LSU and SMU confirmed Monday that they have locked in a home-and-home football series for the 2028 and 2029 seasons. The matchup will begin with a game at LSU’s Tiger Stadium in early September 2028. This series adds a high-profile component to both teams’ future non-conference schedules.
With the programs trending upward and not having faced each other in years, the two-game set is expected to draw national interest. The SMU-LSU meetings are shaping up to be among the most compelling non-conference showdowns of the late 2020s, carrying potential implications across the college football landscape.
SMU Football To Face LSU in Back-to-Back Seasons Starting in 2028
SMU and LSU have finalized a home-and-home football series set for the 2028 and 2029 seasons, both programs confirmed Monday. The two-game agreement kicks off on Sept. 2, 2028, at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, followed by a return matchup at SMU’s home field in Dallas on Sept. 1, 2029.
We have announced a home-and-home series with LSU for the 2028 and 2029 seasons. pic.twitter.com/L5iSLg7JjH
— SMU Football (@SMUFB) May 12, 2025
This marks the first time the Mustangs will travel to Baton Rouge and only the third all-time meeting between the two programs. Their last encounter occurred in 1934, ending in a 14-14 tie. SMU owns a 1-0-1 edge in the historical series, including a 51-0 win in 1922.
The game contracts, obtained by The Daily Advertiser, show that LSU will pay SMU $750,000 for the 2028 contest, while SMU will match that amount to host LSU the following year. Game officiating duties will be split by conference, with ACC officials assigned to the 2028 game and SEC officials handling the 2029 matchup.
This home-and-home arrangement carries significance beyond the scoreboard. LSU head coach Brian Kelly continues to schedule top-tier opponents early in the season. Since 2022, the Tigers have opened against Florida State, faced USC in 2024, and are set to play Clemson in 2025 and 2026, followed by Houston in 2027.
For SMU, the opportunity signals a continued rise in national profile. The Mustangs, now in the ACC after years in the American Athletic Conference and previously Conference USA, finished the 2024 season with an 11-3 record and an appearance in the College Football Playoff. They fell to Penn State, 38-10, in the opening round.
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LSU, coming off an 8-4 campaign in the SEC, has not won a season opener since 2019, dropping five straight. The upcoming SMU games will offer both teams a chance to showcase their programs on a national stage and potentially impact playoff evaluations.
The matchups are poised to strengthen each school’s non-conference schedule, enhance recruiting in major markets, and provide high-visibility moments in Dallas and Baton Rouge.
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