LSU receives backlash after team skips national anthem before NCAA tournament game with Iowa

BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA: Only Iowa was present on the floor for the national anthem before the much-awaited women's NCAA Elite Eight match between the University of Iowa Hawkeyes and the Louisiana State University Tigers.

As the song played, a video of the Lady Hawkeyes on the court holding hands rapidly went viral online, while LSU's players, according to a report, passed the time in their locker room.

LSU missed the national anthem 

Social media users were disappointed with LSU’s absence, calling it “embarrassing” and “no class act”. Coming into the game, the No. 3 and reigning national champion LSU was looking to defend its title against the No. 1 Hawkeyes. The two teams faced each other last year in the national championship game.

But after defeating the Lady Tigers 94-87 on Monday night, the Lady Hawkeyes advanced to the Final Four in Cleveland, Ohio. Caitlin Clark, who declared in February that she will enter the 2024 WNBA draft, led Iowa. Sports fans nationwide were enthralled with the on-court match between Iowa and LSU, but some were left with a bad taste in their mouths when the Tigers did not take the court while the national anthem played.

As per the NY Post, LSU head coach Kim Mulkey told reporters that it was “nothing intentionally done” and that her team has a routine they went through before the start of the game in Albany. 

She said, "Honestly, I don’t even know when the anthem was played,” adding, “We kind of have a routine when they’re on the floor and they come off at the 12-minute mark. I don’t know, we come in and we do our pregame stuff. I’m sorry, listen, that’s nothing intentionally done.”

Internet slams LSU team 

Several social media users slammed the team, with a Facebook user saying, "Im a die hard LSU Fan! I dont watch basketball, men or women's! But if LSU women's team walked out on the American Anthem, I will never for sure watch them! They should be thrown out of the tournament!!" 

While one user simply wrote, "disgusting," another stated, "no class act." A user chimed in and wrote, "Because they have no class." 

Another user said, "LSU is like that," and one declared, "shameful."

A user echoed the sentiment, "Embarrassing not to be on the floor during the National Anthem." 

One said, "They disrespected America and got disrespected right back. 94-87 lowa Won."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.