How LSU’s New State-of-the-art Locker Room Compares to Oklahoma State’s

LSU stole the social media show Sunday by unveiling new locker rooms, replete with charging stations, iPad/iPhone docks, and reclinable chairs that convert to sleeping pods. To say they’re sharp would be vastly understating the grandeur of the entire setup.

Setting The Standard pic.twitter.com/d7QUJfKL6M

— LSU Football (@LSUfootball) July 22, 2019

What I found most interesting was the fact that LSU zigged when everyone else has been zagging. The latest and greatest in college football in recent years, using Texas and Texas A&M as examples, has been technology-centered. Televisions in the barber shop area, interactive avatar screens above individual lockers, televisions in the bathrooms … all the televisions!

What LSU did was revolutionary and useful and different — something I can easily see OSU one day replicating. In the rollout, they cited trainers and sports scientists who were on board with the new locker room layout in large part because the sleeping pod was a fresh idea with massive benefits. Unlike many schools implementing sleep rooms, they instead gave each locker the ability to unfold into a nap space (in addition to the TVs).

Sure, there’s space for technology at LSU; the storage space above the locker has charging capabilities, as does the sitting space, which has docks and iPads. But the real innovation is in the sleeping pod, which seem to be a big hit.

So how does OSU’s locker rooms compare to what LSU has? OSU, for one, has lockers and not sleeping pods (for now).

Here’s a look at what it looked like less than a decade ago, when a whole bunch of money was poured in to renovate. There have likely been minor upgrades and additions since (like a barber shop, new couches, etc.) but this gives a good glimpse into the contrast between OSU and LSU.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhAg9zHF_AM?start=23&w=560&h=315]

Best I can tell, pretty similar, right? The difference in layout is stark — LSU’s new lockers really open up the room and allow for lines of sight — but OSU is similar in that 1. Televisions are everywhere! and 2. Player space is prioritized. OSU, in fact, seems to be more player-centric in terms of providing a locker room meshed with a lounge area. There are couches everywhere you look!

To compare the lockers themselves, LSU definitely has an I’m flying first class feel as opposed to I have a trig test at 3 I’m skipping because bleachers this morning sucked type of vibe. As a result, dare I say, they look a little crammed.

By contrast, here’s what OSU’s look like. Spacious, traditional, and packed with all the latest tech — charging stations, ventilation, etc. etc.

There’s more to facilities than just a locker, and there are more rebuilt rooms and services LSU rolled out over the weekend. But a glimpse into 2019’s latest and greatest when it comes to locker rooms shows that while OSU’s latest renovations came nearly a decade ago, they’re still near the top in terms of style, tech and layout in the world of college football.