WATCH: LSU football QBs during their team’s first preseason practice
LSU quarterbacks Garrett Nussmeier (13), Rickie Collins (10), AJ Swann (15) and Colin Hurley (16) work out during the first fall practice.
BATON ROUGE – Efforts to attract fans to schools’ name, image and likeness funds have taken all shapes and sizes these days.
The most recent water cooler conversation about the NIL section revolved around the placement of QR codes on players’ helmets, a new initiative by Oklahoma State for the upcoming season. During games, whether in person or on TV, fans can scan the code, which will take them to a website where they can donate directly to the school’s NIL fund.
A few days ago, UConn became the first school to display its NIL Collective logo on both 25-yard lines of its playing field.
LSU football coach Brian Kelly said Wednesday that he believes the way some schools handle NIL is taking the sport away from the “college realm,” and he doesn’t expect LSU to venture into any NIL appearances on game days.
“The college feeling that you have, and this is just my personal feeling, putting a QR code on your helmet just doesn’t feel collegiate to me,” Kelly said during the Southeastern Conference coaches’ teleconference. “As far as us being able to continue to play this game with the band and with college-age kids playing the game, I get it. NIL is here to stay and that’s great, but I think we can move away from that and still work on NIL at the end of the game.
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“I think the QR code starts for me, I don’t know – for us, I think we can keep NIL off the field. I think we can create the things we need here at LSU regardless of the game day atmosphere.”
The Tiger Athletic Foundation recently partnered with Bayou Traditions, LSU’s official NIL collective, to streamline NIL donations from supporters to LSU student-athletes. Each donation earns points that qualify for athletic department gifts.
The 12th-seeded Tigers will begin the 2024 season against 23rd-seeded USC at the Vegas Kickoff Classic in Las Vegas on Sunday (6:30 p.m. CT, ABC).
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Cory Diaz covers the LSU Tigers for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his Tigers coverage on Twitter: @ByCoryDiaz. Have questions about LSU athletics? Send them to Cory Diaz at [email protected].
