Louisianians have a passion for sports. There are many opportunities to attend sporting events throughout the year. Football season is one of the best times to visit Louisiana. The weather is magnificent and you can enjoy the best college football experiences in the world at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. Then head to New Orleans on Sunday to watch the Super Bowl XLIV champion New Orleans Saints in the Louisiana Superdome. You can also watch the New Orleans Hornets during basketball season and the New Orleans Zephyrs and the Shreveport-Bossier Captains during baseball season along with myriad college sports opportunities throughout the state.

Louisiana is hosting several major sporting events throughout the coming years. The 2012 NCAA Men’s Final Four will be held in New Orleans. In 2013 it is the NCAA Women’s Final Four’s turn to head to New Orleans. Also in 2013, the Super Bowl will return to New Orleans for the seventh time. Did you know the Superdome has hosted the Super Bowl more than any other venue?

Louisiana has an outstanding sports legacy. I am traveling to Natchitoches—Louisiana’s oldest permanent settlement—tomorrow to induct the 2011 class into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. This year’s inductees have set records, introduced evening games in LSU’s Tiger Stadium, coached championships and written about the greats.

The Louisiana State Museum, the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and the Louisiana Sports Writers Association have forged a public/private partnership providing our state with a showcase for its ever-growing sports heritage. The partnership will produce a state-of-the-art Hall of Fame and museum in Natchitoches. Construction is expected to be completed in summer 2012 on the 27,500-square-foot facility, which will employ cutting-edge technologies while showcasing a wide array of exhibits and memorabilia.

Congratulations to the inductees we honor this year: Morten Andersen, Kyla Hall, Thomas Pinckney “Skipper” Heard, Vaughan Johnson, Buford Jordan, Don Shows, Todd Walker and Donald “Slick” Watts. I also salute the 2011 Dave Dixon Sports Leadership Award winners, Elmo Adolph and Billy Montgomery, and the two recipients of the Distinguished Service Award in Sports Journalism, Ron Brocato and Larry Hymel.

We hope you sports fans will plan your trip to Louisiana soon to find out how we celebrate athletics.