How the LSU Football Brand Has Left a Positive Impression on University, State

LSU athletic director Scott Woodward says admissions up after recent brand resurgence

There's perhaps no brand in college football hotter than LSU at the moment. The historic 2019 national championship season that Ed Orgeron and the Tigers just displayed has left a lasting impression on not only all that had a hand in the accomplishment but across the state and the country as well.

That starts with the culture that Orgeron is building within the program as it's resonating with folks not just from Louisiana and southern states like Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Florida but also country wide to California, Washington D.C. and Maryland. As part of the "virtual town hall" hosted by the Advocate on Thursday, athletic director Scott Woodward relayed his thoughts on how the LSU brand has really taken off in recent years.

"We don't want to toot our own horns, but our brand is so powerful," Woodward said. "It's happened in effect across the country. Coach O's persona and where he's taking the program has expanded the recruiting base."

LSU has signed high-profile, out-of-state players like Elias Ricks and Arik Gilbert in 2020 and have received commitments from prospects such as Raesjon Davis and receiver JoJo Earle in 2021. 

But recruiting and football is just the tip of the iceberg. The social media team has been head and shoulders above the competition. The team was nominated by Sports Business Journal for “Best in Sports Social Media” along with Bleacher Report, the MLB and XFL for producing masterpieces like this.

Two major sports organizations, the hub of sporting news “on the go” and LSU. That’s some pretty great company that the Tigers were mentioned with.

"Our social media number results are so good out there right now, and it's affecting campus positively, admissions are way up,” Woodward said.

From a revenue standpoint, merchandise sales shattered previous records. LSU brought in over $2 million in national championship product royalties and with the additional $6 million in non-championship royalties, hauled in $8.1 million total during the 2019-20 fiscal year. 

The previous record was $5.6 million from the 2012-13 season. Just how much revenue LSU made from this past season alone remains to be seen but the athletic revenue from the 2018-19 year was $157.8 million, which was a $12.4 million increase from the 2017-18 season. 

The 2018-19 year included a Fiesta Bowl appearance for the Tigers in football, a Sweet Sixteen appearance in men's basketball rife with scandal and a Super Regional appearance for the baseball team. A national championship run in 2019-20 would figure to see the football revenue increase exponentially from its $56.6 million profit in 2018-19.

"It's not conjecture, it's fact and it's because of all the hard work we've done," Woodward said. "Promoting LSU on game day and with great partnerships with the SEC Network and ESPN. Getting out there and making ourselves accessible and just selling. We don't have to sell sizzle, we're selling steak. Watching people tailgate and watching something in Tiger Stadium is absolutely spell bounding and everyone wants to be a part of it and that's a great thing."

Woodward was not only extremely complimentary of the LSU brand but also the 2020 team, who he thinks will surprise a lot of people this season. From the returners like Ja'Marr Chase and Terrace Marshall, to the newcomers like Arik Gilbert, to the unproven commodities like Myles Brennan, 2020 can be a further example of representing the LSU brand to its fullest.

"We want to look forward to the future and just boy, it's bright," Woodward said. "I really love this group of kids coming back. Chase and Marshall and the young talent coming in Arik Gilbert. It's gonna be fun and we'll hopefully have Myles develop into a championship leading quarterback. That's going to be through hard work and through tenacious practicing but I'm very bullish about this season and I feel really good."

"Not only am I happy from an athletic director standpoint, but as an alumnus I'm so proud and so happy that we are prospering so well as a program and as a state institution," Woodward said.