LSU Tigers announce major revenue source for student athletes

On Monday, the LSU Tigers announced Bayou Traditions as the school’s official NIL collective. However, many fans are unfamiliar with what an NIL collective is and why they’re a big deal. No worries, Death Valley Voice has answers to your questions.

What is NIL?

LSU Tigers athletes can receive compensation from entities that use the athlete’s name, image, and likeness (NIL). Such is possible because of an NCAA rule change back in June 2021. Previously, paying college athletes to advertise products or sell merchandise was prohibited. But things have changed. NIL is arguably more significant than the transfer portal, and athletic programs must maximize NIL opportunities to remain relevant. Critics believe NIL is ruining sports like college football because it feels like a form of free agency. Meanwhile, proponents say college athletes getting their ‘cut’ of the massive profits sports like football and basketball reel in is long overdue.

Why does NIL matter?

The 2022 LSU Tigers football recruiting class topped at an average NIL value of $107K. For example, linebacker Harold Perkins earned an estimated $768K over his freshman season. In addition, veteran star players such as Kayshon Boutte secured approximately $1.4 million in NIL deals. Such earnings matter to young players that sacrifice their bodies to play a sport while in college. Most college athletes fail in a professional sport if they’re good enough to get a shot. Thus, receiving compensation for name, image, or likeness while in school is significant. Typically, businesses are willing to pay more for notable players to represent their brands. Such is why Boutte appeared in Raising Cane’s advertisements in 2022. However, NIL collectives offer another source of income for college athletes, a source driven by fans.

What is an NIL collective?

An NIL collective is a mechanism for fans to donate money directly to an athletic department for player compensation. Think of an NIL collective donation as sponsoring college athletes. Several major college athletic departments have partnered with NIL collectives to maximize their impact. Such is now the case in Baton Rouge, where Bayou Traditions is the official NIL collective for LSU Tigers athletics.

How can fans support LSU’s NIL collective?

Fans interested in supporting LSU Tigers athletes can visit Bayou Traditions online. A variety of supporter levels are available with monthly and annual payment options. Each option comes with exclusive content and some form of merchandise. The ‘Purple’ supporter option is the cheapest at $10 monthly or a $100 annual contribution. Additionally, supporters can choose a specific LSU Tigers athletic program to route their donations. Such reiterates that NIL benefits are available to all collegiate athletic programs. LSU Tigers men’s basketball might not need much from an NIL collective, but to the LSU women’s golf team, the contributions from fans are gold.

Note: Bayou Traditions is a registered, 501c3 non-profit organization.