Hilltoppers add LSU to 2025 football schedule
Published 5:18 pm Wednesday, May 13, 2020
- LSU Tigers running back Leonard Fournette (7) stiff arms Western Kentucky Hilltoppers linebacker Nick Holt (10) during the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers’ game against LSU on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2015, at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La. LSU Tigers lead 14-7 at the half. (Austin Anthony / photo@bgdailynews.com)
The reigning national champions of college football will play Western Kentucky in the future.
WKU has added LSU to its nonconference schedule for the 2025 season. FBSschedules.com first reported the agreement after an open records request to Louisiana State University.
The Daily News confirmed that WKU will receive $1.8 million guaranteed for the matchup scheduled for Nov. 22, 2025, in Baton Rouge, La.
The move fills out WKU’s nonconference schedule that season, which begins with a trip to Liberty University on Sept. 6 and Cincinnati visiting Houchens-Smith Stadium on Sept. 20.
LSU won the College Football Playoff national championship with a 15-0 record last season. The Tigers are 2-0 against the Hilltoppers. WKU visited the bayou in 2011 and most recently in a 45-20 defeat in 2015.
The schedule addition gives WKU four opponents from the Southeastern Conference from 2022-26.
WKU’s future nonconference opponents are:
2020 – Chattanooga (Sept. 5), at Indiana (Sept. 12), Liberty (Sept. 19), at Louisville (Sept. 26).
2021 – UT-Martin (Sept. 4), at Army (Sept. 11), Indiana (Sept. 25), at Michigan State (Oct. 2).
2022 – Austin Peay (Aug. 27), at Hawaii (Sept. 3), at Indiana (Sept. 17), Troy (Oct. 1), at Auburn (Nov. 19).
2023 – South Florida (Sept. 2), Houston Baptist (Sept. 9), at Ohio State (Sept. 16), at Troy (Sept. 23).
2024 – at Alabama (Aug. 31), EKU (Sept. 7), at South Florida (Sept. 21)
2025 – at Liberty (Sept. 6), Cincinnati (Sept. 20), at LSU (Nov. 22).
2026 – at Georgia (Sept. 12), at Cincinnati (Sept. 26).