Martin: LSU lost the big game but gained big-time exposure

In a guest post for The Washington Post today, LSU Chancellor Mike Martin says, “It’s not whether you win or lose, it’s that you played in the big game.” Despite getting thumped 21-0 by Alabama at the BCS National Championship on Jan. 9, LSU gained the kind of national exposure that money can’t buy, Martin says. The exposure will likely lead to increased enrollment and revenue, he says, and gave the university the opportunity to promote its academic strengths in addition to its athletic success. Martin notes it wasn’t just the BCS that provided such exposure. “Nearly all of LSU’s games were nationally televised, including the Southeastern Conference championship game and the national championship game,” he says. “That is exposure that LSU could never have afforded to buy.” Martin says enrollment this year is already up 10% over 2011, with out-of-state applicants leading the growth, up 16%. “Of course, a variety of factors could be contributing to this growth, but LSU’s outstanding football season and multiple TV appearances could only have helped to attract interest from prospective students,” he says. In his post, Martin also touches on the related and valuable plum of merchandising, noting the university took in an additional $1 million the previous time LSU played in the BCS National Championship, in 2007. “Losing a big game is always difficult,” he concludes, “but even when a university loses the national championship game, all is not lost.” Check out the full story here.