Governor John Bel Edwards opened himself to a firestorm of criticism following his speech Thursday night in which he said that the Louisiana's budget situation is so bad, that it could threaten the existence of state universities, hence, the 2016 college football season:

"If you are a student attending one of these universities, it means that you will receive a grade of incomplete, many students will not be able to graduate, and student-athletes across the state at those schools will be ineligible to play next semester. That means you can say farewell to college football next fall."

Those words, of course, were quickly picked up by a the national news and sports media, including USA Today:

"But Edwards maintains he has no choice, and...that even Louisiana State's football program would be placed on the chopping block if tax increases aren't implemented."

From Fox News:

"Louisiana Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards is suggesting the legendary LSU football team's 2016 season might be cancelled,..unless the GOP-led legislature swiftly passes a package of tax increases."

And even ESPN got into the act:

The special legislative session to consider the Governor's tax increases and other revenue increase proposals began in Baton Rouge Sunday in Baton Rouge.