Louisiana’s old rivalries just got heated. Two legends are amping up the stakes between Louisiana State University and the University of New Orleans. But thrown in the mix is Sacramento State. At stake: bragging rights for two stalwarts. Master P threw the challenge first. And well, Shaquille O’Neal isn’t the type to back down; he’s the opposite, in fact. He escalated it with a bigger challenge. And no, it’s not about wearing a dress anymore. For the uninitiated, Shaq had previously said that he would wear Charles Barkley’s famous Weight Watchers dress on the Las Vegas Strip, in front of his restaurant, if the Dallas Cowboys lost their Week 1 game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
This time around though, the rivalry itself seems to stem from Shaq’s son Shaqir O’Neal, who currently plays for the Sacramento State. UNO might be back to the LSU system very soon. The University of New Orleans (UNO) is in the process of returning to the Louisiana State University (LSU) system after being approved by the state legislature in June 2025. So Shaq’s rivalry with Master P doesn’t stem from their history in Louisiana. Shaqir is about to play his first season under Mike Bibby. And acting as the Sac State Hornets honorary GM is the Shaquille O’Neal. Meanwhile, Master P stepped into the role of president of basketball operations at UNO.
If the Hornets and UNO Privateers have a faceoff this NCAA season, they’re fighting for their team managers’ pride on the line. Master P first set the stage for an electrifying competition last week. “If y’all want to see that, y’all need to call the NCAA and say, ‘Look, man, at least let us scrimmage each other this year,’” P said. “I think that’ll be big for the culture in New Orleans. Shaq and Master P at the University of New Orleans and University of Sacramento.”
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On the latest Shaq-a-Licious promotion run, O’Neal responded with the same energy..
“You tell Master P,” O’Neal said, “when we do this game, if we’re allowed to put a little wager on it, I’ll put whatever.”
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If anyone has any doubt, no, athletes and team staff are prohibited from placing wagers on games. Shaq and Master P are not only on the athletic departments of their respective alma maters, Shaq’s son is a player on the team. And this would be a big no-no. However, we are well aware that we are talking about two extremely vocal personalities who simply do not back down from wagers. At the same time, Master P and Shaq are both also professionals, will be well aware of the number of rules they will break if an actual wager materializes. This is exactly why Master P’s suggestion was for a practice scrimmage.
Master P’s suggestion for NCAA scrimmage is easier to pull off
For the most part, this clash of the titans is highly unlikely. The 2025-26 rosters are already decided. Both the Hornets and Privateers have their commitments locked in, making it difficult to arrange an official game during the upcoming season.
If it does happen, it would have to be a celebrity-driven scrimmage during a hectic college schedule for the fun of it. And we’d love it. Shaquille O’Neal and Master P on the sidelines amping the pressure on their teams? Make it happen.
Master P was the first to suggest working something out of the NCAA guidelines. He’ll definitely get help from Shaq to make it happen. It will still need NCAA approval. Which means any kind of monetary bet is still off the table. Maybe a more Shaq-style bet. O’Neal is rooting for Dallas Cowboys with promises to wear Charles Barkley’s Weight Watchers commercial black dress and wig if they don’t make it to the Super Bowl.
But there’s no animosity here. O’Neal counts Master P among the representative stars of Louisiana and has been rooting for him to helm the Super Bowl Halftime show for a while (preferably with the Cowboys as one of the teams in it). Shaq is just ready for a friendly match with high stakes within the NCAA purview.
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Or they could do a different type of battle. Since Master P has returned to the club, they could bring out their turntables and bling for a DJ battle. Even the hip-hop mogul said, “I’m back in the clubs DJing. Now, I know you DJing, but guess what? Let’s go at it on the wheels of steel. I ain’t rapping no more, but guess what — I could get on a DJ anytime, we could turn up. Louisiana Style.”
Your move DJ Diesel.