Governor Jeff Landry calls on NCAA to uphold request for anthem policy

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry is now calling on the NCAA to ensure that college athletes stand for the national anthem during this weekend’s Final Four tournament.

The latest statement comes after LSU Director of Athletics, Scott Woodward, responded to Governor Jeff Landry’s recent requests to make it mandatory for athletes to be present during the anthem.

The governor wrote, “Thank you Scott #LSUAthleticDirector for your leadership as well as the entire LSU community. This has never been about Coach Mulkey, a stalwart of our time, great citizen of Louisiana and patriot!  Nor about our girl’s basketball team, who have beat the critics and rose to the challenges and brought great pride to our State!”

He went on to say, “This is about traditions and consistencies, that without either, we remain consistently divided! Now it is time for the @NCAA and #NCAA President @CharlieBakerMA to step up and show leadership. I look forward to seeing our country’s patriotism on full display this weekend during the Final Four tournament.”

In a statement released Friday morning, Woodward said, “We have reviewed Governor Landry’s letter on the national anthem. At LSU we have and will always be dedicated to the flag, the anthem and the country. We consistently look at all our processes and will do so again. As Louisiana’s Flagship university, LSU always strives to represent the higher ideals and values of our students, our state and our country.”

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry doubled down on his stance when it comes to college athletes and the national anthem.

The LSU women’s basketball team not being on the court during the anthem ahead of their Elite Eight game angered some people including Landry. The governor posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that there should be a policy in place that student-athletes be present for the national anthem or risk their athletic scholarship. He reiterated his stance while wearing an LSU shirt on Fox News.

“They should. Everybody should respect the flag. If you don’t like it, well, guess what? You don’t have to play the sport,” said Gov. Landry.

Coach Kim Mulkey explained the team has a routine.

“We kinda have a routine where we’re on the floor and then they come off at the 12-minute mark. We come in and do our pregame stuff. I’m sorry. That’s nothing intentionally done,” said Mulkey.

“It’s normal in college sports. They were not trying to protest against the anthem,” said Former LSU Women’s Sports PA Announcer Matthew Dunn.

“Whether it’s last-minute preparations. Whether it’s coaching. Whatever the case was. It was not to not be out there for the national anthem. That’s just simply not true,” explained Dunn.

Governor Landry sent a letter to the Louisiana Board of Regents urging them to mandate a policy that he said respects the anthem. Political Analyst Jim Engster said Landry would have a First Amendment fight in court but could have the last laugh by hitting the budget.

“If he called the President of LSU, Bill Tate, aside and said I can withhold funding or part of your funding if you don’t comply. I think he would get a better reaction from the university than doing something like this,” said Engster.

A fight we could see come up again and again.

LSU President William Tate posted about the women’s basketball team.

No word on when Governor Landry wants the new policies in place.

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