LSU football cancels future series with Big 12 team

The LSU Tigers are making a notable change to their future non-conference schedule as the offseason draws closer to an end.

Per reports from On3's Brett McMurphy, LSU is cancelling its home-and-home series with the Arizona State Sun Devils for the 2029 and 2030 seasons.

The news comes less than a week after LSU announced the addition of four new non-conference games spanning across the 2027, '28, and '30 seasons.

Why LSU Likely Chose to Cancel Arizona State Series

LSU appears to be taking the route that other elite programs have chosen in order to better guarantee a spot in the Colllege Fooball Playoff. The CFP committee has shown a pattern of valuing total wins over win quality for some of the high-level teams in college football, leading to some of the SEC's top programs adjusting their future non-conference schedules in a favorable fashion while leaving the touger matchups for conference play.

Arizona State is a solid Big 12 team that could certainly give LSU some trouble down the line. The home-and-home series would have made for some solid early-season entertainment.

However, the move to cancel the series now further opens up the opportunity for the Tigers to schedule non-conference games with "weaker" opponents, leading to an overall better record and thus a potentially stronger chance at making the CFP.

LSU's four new non-conference games on the future schedule features teams that won't exactly be challenging the Tigers in any notable way.

Here are LSU's latest additions to the non-conference schedule along with the current kickoff dates: 

- 2027 season: vs. Northwestern State, Aug. 28 

- 2028 season: vs. Louisiana-Monroe, Aug. 26

- 2028 season: vs. Southern, Sept. 9

- 2030 season: vs. Tulane, Aug. 31

Just one look at this group of teams, and the motive is clear.

Instead of scheduling matchups with teams like Ohio State, Notre Dame and Oregon among others, the Tigers are wanting to make things easier on themselves during the non-conference slate. And regardless of what other fans might think, LSU is doing this in the program's best interest.

Expect to see this kind of strategy from more SEC teams over the coming months and years. The Texas Longhorns have already made it clear that this strategy is viable, and now other programs in the conference are following suit.

Sign up to our free newsletterand follow us on Facebookand Xfor the latest news.

Today's best reads

• LSU Football Adds Four New Games to Future Non-Conference Schedule
• Why LSU May Already Have Its Next Defensive Superstar on Campus
• Biggest Questions Facing LSU Entering Fall Camp
• The One Thing That Will Determine LSU's Ceiling More Than Talent
• One Area LSU Must Be Elite In to Win the SEC

This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/lsu as LSU Football Cancels Future Series With Big 12 Team.