It always seemed like the path to the championship series of the College World Series was going to pass through “The Boot.”

“The Boot” is the trophy annually presented to the winner of the football game between the University of Arkansas and LSU — an idea, now a tradition, founded by David Bazzel.

The Razorbacks and the Tigers were the top two seeded teams to make it to the College World Series. Of course, the bracket had them playing in the first game, won by LSU 4-1 on Saturday.

With strong pitching and 10-hit games the Razorbacks got by Murray State and UCLA set up a Wednesday rematch with LSU.

After Saturday’s win the Tigers had an all-time record of 80-45 against the Razorbacks, However, the team that has an overall CWS record of 47-29 and seven championship trophies has not owned Arkansas the last six seasons.

They didn’t play in 2020 when the world of sports was canceled due to covid-19, but Arkansas is 12-6 in regular-season play against LSU and 1-1 in NCAA Tournament games since 2019.

Even in the years when LSU’s football team was having an off season — not that often really — the Tiger fans always had baseball. Not so much basketball though.

Arkansas is similar to LSU in that way, and it’s why the “Omahogs” have such a great following. Success breeds loyalty.

The Razorback football team needs a competitive season this fall. Basketball will be fine, maybe even better than that.

So, on the subject of football, while the LSU baseball team is trying to bring some athletic glory home, back home legislation is pending that would raise the sports betting tax from from 15% to 21.5%.

That would produce an additional $24.3 million for the state’s 11 public universities that compete on the Division I level.

All the money, every cent, would go to the football programs to help fund benefits of student athletes. It won’t directly go to name, image and likeness, which remains separate for athletes despite going on the payroll next month.

With the House v. NCAA settlement’s approval, schools next year will be allowed to directly pay athletes up to $20.5 million.

Earlier this year, Arkansas was the first state to do away with state income tax on NIL money. Others quickly followed suit.

I couldn’t find any direct breakdown of the $24.3 million for football, but the guess here it will not be divided equally.

In Louisiana, LSU is the tail that wags the dog. The straw that stirs the drink. What turns fans into fanatics.

There is a reason no team wants to play football on a Saturday night in Baton Rouge as tens of thousands of fans tailgate and hydrate all day.

It is a semi-controlled frenzy by kickoff in the evening and something every college football fan should experience at least once.

It is interesting to say the least. Walk by one tailgate and they’ll offer you gumbo, stop at the next and they’ll offer you a tail whipping — do not accept, walk on by.

Superstition says if Mike the Tiger is outside his caged cave, you might as well go home, your team has no chance.

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry is expected to sign off on the tax cut because it is a wildly popular idea in the state.

So back home the talk is football, but in Omaha we have the baseball Tigers, second in CWS championships behind only Southern Cal’s 12. Its last was in 1998. Since then LSU has won three championships.

This was a spectacular baseball season for most of the SEC, which has added basketball to its national athletic resume, and two of the best were going at it Wednesday with everything on the line.