LSU and UCLA announced Monday that their football programs will play for the first time starting in 2021. The Tigers also announced the addition of Arizona State to its future schedule.
The Tigers and Bruins will meet at the Rose Bowl on Sept. 4, 2021. UCLA will make the return trip to Tiger Stadium on Aug. 31, 2024.
"In LSU, a perennial SEC power, we are pleased to add yet another marquee opponent to our future schedule," UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero said in a statement. "With such upcoming non-conference games taking us around the country to places like Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma and Michigan, we're able to nationally showcase UCLA football while strengthening our resume come playoff season."
UCLA's last game against an SEC school was a 19-15 win over Tennessee in 2009 in Knoxville. LSU's last game against a Pac-12 school was a 41-3 win at home over Washington in 2012.
In addition, the Tigers will renew their series with Arizona State in 2022 and 2023. The Tigers will make the trip to Tempe on Sept. 10, 2022 and the Sun Devils will go to Baton Rouge on Sept. 9, 2023.
The two schools were supposed to meet in 2005 and 2006, but Hurricane Katrina derailed the original scheduling. Instead of ASU going to Baton Rouge, the Sun Devils hosted the Tigers in 2005, a game LSU won 35-31 on a late touchdown from JaMarcus Russell to Early Doucet. That game generated more than $1 million in Katrina relief. This new series replaces the original home-and-home that was disrupted by the hurricane.