LSU has won the SEC twelve times, fourth in conference history behind Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee, and holds sixteen conference championships in all counting three from the SIAA and one from the Southern Conference. The most recent came in 2019 with the national title. The six seasons since without a title are ordinary by the program’s own history, which has included gaps of 22, 16 and 13 years.
Every SEC Title by Coach
| Coach | Titles | Seasons |
|---|---|---|
| Bernie Moore | 2 | 1935, 1936 |
| Paul Dietzel | 2 | 1958, 1961 |
| Charles McClendon | 1 | 1970 |
| Bill Arnsparger | 1 | 1986 |
| Mike Archer | 1 | 1988 |
| Nick Saban | 2 | 2001, 2003 |
| Les Miles | 2 | 2007, 2011 |
| Ed Orgeron | 1 | 2019 |
Before the SEC, LSU won the SIAA in 1896, 1902 and 1908 and the Southern Conference in 1932. The five SEC titles since 2001 were all won in the championship game in Atlanta.
The Championship Game Era
LSU has won five SEC championship games in seven appearances: 2001 over Tennessee, 2003 over Georgia, 2007 over Tennessee, 2011 over Georgia and 2019 over Georgia 37 to 10. The two losses were to Georgia in 2022 and to Florida in 1996. Three of the five wins came in national championship seasons.
The First Champion
Bernie Moore won the SEC in his first two seasons, 1935 and 1936, only the third and fourth years of the conference’s existence. Both teams reached the Sugar Bowl and lost, and the 1936 team was named national champion by one selector, a title the school does not claim.
The Long Gaps
LSU went from 1936 to 1958 without a title, from 1970 to 1986, and from 1988 to 2001. The current gap since 2019 is short by comparison. Brian Kelly reached the championship game in 2022 and lost 50 to 30 to Georgia, and did not get back. Lane Kiffin’s first season includes home games against Alabama, Texas and Texas A&M, which is the schedule the SEC West used to look like before divisions were abolished. Our LSU vs Alabama page covers the game that has decided most of them.
The Division Years
LSU won the SEC West ten times between 1996 and 2022, and the 2022 title came in Kelly’s first season after a 32 to 31 overtime win over Alabama. The West was abolished after 2023 when Texas and Oklahoma joined, so that number will not grow.
The Bottom Line
LSU has won 12 SEC championships and 16 conference titles overall, fourth in SEC history. Five of the twelve came in the championship game era under Saban, Miles and Orgeron, and the 2019 title was the last. Our page on most conference championships shows where LSU ranks nationally.