LSU Football: The NCAA is making some sense for once

LSU football faced an odd situation this week thanks to former Tigers wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr’s decision to hand cash to players after the championship game against Clemson.

LSU football was forced to deal with the NCAA after winning the national championship, due to former Tigers wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr handing out cash to players on the field.

LSU’s athletic department initially said the money was counterfeit. They even showed CBS Sports a fake bill the next day that was found on the field after their win against Clemson.

But Tigers quarterback Joe Burrow told Barstool Sports this week the money was real. As a result, both LSU and the NCAA decided to take a closer look at the situation.

Fortunately for LSU, common sense (and the actual rules) seems to have prevailed.

CBS Sports quoted a former NCAA official as saying “This is overly scrutinized despite the fact it could potentially be a rules violation”.

Tim Nevius, the former official, added “it is unlikely to impact anyone’s eligibility because the guys who accepted the money are leaving”.

If any underclassmen accepted money, they’d have to repay it if it’s over the allowed threshold (which is around $200-$500).

Repaying the money wouldn’t result in a suspension.

So basically, this whole deal isn’t a big deal at all. And it shouldn’t be. 

Of course, with that said, OBJ’s actions were still ill-advised. And I’d imagine LSU will have a very frank discussion with him about how his actions can hurt the university and its athletes.

But aside from that, this story is pretty much over.