Letter From LSU Athletics Director Joe Alleva

Dear Tiger Fan,

?Tradition? is a term that is widely used in college sports. Much more than professional sports, there is a certain reverence to history that makes college athletics special.

In my five months as director of athletics, I have come to appreciate just how much tradition means to LSU. It means the Tiger Band marching down Victory Hill. It means running through the goal posts on Saturday Night. It means spelling ?Go? with an ?eaux.?

Another tradition of which I have become keenly aware is LSU?s fan following to road games and bowl games. We have proudly touted to bowls throughout the southeast that LSU?s fans have purchased every ticket to every post-season game (SEC Championship Games and bowl games alike) for the past eight years.

We need to continue this tradition by selling every ticket to the Chick-fil-A Bowl in Atlanta on December 31. Filling the LSU section in the Georgia Dome will show support of the 2008 Tigers, but it will also help us in the long-term in selling the LSU program to future bowl sites. It will also make a great impression on national television, an important factor for academic and athletic recruiting.

I witnessed first-hand this year the large fan following at every road game. Not a ticket went unused for our games at Auburn, Florida, South Carolina or Arkansas. Our fans traveled in huge numbers and had a great time at every stop.

So let?s take the party to Atlanta for New Year?s Eve and paint the town purple. If you have purchased your tickets, I look forward to seeing you there. If you have not bought your tickets, get them now at LSUsports.net starting at just $60 each.

And if you know of someone you think would like to join the party, tell them to join us on New Year?s Eve in one of the most exciting cities in the world.

Come to Atlanta, wear purple and cheer on your team. New Year?s with the Tigers is a great LSU tradition and we want to keep the tradition alive.

We welcome your comments at athletics@lsu.edu. Unfortunately we cannot answer every e-mail we receive, but please be assured they will all be read.

Geaux Tigers!

Joe Alleva Director of Athletics