LSU's biggest athletic donors have been invited to the Governor's Mansion next month for a private presentation on what Tiger Athletic Foundation President Matt Borman calls an alternative revenue opportunity that "could change the future of college sports."
Louisianasports.net first obtained the letter sent to the university’s top athletic donors.
The invitationoffered no details about the proposed revenue source, but Borman emphasized that attendees were not being asked to contribute financially. There will be two informational sessions, one on August 3and the other on August 5.
Borman started the invite by saying that college athletics is at a financial crossroads, and we’re feeling it every day at LSU.
The rising costs of competing in college athletics have become increasingly evident at LSU. In addition to a 36% increase in athletic expenses from 2020 through fiscal year 2025, the university has also absorbed major coaching buyouts, including Brian Kelly's roughly $54 million contract settlement and Matt McMahon's approximately $8 million buyout.
LSU is set to pay Lane Kiffin $91 million over the next seven years, while new men’s basketball coach Will Wade got a seven-year, $30 million contract.
Also, revenue-share dollars increase from $20.5 million last academic year to $21.3 million in 2026-27.
LSU is doing well with sponsorship revenue. According to SponsorUnited, LSU is one of a handful of schools to clear $30 million in sponsorship revenue. Remember, they were the first college athletic program to announce a jersey patch deal with Woodside Energy.
LSU president Dr. Wade Rousse is expected to do a lot of the talking at the informational meeting at the governor’s mansion. Rousse has a background in finance. He was a policy research specialist with the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, focusing on U.S. payment systems and financial market dynamics. He also founded an investment company.
In the letter to donors, Borman calls Rousse an innovator in economics, financing, and revenue.
When asked for a comment about the meeting, LSU spokesperson Meg Casper Sunstrom declined to comment.
The meeting's location is notable because Gov. Jeff Landry has been actively involved in LSU athletics and has previously argued that a successful LSU athletic program benefits the state as a whole.
With expenses continuing to climb in the revenue-sharing era, LSU appears poised to explore a new approach to generating athletic revenue. Exactly what that approach entails won't be revealed until next month's private presentation.
