โBโRโEโAโKโIโNโGโ:โ โAโrโkโaโnโsโaโsโ
๐ฉ๐น๐ฌ๐จ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ: ๐ณ๐บ๐ผ ๐ป๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฏ๐๐๐ ๐ช๐๐๐๐ ๐ด๐๐๐ ๐ด๐๐ด๐๐๐๐ ๐บ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ญ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐จ๐๐๐๐ ๐จ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ต๐ช๐จ๐จ ๐ท๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ต๐๐๐๐ โ โ๐ป๐๐ ๐ช๐๐๐๐ ๐บ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ ๐จ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐ต๐๐ ๐ท๐๐๐๐๐๐๐,โ ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ ๐บ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ญ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฐ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ต๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐พ๐๐๐๐ ๐บ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐บ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐จ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ช๐๐๐๐๐ ๐
In a shocking and controversial move that has ignited heated debate across the country, LSU Tigers menโs basketball head coach Matt McMahon has publicly declared that his team will boycott the upcoming NCAA Pride Night**, scheduled to take place during a nationally televised game next week. His remarks โ delivered during a press briefing earlier today โ have quickly gone viral, with McMahon stating.
The court should be about basketball โ not politics, not ideology. Weโre here to play the game. We will not be participating in any politically-themed events during our games, including Pride Night.
The reaction to McMahonโs stance was swift and explosive. LGBTQ+ advocacy groups, student organizations, former LSU athletes, and fans flooded social media platforms with both outrage and support, turning the coachโs comments into a trending national topic within hours. The hashtag PrideNightBoycott began trending on X (formerly Twitter), alongside BenchMcMahon and LetThemPlay.
The NCAA has yet to release an official statement, but multiple conference officials and university administrators are reportedly in emergency talks with LSU leadership.
As of now, LSU Athletics has not released an official statement regarding McMahonโs decision or whether disciplinary or administrative action is being considered. Sources within the program have confirmed that **some players were unaware of the boycott decision prior to the coachโs announcement, causing further internal friction.
We were caught off guard. Some of us wanted to wear the warmups and show our support. We didnโt even get a vote.
McMahonโs stance has also exposed a clear divide within the LSU basketball community. Some fans and alumni have rallied behind the coach, applauding his desire to keep politics out of sports and focus on the game itself.
โWell done, Coach, one supporter posted online. โBasketball should be free from agendas. Let the players play.
But others are accusing McMahon of insensitivity, poor leadership, and undermining the inclusive values many believe college sports should uphold.
Former LSU womenโs basketball star and WNBA player Seimone Augustus, a vocal LGBTQ+ advocate, posted a powerful message on Instagram:
Pride Night is not politics. Itโs about visibility, safety, and inclusion for young fans and student-athletes who have long been ignored. This isnโt leadership โ itโs regression.
Pride Night has become a growing tradition across college and professional sports, with teams using special uniforms, warmups, and halftime programming to show support for LGBTQ+ athletes and fans. The NCAAโs version of the initiative, launched in 2021, emphasizes campus inclusivity, athlete allyship, and creating safe spaces for all.
McMahonโs boycott is the first high-profile rejection of the initiative by a major NCAA Division I program.
LSUโs administration now finds itself at the center of a national firestorm. Athletic Director Scott Woodward is reportedly meeting with university legal and PR teams to determine next steps. Pressure is mounting from both inside and outside the university, with some calling for McMahon to apologize โ or resign.
Meanwhile, players are left in the middle of the controversy, preparing for a pivotal SEC matchup under a storm of media scrutiny.
As the nation continues to grapple with questions about the intersection of sports and social values, one thing is clear: Coach Matt McMahonโs boycott of Pride Night has sparked more than just backlash โ it has ignited a cultural showdown over where the line between competition and caus
e truly lies.