At a University where college and football are practically synonymous, even the most diehard fans may not be aware of the money running behind each game.
Alongside the University of Nebraska, LSU is one of only two colleges in the nation with a self-sustaining athletic department. The University’s Athletic Department does not receive financial support from subsidies of state tax dollars or student fees to assist with its budget.
An LSU home game played against a Bowl Championship Series team, like the University of Florida or West Virginia University, produces about $2.6 million after expenses, according to Verge Ausberry, senior associate athletics director.
A home game against a non-BCS team, like Northwestern State University or McNeese State University, produces about $2.2 million after expenses.
At about $50 per game, the 68,000 season-ticket holders contribute about $3.4 million to each home game before money is extracted to pay for facilities, security, police, parking attendants, ambulance services and other considerations that go into hosting thousands of sports fans, Ausberry said.
Tickets for the other nearly 25,000 seats in the 92,542-capacity stadium go to non-season ticket holders like students, fans of the opposing teams and individual ticket buyers.
The 15,000 tickets designated for students are sold for $12 for general admission and $18 for reserved sections.
Ausberry said about 7,000 tickets go to the visiting team and individuals, and approximately 2,000 remaining tickets are reserved for others like guests of the players, coaches and recruits.
The cost of an individual non-student football ticket ranges from $40 to $70, depending on seat location and opponent, according to the University Ticket Office website.
In addition to ticket sales, home-game revenue is also generated by concessions, parking fees and merchandise.
Ausberry said the schedule alternates home and away games each year for Southeastern Conference teams like the University of Alabama, Mississippi State University and the University of Arkansas, while Football Championship Subdivision schools receive anywhere between $400,000 and $500,000 to play in Tiger Stadium. Division I Football Bowl Subdivision schools receive $750,000 to $975,000.
“Non-BCS teams play here,” he said. “They’re not going to play a game at [their] home against a major SEC school like we are.”
Ausberry said when BCS teams rotate the location of the games, they trade a monetary guarantee. When schools play visiting games at another college, they get between $500,000 and $600,000 from the home team to cover expenses. When the game is returned and the location is swapped, the guarantee amount is paid back.
Although the Tigers played in Cowboys Stadium, LSU’s first game of the 2011 season was financially considered a home game, he said. The LSU Athletic Department earned around $3 million in that game, and while Oregon also received payment for playing, it probably made less than LSU.
Despite the millions of dollars football raises and contributes to the operational budget of the LSU Athletic Department, Ausberry said the Tiger Athletic Foundation, with the Athletic Department, has more than $250 million of combined debt on recent projects.
“TAF becomes important,” he said. “There is still some debt on notes. From 1972 to 2001 we didn’t upgrade facilities, and in 2001, we updated the east side suites, and lots of new facilities have been completed lately.”
Some of the completed and planned work includes the volleyball locker room, an indoor track and a new gymnastics practice facility.
After expenses are paid from a home game, the money made goes into a general fund, where it is divided and designated for updating athletic facilities and for payment to the University. As an auxiliary of the institution, Ausberry said the Athletic Department also gives 5 percent of its budget to the University every year.
“All the revenue we make goes back to [athletics], not including what goes back to the institution, which is close to $19 million each year,” Ausberry said. “In addition to that amount, this year LSU Athletics donated $3 million to the Business School, $5 million to the band hall and we also now have all the band scholarships — a million and a half dollars, not including uniforms and travel.”
Of the University sports, three athletic programs make a profit — football, men’s basketball and baseball. Money from these three teams supports the Athletic Department budget.
Money from the general fund also goes to pay for every athletic scholarship, which costs about $8.5 million in total.
“People say [athletes] go to school for free, but they don’t. It’s paid for,” he said. “We pay for the scholarships of any student-athlete you see.”
Ausberry said the LSU Athletic Department also impacts the entire Baton Rouge economy by close to $200 million throughout the year by stimulating use of local hotels, restaurants and businesses in the area.
“We are an economic engine in this city and in the state,” he said.
 
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Contact Morgan Searles at [email protected]