The proposed series between LSU and Wisconsin is getting closer toward reality.

LSU athletic director Joe Alleva told Jeremy Fowler of CBSSports.com that the working plan now between the two schools is to play next year's season opener at Houston's Reliant Stadium. The Tigers would then travel to play the Badgers at Lambeau Field sometime between 2016 and 2018. Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez, who was scheduled to undergo a knee replacement surgery last week, has yet to comment on this latest story.

Alleva told Fowler that the likeliest date for an LSU trip to Lambeau would be 2017. But Wisconsin is already scheduled to play Virginia Tech, BYU and USF that season. Games can be moved around, of course, and the Badgers seem unlikely to play all three of those nonconference games in a year with a nine-game Big Ten schedule, anyway. Wisconsin only has one nonconference game on the books for 2016 -- Virginia Tech.

The Badgers also have four non-league opponents set up for 2014 -- Western Illinois, Bowling Green, South Florida and Washington State. But the Washington State game currently has no scheduled date, and it could get bumped back if the LSU game comes through.

The negotiations for the LSU-Wisconsin series are dragging on, but we salute the Tigers for being willing to play up north in Big Ten country, something many SEC teams shy away from. And a game at Lambeau Field will be undeniably cool, especially with such a name-brand opponent.

"I think it will be great for our fans," Alleva said.

Make that all fans.