BATON ROUGE, LA – LSU officials say releasing records detailing how much the university pays student-athletes could seriously disrupt several ongoing negotiations with high-end car dealerships across the region.
The statement comes after three media outlets filed a lawsuit seeking public records related to athlete compensation at the public university.
LSU administrators said the documents cannot be released because doing so could compromise “sensitive discussions” between players and several dealerships currently working to finalize vehicle arrangements for the upcoming season.
“Disclosing these numbers could dramatically shift the negotiating leverage between parties,” one university official explained. “Some dealerships may suddenly realize they’re offering the wrong trim package.”
University leaders emphasized that protecting the confidentiality of these negotiations is critical to maintaining LSU’s recruiting competitiveness.
“If rival schools find out exactly what kind of vehicles our players are being offered,” the official added, “they could easily counter with upgraded models, extended warranties, or worse, free floor mats.”
The university confirmed it intends to continue fighting the records request in court.
