW

Staff Writer

 

Thousands of University of Tennessee football fans might be on the brink of going from bleeding orange to seeing red.

 

The rub is that LSU athletic officials are intent on upholding their tradition of playing at night in Tiger Stadium. That means UT fans traveling to the Sept. 24 game in Baton Rouge won't be accommodated as UT Athletics Director Mike Hamilton previously requested.

 

The game is expected to kick off at either 6 p.m. or 6:45 Central time.

 

Earlier this week, Hamilton said he asked LSU and Southeastern Conference officials if there was any way the game could be played during the day. Hamilton's rationale: To ease travel concerns for fans, not just those from UT.

 

This is a road trip that could get ugly, especially with a night game. Because of Hurricane Katrina and the ensuing mass exodus of evacuees, available hotel space is scarce within a 200-mile radius of Baton Rouge.

 

Conceivably, UT fans braving the trip, either by car or by air, could be pulling an all-nighter after the game is over just to find a warm bed. Baton Rouge is about 660 miles from Knoxville (or 590 from Nashville), leaving traveling fans with a post-game option of driving all night to return home, let alone find an empty hotel room.

 

Here's the kicker: Tennessee fans planning to stay home and get a ticket refund won't get reimbursed. The Vols sold all 7,000 of their allotted tickets, but LSU Associate Athletics Director Herb Vincent said LSU's policy is to not issue refunds for tickets.

 

"We want to get back to some sense of normalcy, and our tradition here at LSU is to play night football games," Vincent said. "That is very much our preference for this game."

 

The starting time for the game is contingent on what ESPN decides to do. ESPN has first choice among the networks when it comes to SEC games that weekend, and the cable network will make its selection on Monday.

 

If ESPN picks UT-LSU, and for months they have indicated to LSU officials of their plans to do just that, the game would get the 6 p.m. or 6:45 start.

 

"We don't have any reason to believe that's going to change," Vincent said, referring to ESPN's expressed commitment to the game.

 

There have been multiple conversations the last few days among LSU Athletics Director Skip Bertman, Hamilton and SEC officials. Said Vincent, "LSU is not trying to be difficult in regard to Tennessee fans, but it's more a case of trying to do what's right for the people of Louisiana."

 

The main issue now remains hotel rooms. Vincent acknowledged that, at this point, his school can't even guarantee hotel rooms for the UT team.

 

"As we sit here right now, on Sept. 8, that is an issue," Vincent said. "But in two weeks, we would expect and hope that problem won't exist."

 

Tennessee Coach Phillip Fulmer strongly opposes the idea of having to fly down the day of the game, playing the game and then returning to Knoxville that same night.

 

Hamilton has said he would even be willing to split up the team party in separate hotels to ensure getting rooms and not having to go down on the day of the game.

 

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