Lane Kiffin is straight up *sad* that this weekend’s clash in Baton Rouge against the Crimson Tide will be his last shot at a protected rivalry game in the SEC. The Tigers head coach dropped the bomb Monday: the LSU-Alabama showdown, a battle waged every single season since 1964, is getting yanked from the annual schedule. Yep, you read that right. The SEC didn’t tag it a permanent rivalry, and just like that, one of college football’s most electric matchups is going on hiatus.
The End of a Classic, Thanks to Cash
This isn’t some rumor, folks. LSU and Alabama are taking 2027 off entirely. They’ll duke it out again in 2028, and then it’s at least once every two years after that. It’s not an annual event anymore. Kiffin didn’t mince words, telling ESPN, “I think that’s just sad.” He gets it, he’s not being critical of the decisions themselves. He knows it’s all about money. Whether it’s the realignments or these rivalries, Kiffin sees the big picture: “money drives to make [changes to] such great traditions and rivalries.” Can you blame him? This isn’t just some random game. This rivalry has exploded in popularity over the last few decades, especially since Nick Saban, after winning a national championship at LSU and a stint with the Miami Dolphins, went to lead Alabama. That move made this series appointment viewing.
The SEC’s New Math and the Playoff Grind
So, what happened? The SEC rolled out a nine-game conference schedule and gave each school three *permanent* rivals. Alabama got Auburn, Mississippi State, and Tennessee. Look, you can’t argue with those. Auburn and Tennessee are legendary, and Mississippi State is just 90 miles from ‘Bama’s campus. Those make sense. But for LSU? They’re stuck with Texas A&M, Arkansas, and Ole Miss. Solid rivalries, sure, but not the same prestige as the Tide. Now, back to this weekend: even with the heartbreak of the rivalry ending, this game is still absolutely massive. Both No. 15 LSU and No. 9 Alabama have already dropped two games this season, so a win is critical if either squad wants to stay on track for a College Football Playoff berth. LSU still has No. 10 Texas and No. 16 Tennessee looming on their schedule, too. And just to rub salt in the wound, Kiffin isn’t happy about the kickoff time, either. Saturday’s game is at 2:30 p.m. local time, the first time it hasn’t been a night game since 2019. Last month, he famously joked, “well if someone thinks the SEC wants us to win this year after what’s been going on, they must have been on mars the last four months.” He’s got a point there, doesn’t he?
So this Saturday isn’t just another game. It’s the final chapter, for now, of one of college football’s fiercest annual traditions. Get ready for a battle, because with so much on the line for playoff hopes *and* the bitter taste of a rivalry ripped away, you know both teams are going to leave it all out there. After this, we won’t see this classic until 2028. It’s a tough pill to swallow for fans who live for these matchups, and a stark reminder of how much money dictates the game we all love.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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