Shockwaves at LSU: Tigers Face Major NIL Reporting Scandal—What This Means for College Football’s Future

So here’s a curious twist in the ever-evolving saga of college sports: the LSU Tigers have just stepped into uncharted territory, becoming the first major athletics program publicly flagged for investigation by the College Sports Commission (CSC). This fresh watchdog group, created under last year’s House settlement, is sniffing around whether LSU properly reported some third-party NIL deals—an inquiry that, interestingly enough, sidesteps the football spotlight and zooms in on other sports. Now, I can’t help but wonder—how tightly do you have to tie a name, image, and likeness deal before it looks more like a friendly handshake and less like a hidden contract? With NIL Go processing tens of thousands of deals and throwing down strict rules, it feels like the college sports world just got a new referee in the game, and LSU is right at the center of this inaugural whistle. Buckle up; this is just the beginning. LEARN MORE

The LSU Tigers have become the first publicly known major athletics program to face an investigation from the College Sports Commission (CSC), the new enforcement body created to oversee revenue sharing and third-party Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) agreements under the House settlement approved in 2024. The inquiry centers on whether LSU failed to properly report one or more third-party NIL deals, according to a Jan. 15 email obtained by The Athletic.

“The College Sports Commission is investigating whether a member of one of your institution’s sports teams failed to report one or more third-party Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals in accordance with applicable rules,” Katie B. Medearis, CSC’s head of investigations, wrote to LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry. Medearis also requested a phone call with Ausberry or LSU’s compliance staff to discuss the matter.

While the Tigers have been highly visible this offseason, the investigation is reportedly not related to LSU football. The inquiry involves unreported NIL compensation tied to sports other than football, according to The Athletic and NOLA.com. LSU is also reportedly one of more than a dozen schools contacted by the CSC regarding potential unreported deals.

“As previously indicated, the CSC has reached out to several schools to inform them of investigations into unreported NIL deals,” a CSC spokesperson said. “We will not comment further at this time.”

The reporting requirement derives from the House settlement, which mandates all NCAA Division I schools disclose third-party NIL agreements valued at more than $600 through NIL Go, CSC’s designated clearinghouse. Schools must submit those deals within five days of execution. NIL Go reviews agreements to ensure they have a valid business purpose, involve direct use of an athlete’s NIL rights, and reflect compensation comparable to similarly situated individuals.

“We have been in regular communication with the CSC since the organization’s formation and appreciate their ongoing collaboration and guidance,” LSU said in a statement. “We anticipate this specific inquiry will be resolved shortly. We will not comment further on regulatory matters.”

Since its launch in June 2025, NIL Go has processed 17,845 submitted deals involving nearly 11,000 athletes across 40 sports. Of those, 17,321 deals worth $127.21 million were cleared through Dec. 31, 2025. An additional 524 deals, worth $14.94 million, were not cleared, while 10 remained in arbitration by year’s end. According to CSC data, 52% of deals were resolved within 24 hours and 73% within one week once all required information was submitted. Chiefly, 44% of cleared deals involved athletes outside football and men’s basketball.

The CSC issued updated guidance on Jan. 9, warning schools that enforcement activity was imminent and that “some schools should expect to hear” from the commission. LSU was contacted on Jan. 15 as part of the outreach that began next week. The CSC also expressed concern about certain deal structures being discussed during the transfer portal window, cautioning that promises of third-party NIL compensation without proper clearance could jeopardize athlete eligibility.

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