Kiffin’s LSU Debut Draws Celebrity Crowd Including Livvy Dunne and Theo Von

Lane Kiffin’s inaugural appearance in Tiger Stadium as LSU’s head coach was marked by significant anticipation and celebration.

Prior to LSU’s season opener against Clemson, Kiffin was greeted by an enthusiastic fan base upon entering the stadium. He was accompanied by notable celebrity supporters, including influencer and former LSU gymnast Olivia “Livvy” Dunne, model Brooks Nader, and comedian Theo Von, all present for Kiffin’s first game.

A native of Baton Rouge, Nader’s grandfather, Sam Nader, serves as the assistant athletic director for LSU’s football operations. She made an appearance earlier that day on ESPN’s “College GameDay,” which was broadcast from the scene of the highly anticipated matchup.

Von, a Louisiana native, previously attended LSU and contributed a column to the university’s student newspaper, The Reveille.

Dunne, whose partner is the 2025 National League Cy Young Award winner and former LSU star Paul Skenes, was part of the Tigers’ national championship gymnastics team in 2024. Both Dunne and Kiffin are set to appear in the upcoming reboot of “Baywatch.”

The LSU versus Clemson matchup was already highly anticipated, featuring two of the most prominent names in Division I college football.

However, the game took on an additional layer of intrigue over the past few days when Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris—two players who spent the summer with NFL organizations—secured a legal victory in their pursuit of a fifth year of college eligibility.

Amidst this dispute, LSU and Kiffin are facing a lawsuit from the SEC, which alleges that the Tigers are breaching conference regulations by incorporating players who were previously rostered on professional teams.

Ultimately, Wright and Harris were not added to the roster before Friday’s deadline, meaning they will not participate in Saturday’s game. However, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that the two could potentially be added to the roster later in the season.

Kiffin addressed his decision to keep the two players off the team during his appearance on “GameDay.”

“That wasn’t easy,” Kiffin stated regarding the decision during his appearance. “As much as I feel for the players, and I believe that you fight for what you believe in, and I believe these kids have an opportunity to play—just like all the other kids around the country who are winning court cases and being put on rosters.”

“But at the same time, I’m the head coach of LSU, and I had to make a decision that is for the big picture of LSU and the LSU football program, given the uncertainties of what might have resulted from adding them to the roster. And we didn’t get exact reasons or understand what that would mean if we had added them.”

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