LSU (Louisiana State University) is a member of the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) and the Southeastern Conference. It fields teams in 14 varsity sports (5 men's, 7 women's, 2 coed). Its official team nickname is the 'Fightin Tigers' (not plainly "Tigers"), Lady Tigers, Bayou Bengals for the men and Ben-Gals for the women, and the school mascot is Mike the Tiger. The school colors are purple and gold. LSUs nickname is a throwback to its Confederate heritage and was drawn from the Civil War fame of two Louisiana brigades who fought so fiercely that they became known as the "Louisiana Tigers."

Based on winning percentage, the University's athletics program is consistently one of the best in the nation. Its arenas include Tiger Stadium (football), Pete Maravich Assembly Center (basketball, volleyball, gymnastics), Carl Maddox Fieldhouse (indoor track), Bernie Moore Stadium (outdoor track), Tiger Park (softball), and Alex Box Stadium (baseball). Important rivals in football include one of the longest running college football rivals with the Ole Miss Rebels, and the Tulane Green Wave. Other rivals include the Alabama Crimson Tide, Arkansas Razorbacks, and the Auburn Tigers.

Keeping with the French/Cajun character of South Louisiana, LSU support can be seen by its distinctive spelling of "Go Tigers" as "Geaux Tigers".

In 1996, a federal court ruled that LSU had violated the civil rights of female athletes. This ruling was based on Title IX of the Civil Rights Act prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race or gender.SPORTS PEOPLE: COLLEGE SPORTS;Bias Found at L.S.U. In Title IX Ruling Associated Press 1996

LSUs football team is the current National Champion of college football.

Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, generally known as Louisiana State University or LSU, is a public, coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and the main campus of the Louisiana State University System. LSU includes nine senior colleges and three schools, in addition to specialized centers, divisions, institutes, and offices. Enrollment stands at more than 32,000 students, and there are 1,300 full-time faculty members.

LSU is one of only twenty-one American universities designated as a land-grant, sea-grant and space-grant research center. LSU quickfacts page http://www.lsu.edu/visitors/quickfacts.html In order to reverse decades of underfunding, the university recently launched the Forever LSU campaign, the most ambitious fundraising drive in its history.