Everything might look the same after the ruling on LSU's NCAA violations were handed down this week, but the same can't be said for the record book.
The Tigers have vacated all wins from 2012-'15 that included an ineligible player. That player, according to a report from Wilson Alexander of the Advocate, was Vadal Alexander, who appeared in 50 games under head coach Les Miles, 37 of which were wins.
Alexander, a native of New Orleans, was a 7th round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft by the then-Oakland Raiders. Most recently he was a member of the XFL's St. Louis Battlehawks.
The ineligibility stems from an arrangement involving Alexander's parents and a donor to the Tiger Athletic foundation and season-ticket holder. The Advocate identified that second party as John Paul Funes.
The investigation states that Funes offered to employ Alexander's mother at a hospital system affiliated with his foundation, and to also employ the father at the foundation itself. A payment of $3,150 was said to have been made to Alexander's father, followed by monthly payments of $3,000 described as a "retainer" to the foundation. Those payments totaled to $180,150, with Alexander's father working at "no more than five" such events, the ruling states.
Those payments were determined to be extra benefits provided to the family, an NCAA violation that made Alexander ineligible to compete. The NCAA deemed that it fell upon LSU to monitor Funes' interaction with student-athletes due to his status as a school representative, and they failed to do that.
The vacation of those games was among the penalties LSU self-imposed after the notice of violations was handed down initially, though it went unreported until this week among other penalties. The NCAA accepted LSU's self-imposed penalties as it weighed additional ones for a host of violations across its football and basketball programs. Both have been placed on probation.
The loss of 50 games will ultimately have the greatest impact to former head coach Les Miles LSU resume. With the 37 wins and 13 losses removed, his career record with the Tigers goes from 114-34 to 77-34. Miles had been No. 2 on LSU football's all-time wins list, but has now dropped behind Bernie Moore (83-39-6). Charles McClendon sits No. 1 on that list with a career record of 135-61-7
The penalties also thoroughly encompassed the LSU men's basketball program surrounding Will Wade's tenure that became embroiled in a wide-reaching investigation and corruption case.
Wade was ultimately fired following the initial notice of violations and replaced by Matt McMahon. Wade spent the 2022-'23 season out of coaching, but has since been hired at McNeese where he will be suspended the first 10 games of the upcoming season.
For the full breakdown of penalties, click here.
