Alleva: LSU athletics about more than sports

Expanding on a recent Forbes magazine report ranking LSU as having the most valuable college football team in the SEC—and the fourth most valuable in the nation—LSU Vice Chancellor and Athletic Director Joe Alleva has penned a letter to LSU fans highlighting several off-the-field investments made by the athletic department on campus. “To help the university survive an $8.1 million mid-year budget cut, the Athletic Department will take on $1.5 million for funding the Academic Center for Student-Athletes. That is only the tip of the iceberg of what athletics does for LSU,” Alleva writes. “Consider the following. In the last 10 years the athletic department has contributed to the university more than $5 million to enhance the appearance of the campus, such as replace and repair sidewalks, protect the oaks and magnolia trees, and build paved areas for students to enjoy between classes.” Alleva says the department has also contributed more than $4 million over 10 years for classroom repairs and renovations, and has spent more than $5 million to build parking lots for sporting events and day-to-day use by students, faculty and staff. Alleva notes the athletic department has done this—and more—without state tax dollars or student fees. “And the success of the athletics program helps drive logo licensing sales, generating more than $34 million over the last decade, half of which is retained by the University,” he adds. Read Alleva’s full letter here.