The Lane Kiffin era officially kicks off at 6:30 p.m. Saturday in Tiger Stadium as No. 11 LSU hosts Clemson, and a record number of special guests are expected.
LSU officials confirmed the season opener will issue a record of nearly 900 credentials to media and celebrity guests, ESPN’s Marty Smith reported.
The number lines up with the hype that Kiffin, a polarizing coach with sky-high expectations, has built since he took the LSU job last November.
Kiffin publicly fought for the ability to coach LSU rival Ole Miss through the College Football Playoff, but was denied. He then did an interview with Vanity Fair, where he said it was difficult to recruit prospects to Ole Miss because of the school’s historical ties to racism. He posted and deleted Make America Great Again-inspired LSU-themed hats and tagged President Donald Trump before taking a social media sabbatical. Now, he’s defending former NFL rookies’ right to play a fifth season of college football this fall through court orders.
All of these headlines have added more curiosity to a situation that already had fans invested in the latest endeavor of one of college football’s most interesting coaches.
On Saturday, all eyes will be on Baton Rouge for the start of the 102nd season in Tiger Stadium.
LSU Football officials confirm to ESPN that Saturday’s season-opening home game against Clemson is the most media/celebrity-credentialed game in Tiger Stadium history.
Lane Kiffin’s debut gonna be a wild scene in Death Valley.
(2026 marks LSU’s 102nd season in Tiger Stadium)
— Marty Smith (@MartySmithESPN) September 2, 2026