Football: Fans prepare for team’s longest road trip, 2,544 miles to Seattle

It's the farthest anyone has had to travel for LSU football.

The Tigers have played football in 23 different states and even a foreign country in the program's 116-year existence, but the Sept. 5 trip to Washington — a 2,549 mile hike — is LSU's longest. Ever.

"We don't really know what to expect," LSU coach Les Miles said at Southeastern Conference Media Days. "It's going to be a great challenge for us — it should be just what we need."

The Tigers took trips to Brooklyn, N.Y., and Worcester, Mass., in the distant past.

During the 1970s and '80s, LSU saw road games in Madison, Wisc.; Columbus, Ohio; and Los Angeles; and the Tigers twice went west to Arizona during the tenures of Miles and former coach Nick Saban.

But all of these fall at least 729 miles short of this season's opener against the Huskies, causing a stir within the traveling faithful who will follow the Tigers.

"When LSU goes outside the SEC, it's usually to play Southern Miss or someone like that," said Ricky Preau, biological science junior. "It should be exciting to go out there and see how the Pacific-10 does football."

Preau is one of just 350 students who purchased student tickets and is making the visit to Seattle, a number likely influenced by airfare prices — which can range from $400 to $800 — and $70 game tickets.

 "My friend's dad flies back and forth to China for work, so he's racked up a lot of frequent flyer miles," Preau said. "The hotel and game tickets were part of a 21st birthday present."

Christian Caple, sports editor for The Daily of the University of Washington, said the trip has plenty to offer students and alumni alike.

"I'd definitely recommend the downtown area — take a trip to Pike Place Market and maybe visit the Space Needle," he said. "Saturday, you can spend the day around campus ... it almost feels like you're in your own state, which can be a problem with being in a big city, especially with how awful [the Huskies] have been recently."

Washington is actually one of the Pac-10's proudest programs, with a national championship in 1991, 15 Pac-10 titles and seven Rose Bowl championships, the most recent coming in 2001. But the team dropped off in recent years, ending 2008 with a 0-12 record.

Caple said the Huskies' struggles shouldn't affect the gameday environment.
"It's weird — it kind of takes away from the atmosphere," Caple said. "But being there in
Husky Stadium with the lights and national TV, it's hard not to get excited."

With a lakefront stadium to showcase, Caple said Washington boasts some of the best tailgating in the Pac-10.

"It's not anything like LSU — I've heard stories about the tailgating there," he said. "But I think people who come to the West Coast from the SEC are surprised by what they see."

Among the suggested attractions is University Way, or ‘the Ave,' located off campus to the northwest of Husky Stadium. The hotspot is comparable to LSU's Northgate, featuring various restaurants and bars.

As LSU hopes to bounce back from an 8-5 season, Washington is starting a new era under coach Steve Sarkisian. Caple said "four or five wins" would be an improvement for the Huskies but that many fans aren't happy to see the Tigers on the schedule.

"LSU is a ridiculous game to schedule for a rebuilding program, but it's there. They have to play it," Caple said. "If it's a game at any point in the fourth quarter, people will be extremely satisfied.



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Contact David Helman at dhelman@lsureveille.com