LSU Athletics Director Skip Bertman said Wednesday that LSU officials have met with Nokia Sugar Bowl and Hornets representatives to discuss the possibility of moving sporting events previously held in New Orleans to LSU’s campus.
As numerous officials of the Nokia Sugar Bowl, including Sugar Bowl Executive Director Paul Hoolahan, have suffered damage to their New Orleans homes, Bertman said the process of establishing a temporary home for the Sugar Bowl and the Hornets has been slowed.
“The Hornets called and asked if they could play here,” Bertman said. “Just like the Saints, the Louisiana High School Bayou Bash Classic and the Sugar Bowl.”
According to Bertman, the cost of playing a Saints game in Tiger Stadium is around $300,000, which involves more than 14,000 workers.
LSU will not incur any costs. The Saints, as well as any other professional team that elects to play in Baton Rouge, will financially support the games.
“People who donate to LSU and buy tickets from LSU did not give the money to subsidize a professional team,” Bertman said. “Therefore, just like we asked from the Saints, give us the money it costs to run a ball game, and that’s what they’re giving us.”
The Hornets or the Saints would cover only the cost to play games here, Bertman said, and would pay LSU for everything else.
“There are no economic benefits for LSU,” Bertman said. “But there may be for Baton Rouge. That’s something we’re very in-tuned with.”
According to a report by Timothy Ryan of the University of New Orleans, the Nokia Sugar Bowl provides numerous benefits for its host city of New Orleans.
Ryan reported that more than $200 million in revenue for the city stems from the Sugar Bowl.
According to the report, hotel revenues produce $32.27 million, as well as $17.41 million in restaurants, $13.49 million from local bars and $16.59 million in entertainment and shopping.
Bertman said Sugar Bowl officials will be in contact with LSU next week to discuss more options.
New Orleans Hornets officials discussed Wednesday the elements of temporarily moving to Baton Rouge with the NBA.
“They’re getting together with the NBA in terms of what they need to play a basketball game,” Bertman said. “They discussed the issues of the court size and security issues to see if we could accommodate that. We’ll see if we can solidify something then,” Bertman said.”
When asked if LSU’s Pete Maravich Assembly Center was involved in the Hornets’ plans, Bertman would not confirm or deny any plans but said the PMAC is “a good place to play basketball.”
Contact Jeff Sentell at [email protected]