Lane Kiffin’s LSU era, Marshall Faulk’s Southern debut, SEC changes, and more • Unfiltered with Kiran

BATON ROUGE — As Louisiana turns the page toward 2026, the sports landscape is set for significant transition.

From new leadership on the sidelines to championship expectations and conference-wide changes reshaping fall Saturdays, here are the storylines expected to dominate Louisiana sports coverage in the year ahead.

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It won’t just be all of Louisiana but all of college football watching as the Lane Kiffin era officially begins at LSU.

Kiffin arrives at LSU, a program with four national titles, after guiding Ole Miss to double-digit wins four times in six years, including an 11-1 record this season. Prior to Kiffin’s arrival in 2020, Ole Miss had only two 10-win seasons since 1972.

LSU’s director of athletics, Verge Ausberry, praised Kiffin’s success during his November introduction.

“We shared when we began this search that LSU would secure the best coach in the country and Lane Kiffin is just that,” Ausberry said. “Lane is a proven winner who has thrived in an era of college athletics that requires coaches to adapt and innovate. His passion, creativity and authenticity make him the ideal leader to guide LSU into the future and consistently position us among the sport’s elite.”

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Considered an offensive mastermind, Kiffin’s Ole Miss teams are the only ones in the SEC to rank among the top five in the league in both scoring offense and total yards since 2020. The Rebels led the SEC in total offense four times in six years under Kiffin, averaging 33 points or more each year, including a league-best 38.6 points per game in 2024.

Kiffin’s accomplishments have been driven in part by his recruiting prowess and roster management. He signed four straight top-six transfer classes, including the No. 1 class in 2024, while also adding five consecutive Top 25 high school signing classes.

How quickly LSU rebounds under new leadership will be one of the most closely watched storylines in the country, especially as the expanded College Football Playoff continues to reward programs that remain nationally relevant year after year.

The Marshall Faulk era officially gets underway at Southern University.

Faulk, a New Orleans native and one of the most dynamic players of his generation, takes over a Jaguars program that has struggled for consistency in recent seasons. He replaces Terrence Graves, who was fired after compiling a 9–11 record.

The Hall of Famer’s coaching résumé includes a recent stint as running backs coach under fellow Hall of Famer Deion Sanders at Colorado. His arrival on the Bluff has energized alumni, recruits, and supporters.

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“For me to have my first head coaching job in this state that gave me everything and provided everything for me means the world to me,” Faulk said at his introductory press conference.

Faulk’s stature as a former NFL MVP and one of only a handful of players to surpass 10,000 rushing and 5,000 receiving yards brings instant credibility to Southern’s program. His local roots and national profile could transform recruiting and visibility for the Jaguars in the competitive SWAC.

LSU baseball will enter 2026 with a target squarely on its back as the defending national champions of the Men’s College World Series. The Tigers are favorites for a deep postseason run and are chasing a third national championship in four years.

LSU finished the 2025 season ranked consensus No. 1 across all college baseball polls. Several starters from the 2025 championship team return, including senior outfielder Chris Stanfield, senior infielder Tanner Reaves, junior shortstop Steven Milam, junior outfielder Jake Brown, sophomore outfielder Derek Curiel, sophomore catcher Cade Arrambide, and sophomore infielder John Pearson.

The pitching staff features 10 players with collegiate innings, including seniors Zac Cowan, Connor Benge, and Grant Fontenot; juniors Gavin Guidry, Jaden Noot, and DJ Primeaux; and sophomores Casan Evans, Cooper Williams, Mavrick Rizy, and William Schmidt.

In the offseason, LSU signed one of the top transfer portal classes.

Head coach Jay Johnson, 2023 and 2025 National Coach of the Year, enters his fifth year leading the program. Johnson has coached LSU to two national championships and 150 wins over the past three seasons.

“We have a really good foundation of players back from our 2025 championship team, and they know what it means to operate at the highest possible level,” Johnson said. “Our class of newcomers can certainly make immediate contributions, and it can be the foundation of what we’re going to accomplish over the next few years.”

LSU opens the season February 13 with a three-game series against Milwaukee at Alex Box Stadium. SEC play begins a month later with a road series against Vanderbilt on March 13, which is expected to be a ranked matchup.

SEC fans will get their first look at the new nine-game conference schedule in 2026.

The conference announced in August that starting next season, each team will play nine league games. The SEC also requires all schools to schedule at least one additional high-quality non-conference opponent from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, or Notre Dame each season.

“Adding a ninth SEC game underscores our universities’ commitment to delivering the most competitive football schedule in the nation,” said SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey. “This format protects rivalries, increases competitive balance, and paired with our requirement to play an additional Power opponent, ensures SEC teams are well prepared to compete and succeed in the College Football Playoff.”

Under the new format, each school will play three annual rival opponents. The remaining six games will rotate among other conference schools. Each team will face every other SEC program at least once every two years.

For LSU, annual opponents will be Texas A&M, Arkansas, and Ole Miss, meaning the Tigers will no longer face Alabama annually.

In 2026, LSU’s first SEC matchup will be a road game at Ole Miss in Oxford, head coach Lane Kiffin’s former team. The Tigers open the season at Tiger Stadium against Clemson on September 5.

• LSU vs. Clemson: Sep. 5 (Tiger Stadium)
• LSU vs. Louisiana Tech: Sep. 12 (Tiger Stadium)
• LSU at Ole Miss: Sep. 19 (Oxford)
• LSU vs. Texas A&M: Sep. 26 (Tiger Stadium)
• LSU vs. McNeese: Oct. 3 (Tiger Stadium)
• LSU at Kentucky: Oct. 10 (Lexington)
• LSU vs. Mississippi State: Oct. 17 (Tiger Stadium)
• LSU at Auburn: Oct. 24 (Auburn)
• LSU vs. Alabama: Nov. 7 (Tiger Stadium)
• LSU vs. Texas: Nov. 14 (Tiger Stadium)
• LSU at Tennessee: Nov. 21 (Knoxville)
• LSU at Arkansas: Nov. 28 (Fayetteville)

The new schedule means LSU will face Auburn and Mississippi State for the first time since 2023.

By 2026, the New Orleans Saints are expected to be deep into one of the most consequential periods in franchise history.

For more than a decade, the Saints pushed salary cap limits, restructuring contracts and deferring financial pain in pursuit of immediate contention. That strategy kept the team competitive but delayed an inevitable reset. By 2026, that reset is no longer theoretical. It is reality.

A prime draft position will be what Saints fans look for come April. They are projected to pick around No. 7 overall, though that could change depending on how the season unfolds.

At the center of the rebuild is the quarterback question, lingering since Drew Brees’ retirement. Many believe the Saints should build around rookie Tyler Shough and use their draft pick accordingly. ESPN currently lists Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love as the top overall prospect, followed by linebacker Arvel Reese, defensive tackle Peter Woods, edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr., offensive tackle Spencer Fano, safety Caleb Downs, and quarterback Ty Simpson as the top seven prospects.

Equally important will be how the Saints navigate the salary cap in the post-restructure era. Years of “kicking the can down the road” have left fewer financial shortcuts, forcing tough decisions, including possibly parting ways with fan favorites to gain long-term flexibility.

The 2026 season may be less about immediate playoff contention and more about direction. Are the Saints fully committing to a rebuild, or attempting another retool on the fly? The answer could shape the franchise for the next decade.

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