The prospect of an officially licensed LSU beer ran dry last week when Chancellor Michael Martin announced the University would no longer pursue the introduction of Bandit Blonde Ale after the Board of Supervisors took issue with the proposal (see page 3).
LSU System spokesman Charles Zewe told The Daily Reveille that the University failed to formally submit the plan to the board in writing, while the Associated Press reported the University’s contract with the Collegiate Licensing Company, which forbids LSU logos from appearing in association with alcohol, drugs or tobacco products, would have to be amended to allow for the beer to bear the letters “LSU.”
With these obstacles, Martin declared Bandit Blonde was “not worth the fight.”
Talk about a buzz kill.
But more relevant than the idea of an LSU beer as a point of pride for fans is the money the University could have made from it — 10 percent of the beer’s sales. We can’t put a definitive price tag on that, but with Tiger fans’ appetites for ale, it’s safe to say LSU would have walked away with significantly heavier pockets.
Perhaps that would have made a dent in the $8 million midyear cut LSU took over winter break.
After years of warnings about the University’s dire financial straits, one might have expected those who govern the LSU System to look past bureaucratic roadblocks like amending a contract in order to create a powerful revenue stream and a teachable moment for business students to learn about the beer industry.
And LSU isn’t the only entity taking a hit here. Consider all the potential profits Tin Roof, co-founded by University alumnus William McGehee, would have enjoyed by brewing an LSU beer.
LSU fans got a hard lesson in missed opportunities at the BCS National Championship, but missing out on a prime business opportunity and windfall profits because of administrative obstructions stings even worse. 
 
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