Louisiana officials are taking Lane Kiffin’s safety seriously ahead of his return to Ole Miss this weekend.
LSU is set to travel to Oxford, Mississippi, this weekend for a prime-time matchup against Ole Miss, with both teams entering the game undefeated at 2-0.
Thousands of fans are expected to gather in the Mississippi city for the game, which will also feature “College GameDay” setting up shop.
Louisiana State Police said they will be coordinating closely with LSU, Ole Miss and the Mississippi Highway Patrol to ensure the safety of coach Lane Kiffin and all LSU players. The agency did not elaborate on those plans.
The New Orleans Police Department originally confirmed with WDSU that the city was sending four officers from its Mounted Division to help supplement security, and that it would be paid for by the city.
Following WDSU’s report, the NOPD followed up stating that there was a miscommunication on behalf of the department and that the NOPD will not be sending any officers to help with Kiffin’s detail.
On Wednesday, NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick issued a new video statement clarifying why the mounted unit would not participate in the detail.
In the statement, Kirkpatrick clarified that an LSP colonel was unaware that state police requested NOPD be part of the detail, and that the request was made through lower ranks.
Kirkpatrick said she overrode that decision for several reasons, including NOPD not having police powers in Mississippi. She said in the future, if LSP needs support from NOPD, it would need to for details within the state of Louisiana.
You can watch her full statement below:
Following the release of this video statement, NOPD clarified that Kirkpatrick did sign the initial paperwork approving the request; however, did not realize it involved travel to Ole Miss. Once she realized the detail required travel, she decided NOPD would not participate, according to the update provided by the NOPD.
Due to the controversial way Kiffin left Ole Miss, tensions are expected to be high in the Magnolia State.
While LSP security is not uncommon, additional security measures will be in place for Kiffin’s safety.
“I’ve spoken with their athletics director, and we are happy with the security plan,” said LSU athletics director Verge Ausberry.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry went a bit further, floating the idea to ESPN of military resources for the team and Kiffin.
“I’m thinking about having to send him in on an F-16 and maybe the team on a C-130,” Landry said in an article for ESPN. “Security is going to be really tight. You know, we might need the National Guard out there to protect our team. I think it’s going to be an interesting weekend.”
This comes after the SEC filed a lawsuit last week against Louisiana State University, head football coach Kiffin and LSU athletic director Ausberry over what the conference calls the deliberate recruitment of pro football athletes.
Nearly two hours after a videoconference between the two last week, the Southeastern Conference announced that both entities have not reached a resolution.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, the SEC wrote, “Those discussions will continue as the conference and its member universities work toward an appropriate resolution.”
Sources previously told WDSU that LSU President Wade Rousse and SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey have been in contact since Tuesday, working to de-escalate the situation and reach some sort of common ground.
Sources indicate to WDSU that a vote to terminate LSU as an SEC member is no longer on the table.
Paul Finebaum told reporters Wednesday that Kiffin was “on the brink of being expelled” before the team roster was finalized, adding, “He saved his program for now.”
The Tigers Athletics Department could still face potential penalties tied to the back-and-forth over player eligibility.
SEC presidents “are deadly serious,” and “angry” at Kiffin and LSU, Finebaum said.
READ MORE:NOPD issues video statement explaining why mounted unit wont be in Lane Kiffin’s security detail
