LSU opener a TV dud
Delayed game is being blamed for lackluster viewership. Will people show up to watch LSU vs. Ole Miss?
Theo Von and Livvy Dunne were at the Clemson-LSU opener, but their star power didn’t juice the TV ratings. The game was a relative dud on television, likely because of the two-hour weather delay and LSU's runaway win.
Why it matters: LSU and other SEC schools collect tens of millions of dollars from media rights each year. Bigger audiences make those rights more valuable.
LSU Athletics is also raising money from investors, with plans to repay them using future media rights revenue.
By the numbers: ESPN says 5.8 million people watched LSU-Clemson, down 45% from the 10.45 million viewers who watched the 2025 opener at Clemson. Two previous LSU openers also generated nearly 10 million viewers.
The bigger picture: Weather delays have disrupted several primetime games this season, hurting viewership. As climate change produces more extreme weather, football and other outdoor sports may have to rethink whether to schedule games to improve the odds of starting on time.
Worth watching: LSU plays Ole Miss on Saturday at 6:30 p.m., with no other marquee matchup in the same window and Lane Kiffin returning to Oxford, Mississippi.
The forecast calls for no rain.
The bottom line: Kiffin was expected to bring more eyeballs to LSU football. A weather-delayed opener means the verdict is still out on whether the controversial coach can deliver.