LSU Names Three Finalists for President

The LSU presidential search committee narrowed the field to three finalists — McNeese State President Wade Rousse, University of Alabama Provost James Dalton, and former University of Arizona President Robert Robbins — and interim president Matt Lee was not named among them. Each finalist will take part in campus town halls and private meetings with student representatives, campus leaders and athletics administrators (Robbins Thursday, Dalton Friday, Rousse Monday). The LSU Board of Supervisors will meet Tuesday to select the next president. Dalton was a late addition to the candidate pool before interviews began, while other previously considered candidates, including Giovanni Piedimonte, were cut. During a public-comment period several students voiced opposition to Rousse, citing perceived alignment with Gov. Jeff Landry; the search follows former LSU president William Tate’s May 2025 departure to become president of Rutgers University.