LSU and Southern University have been playing spirited football in the same city since 1916, when the Jaguars program was added to the Baton Rouge entertainment scene 24 years after the Tigers started the sport in 1892.

But the crosstown schools have never met in football.

Until tonight.

That all changes when the lights go on in Tiger Stadium with a game that figures to be more historically and culturally significant than competitively enthralling.

Other than the $700,000 check the Jaguars will pocket for the 12-mile trip with virtually no travel expenses, there doesn’t seem to be a compelling reason to play the game.

But not only will it be LSU’s first-ever game against a Southwestern Athletic Conference opponent, but also its first against a Historically Black Colleges and Universities school.

“The significance of that is great,” LSU head coach Brian Kelly said. “I think is a great thing for this university and certainly for Baton Rouge — historic in nature to have two schools from the same city uniting and celebrating this community, the accomplishments.

“I think it is a critical thing for the city. This doesn’t happen often. I mean, how many teams get together from the same city? Maybe UCLA and USC? I can’t think of many more that are in the same city that play each other.

“So it’s a it’s a big deal. It’s pretty cool. I’m excited. I know our players are too.”

Kelly also said if LSU is going to play teams from the Football Championship Subdivision — and many critics think it should not — then the Tigers might as well keep it close by scheduling in-state schools.

You can’t get any closer than this.

So what will be a sell-out crowd — rare for LSU when playing an FCS team — will also welcome Kelly, who will coach his first game in Tiger Stadium after his tenure opened with a unimpressive 24-23 loss to Florida State as time expired last Sunday night at the Superdome in New Orleans.

Southern also has a first-year head coach in Eric Dooley, who took over the Jaguars after three years as the head coach at SWAC rival Prairie View A&M.

On paper — statistically — it looks like a serious mismatch.

But Southern isn’t likely to put up the same numbers it did in Dooley’s debut when the Jaguars rolled up 611 yards of offense while shutting out Florida Memorial, an NAIA school, 86-0.

”Overmatched opponent,” Kelly said. “But they did what they should have. Dominated an opponent, looked good doing it.”

For Kelly, though, who’s been under fire since last week’s inauspicious debut, it’s more about addressing his team’s shortcoming.

“First home game, obviously our guys are excited to get an opportunity to bounce back after a disappointing loss,” Kelly said. “Short week. You can imagine there’s a lot of emotion. But we had to get right back to work.

“Now we’re excited about the weekend.”