Shaquille O’Neal already has plans to see his old team play. The LSU Tigers are going to Fayetteville to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks on October 19. Not only will Shaq be there for the game, he’s going to make it spectacular. Shaq’s going to don his DIESEL bling (and maybe sport LSU colors) to headline JJ’s Live a day before the game. It’s all in a fun rivalry between two college towns and its local businesses. But which side is Shaq on? That’s a plot twist.

In the spirit of competition, JJ’s Live in Arkansas wrote on social media, “We booked Mr. LSU, @djdiesel / @shaq the night before LSU AT Arkansas on October 19th to throw the biggest party in the STATE! Then we called our good friends at @fredsbar and told them to shut down Baton Rouge and come party with us in Fayetteville!”

The Baton Rouge business, Fred’s Bar claimed that there will be “more LSU fans at the show than Arkansas fans,” at the game in Arkansas. Which, in Michael Jordan fashion, JJ’s took personally. So it’s offering some incentives early.

JJ’s took on the ‘friendly’ challenge first by bringing LSU superstar Shaq on board. DJ Diesel performs on October 18 at JJ’s and tickets go on sale this month. It’s three months early but it’s time for LSU and Arkansas fans to step up to the challenge. Presale starts on the JJs Live website at 10 a.m. on July 8 with a special code, ‘SHAQFAY.’ Tickets go on sale on July 12. The prices start at $75 and go higher depending on VIP perks.

Interestingly, the Big Chicken Shaq location he opened in Fayetteville in 2023 is not the venue. It’s less than 10 minutes from JJ’s Live, so he could still stop by. But this is all about a friendly rivalry which Shaq partook in.

Shaq is LSU’s original hero

LSU hosted the Razorbacks in Tiger Stadium in 2019. But the highlight was the arrival of the biggest (quite literally) alumni in LSU history. Shaquille O’Neal, who has a way with the purple and gold color scheme, donned his LSU shirt and arrived in Tigerland in style. He received a standing ovation, hyped the team, the Tigers supports, and even gave a cheerleader a boost.

The Tigers won that game 56-20. So Shaq’s presence tends to work like a lucky charm for his old team. Before that game, he performed at Fred’s Bar under balloons that said, ‘Shaq loves Fred’s.’ O’Neal even gave out a 1,000 free Papa John;s pizzas at the event.

He returned to Fred’s almost every year, including 2022 and 2023. He performed with his son, Myles in 2022, which was his second live in his dad’s college town. Myles would join him to cheer on the Tigers after their show. But this year is JJ’s and Arkansas. Tigerland will have to prove this October that Shaq is their OG.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the infamous Shaq-Kobe feud, Caitlin Clark’s Olympic snub, and more, watch this video.