Brian Kelly And LSU continue to adapt to the ever-changing NIL landscape. One way the Tigers have done this has been by partnering with the Tiger Athletic Foundation (TAF) and her NIL collective Bayou Traditions.
The school announced the establishment of a new subsidiary, TAF Services Corporation (TAFSC) in July, allowing donors to earn Priority Points through TAF. Boosters can also log into their Tiger Athletic Foundation/LSU ticket account and donate directly to Bayou Traditions.
Kelly talked about how he believes the partnership will help strengthen LSU’s NIL brand while also finding a way to give back to major donors.
“As I understand it, if you donate to NIL through TAF, you get points,” he said. “I think there’s a way now to merge the two. I think that’s what it’s starting to look like. …If you donate to NIL at LSU, you get points for seat upgrades and a tax deduction, which we don’t have right now, but I think that’s coming.”
“I think it’s quite natural that as everything we’ve seen with revenue sharing evolves in 2025, that this will be the next iteration. While that may be the case right now, I think we’re getting closer to the idea that donations you make will go down to NIL through TAF.”
LSU launched the agreement with the announcement of the Give 100 Campaign to commemorate 100 Tiger Stadium seasons. Donors received four Priority Points for every $1,000 they gave to Team TAF, which they can then redeem for tickets or upgraded parking. Give 100 will also directly impact NIL opportunities for LSU football athletes.
The Tigers are not the first school to introduce priority points. Collectives at Texas And Texas A&M decided in June 2023 that supporters could collect preferential points for donations, but has since retracted this measure.
One way collectives combat donation fatigue is by offering priority points to funders in exchange for dollars. The highest-spending NIL collectives have annual budgets of more than $15 million.
LSU’s decision to keep its NIL collection separate and still provide support comes after the House of Representatives vs. NCAA Agreement that will provide a way to share profits between schools and players. The incentive in the form of priority points will hopefully lead to higher donations, leaving more money available to the school.
Either way, it is clear that the Tigers are prepared for the future from a NIL perspective and hopefully that will lead to results on the field as well.
