Brian Kelly Eyes Historic Milestone: LSU Football Aims for First Game Outside US in Over a Century
LSU football coach Brian Kelly expressed his interest in organizing an LSU game in Ireland during an interview on Thursday. The school is in the early stages of working with a new sports travel management company, Anthony Travel, to arrange LSU’s first game outside of the country in over a century.
Details such as the date of the game and LSU’s opponent remain uncertain at this time. However, Kelly mentioned that Anthony Travel, which has experience organizing such events, has approached LSU about the possibility. While still in the preliminary phases, it’s a venture the LSU team is eager to explore.
The initiative follows Georgia Tech and Florida State’s scheduled game at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium on Aug. 24 as part of the Aer Lingus College Football Classic. This game marks the beginning of a series of football matchups at the stadium, including games in 2025 and 2027.
Notably, LSU has only played football outside the United States once, in 1907 in Cuba. In contrast, Kelly has previous experience with international games during his tenure at Notre Dame, where he led the Fighting Irish to victories in Dublin. He emphasized the enriching experience such games provide.
While LSU has participated in several neutral site season openers in recent years, including matchups against Florida State, the prospect of playing abroad adds a new dimension to the team’s schedule. As of now, LSU is gearing up to kick off the 2024 season in Las Vegas against Southern California, with future plans including a home-and-home series against Clemson in 2025 and 2026.
