A few days ago, LSU announced it is getting rid of Ed Orgeron, LSU's football coach. Orgeron coached LSU's football team to a national championship in 2019, but what has he done for us lately?
What will it cost to buy out Orgeron's contract? Almost $17 million. Orgeron gets the cash in installments, but he gets the first half a million in December.
LSU will also buy out several members of Orgeron's coaching staff. What will that cost? Another $9.5 million.
And the university is still paying for some earlier buyouts. In 2020, LSU bought out defensive coordinator Bo Pelini's contract. That cost LSU $4 million.
It also bought out a passing game coordinator's contract. But that was chump change. It only cost LSU $1 million.
Money, money, money. LSU renovated the football team's locker room in 2019. That cost a cool $28 million. Each player gets his own sleeping space in case he gets tired while studying for exams.
College sports is big business. Everyone understands that. But does it have anything to do with the students?
Apparently not. Every time LSU's athletic department spends a ton of money, its PR people remind us that LSU's football program is a moneymaker and that students don't have to pay a dime to support it.
I'm not sure I believe that line. LSU football wasn't a moneymaker in 2020 when the COVID pandemic virtually shut down college sports.
In any event, students probably aren't paying attention. On any given day, students walk across the LSU campus with their eyes fixated on their cellphones. Many don't bother to use the crosswalks. They just meander across the streets anywhere they choose.
Just a few days ago, two cars collided on Highland Avenue, which runs right through campus. As you can see from the photo, one of the cars flipped over and was totaled.
The speed limit on Highland Road is 30 miles an hour. Maybe LSU should spend less money on football coaches and devote more resources to traffic control.
Look both ways before you cross the street on the LSU campus. |