In a surprising turn for Louisiana higher‑education transparency, detailed revenue‑sharing budgets for student‑athletes at several University of Louisiana (UL) System schools were posted online during the August 27 UL Board of Supervisors meeting. The information shows that Louisiana Tech University will spend almost $2 million of public money on its athletes, while the University of Louisiana at Lafayette has earmarked $1.5 million.
Breakdown of school‑level payouts
According to the posted documents, Louisiana Tech’s budget allocates $1.2 million to football, roughly $500,000 to men’s basketball, $200,000 to baseball and $86,000 to all women’s sports. Northwestern State University will distribute $750,000, with $300,000 for football, $350,000 for men’s basketball and $100,000 for women’s programs. UL Lafayette’s $1.5 million budget includes $591,895 for football, $647,500 for men’s basketball, $120,600 for baseball and $157,354 for women’s sports.
Grambling State University is the only participating school that did not disclose team‑level data, reporting a total budget of $460,000 for the academic year. McNeese State, Nicholls State and the University of Louisiana at Monroe indicated they will not use public money to pay players, relying instead on private name‑image‑likeness (NIL) arrangements estimated at about $2 million for ULM.
Act 818 and the intent of secrecy
Earlier this year, the Louisiana legislature overwhelmingly passed Act 818, authored by Rep. Tehmi Chassion (D‑Lafayette). The law allows public universities to shield the specific amounts paid to individual athletes and each athletic team, requiring only that the total spent across all teams be disclosed. The statute applies to self‑generated revenue that Division I schools may use to directly compensate athletes for their name, image and likeness, separate from private NIL deals with sponsors.
Louisiana law treats all self‑generated revenue from state college campuses as public money, meaning it must receive legislative approval for how it is spent. The intent of Act 818 was to protect the privacy of student‑athlete compensation while preserving overall fiscal oversight.
Legal perspectives on the disclosure
Brandon DeCuir, an attorney representing the UL System, said the team‑level information was released in error and should not be used without authorization. He asked the student newspaper, the Illuminator, to delete the documents, which remain posted on the system’s website.
First‑Amendment attorney Scott Sternberg, who has represented the Illuminator, countered that journalists have a right to publish information that is lawfully obtained. “Documents that are made publicly available by the government are fair game, even if the government made a mistake,” Sternberg said.
Implications for transparency and accountability
The accidental release provides a rare glimpse into how public funds are being allocated to student‑athletes under the new law. While the legislation was designed to keep team‑level figures private, the disclosure underscores the ongoing tension between governmental transparency and the privacy protections granted to athletes.
University spokespersons emphasized that the budgets reflect revenue generated from ticket sales, media contracts and other athletic income, all of which must be approved by the state legislature. The UL System’s attorney reiterated that the documents were not intended for public consumption and that the system will seek to correct the error.
As the UL System continues to navigate the balance between fiscal responsibility and the privacy of its athletes, the incident may prompt further discussion among lawmakers, university officials and the public about the appropriate level of disclosure for publicly funded athletic programs.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
