2012 in sports in Louisiana

The 2012 Allstate Sugar Bowl was the 78th edition of the annual postseason college football bowl game known as the Sugar Bowl. It featured the Michigan Wolverines and the Virginia Tech Hokies on Tuesday, January 3, 2012, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The game was the final contest of the 2011 football season for both teams and was the third game of the 2011–2012 Bowl Championship Series (BCS). The game ended with 23–20 Michigan victory in overtime. Michigan represented the Big Ten Conference (Big Ten) as the at-large team from the conference, while Virginia Tech represented the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) as its at-large team. The game was televised in the United States on ESPN and an estimated 9.6 million viewers watched the broadcast live. This was the first Sugar Bowl since 2000, as well as only the sixth since World War II and the tenth overall, not to feature a Southeastern Conference (SEC) team (the 2000 Sugar Bowl, coincidentally, also featured Virginia Tech). This was because the top two SEC teams, the LSU Tigers and Alabama Crimson Tide, played each other in the 2012 BCS National Championship Game, also held at the Superdome. This was the last SEC-less Sugar Bowl until January 2021, when the Ohio State Buckeyes representing the Big Ten faced off against the Clemson Tigers representing the ACC

The 2011–12 McNeese State Cowboys basketball team represented McNeese State University in the 2011–12 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Cowboys, led by head coach Dave Simmons, played their home games at the Burton Coliseum in Lake Charles, Louisiana, as members of the Southland Conference. After finishing 4th in the Southland during the regular season, the Cowboys made a run to the championship game of the Southland Conference tournament, where they were defeated by Lamar.

The 2012 R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl was a post-season American college football bowl game held on December 22, 2012, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The 12th edition of the New Orleans Bowl began at 11:00 a.m. CST and aired on ESPN. It featured the East Carolina Pirates from Conference USA against the Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns from the Sun Belt Conference and was the final game of the 2012 NCAA Division I FBS football season for both teams. The Ragin' Cajuns accepted their invitation after earning an 8–4 record in the regular season, while the Pirates advanced to the game through the C-USA's contingency plan after earning an 8–4 record.

The 2011–12 Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns women's basketball team represented the University of Louisiana at Lafayette during the 2011–12 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Ragin' Cajuns were led by fifth-year head coach Errol Rogers; they played their double-header home games at the Cajundome with other games at the Earl K. Long Gymnasium, which is located on campus. They were members in the Sun Belt Conference. They finished the season 7-23, 1–15 in Sun Belt play to finish sixth place in the West Division. They were eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Sun Belt women's tournament.

The 2011–12 Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns women's basketball team represented the University of Louisiana at Lafayette during the 2011–12 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Ragin' Cajuns were led by fifth-year head coach Errol Rogers; they played their double-header home games at the Cajundome with other games at the Earl K. Long Gymnasium, which is located on campus. They were members in the Sun Belt Conference. They finished the season 7-23, 1–15 in Sun Belt play to finish sixth place in the West Division. They were eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Sun Belt women's tournament.

The 2012–13 Grambling State Tigers men's basketball team represented Grambling State University during the 2012–13 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Tigers, led by first year head coach Joseph Price, played their home games at the Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center and were members of the Southwestern Athletic Conference. They finished the season 0–28, 0–18 in SWAC play to finish in last place. They lost in the quarterfinals of the SWAC tournament to Alabama A&M to become the eighth Division I team in NCAA history to finish a season winless.

The 2012–13 Southeastern Louisiana Lions basketball team represented Southeastern Louisiana University during the 2012–13 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Lions, led by ninth year head coach Jim Yarbrough, played their home games at the University Center and were members of the Southland Conference. They finished the season 13–18, 10–8 in Southland play to finish in fourth place. They advanced to the semifinals of the Southland tournament where they lost to Stephen F. Austin.

The 2012–13 Louisiana–Monroe Warhawks men's basketball team represented the University of Louisiana at Monroe during the 2012–13 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Warhawks, led by third year head coach Keith Richard, played their home games at Fant–Ewing Coliseum and were members of the West Division of the Sun Belt Conference. They finished the season 4–23, 3–17 in Sun Belt play to finish in last place in the West Division. The lost in the first round of the Sun Belt tournament to WKU.

The 2012–13 LSU Tigers basketball team represented Louisiana State University during the 2012–2013 college basketball season. The team's head coach is Johnny Jones, who was in his first season at LSU. Jones previously served as the head coach at the University of North Texas. Jones played in the 1981 Final Four as a freshman at Louisiana State University, and later served 12 seasons as an assistant coach at LSU under Dale Brown where the pair returned the 1986 Final Four. They played their home games at Pete Maravich Assembly Center as members of the Southeastern Conference.

The 2012–13 Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball team represented the University of Louisiana at Lafayette during the 2012–13 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Ragin' Cajuns, led by third year head coach Bob Marlin, played their home games at the Cajundome and were members of the West Division of the Sun Belt Conference. They finished the season 13–20, 8–12 in Sun Belt play to finish in third place in the West Division. They lost in the quarterfinals of the Sun Belt tournament to Middle Tennessee.