LSU responds to governor's letters about college sports teams attending national anthem
BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) - LSU Athletics Director Scott Woodward released a statement Friday following Governor Jeff Landry's call for a new policy after the women’s basketball team missed the national anthem at Monday’s Elite Eight game.
Landry sent letters to the UL System Board of Supervisors and the Louisiana Community & Technical College System Board of Supervisors. He also sent letters to the Southern University System Board of Supervisors, the LSU Board of Supervisors and the Louisiana Board of Regents.
In his letter to LSU, he said the Tigers “showed a lack of respect not only for the values of our country but for the individuals who hold these values dear, including LSU Alumni, current students and fans back home and across the country.”
Woodward said they reviewed Landry’s letter on the national anthem.
"At LSU we have and will always be dedicated to the flag, the anthem and the country," Woodward said. "We consistently look at all our processes and will do so again."
Read Woodward's statement below.
We have reviewed Governor Landry’s letter on the national anthem. At LSU we have and will always be dedicated to the flag, the anthem and the country. We consistently look at all our processes and will do so again. As Louisiana’s flagship university, LSU always strives to represent the higher ideals and values of our students, our state and our country.
Director of Athletics at Louisiana State University Scott Woodward via X
After LSU released its statement, Landry thanked Woodward and the LSU community in a social media post on X. He calls for the NCAA to "step up," adding that he looks forward to seeing "patriotism on full display" during Final Four games.
Read Landry's statement below.
Thank you Scott #LSUAthleticDirector for your leadership as well as the entire LSU community. This has never been about Coach Mulkey, a stalwart of our time, great citizen of Louisiana and patriot! Nor about our girl's basketball team, who have beat the critics and rose to the challenges and brought great pride to our State!
This is about traditions and consistencies, that without either, we remain consistently divided! Now it is time for the @NCAA and #NCAA President @CharlieBakerMA to step up and show leadership. I look forward to seeing our country’s patriotism on full display this weekend during the Final Four tournament.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry via X
Kim Mulkey, head coach of the women’s basketball team, spoke about missing the national anthem after the loss to Iowa in the postgame press conference.
“Honestly, I don’t even know when the anthem was played,” she said. “We kind of have a routine when we are on the floor and then they come off at the 12-minute mark. We come in and we do our pregame stuff. I’m sorry, listen, that’s nothing intentionally done.”
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