SPORT Fund
Coverage of SPORT Fund in the Nexus archive.
- Sports betting tax dollars begin flowing into Louisiana college sports programs
Louisiana's SPORT Fund, funded by sports betting taxes, provides $2 million annually to Division I college athletics programs to support student-athletes. Schools use the funds for scholarships, tuition offsets, and budget balancing, though public reporting of expenditures is not required. The fund aims to address financial pressures from college sports reforms, including athlete revenue-sharing obligations.
- How Louisiana colleges will use an infusion of tax money for their sports programs
Louisiana colleges will receive annual $2 million allocations from the SPORT Fund, financed by sports gambling taxes, to support athletics programs through scholarships and budget stabilization. The law prohibits using funds for existing scholarships but allows new opportunities, though spending transparency is not mandated. LSU, UL Lafayette, and others plan to use the money for scholarships, tuition mitigation, or operational costs.
- Bill to hide public money paid to college athletes nears final passage
Louisiana legislators are advancing House Bill 608, which would exempt public records detailing payments to college athletes from disclosure. The bill, supported by LSU athletics leaders, creates a loophole in the state’s public records law to conceal how public funds are distributed to athletes under NCAA revenue-sharing rules. Opponents, including Sen. Greg Miller and Sen. Beth Mizell, argue the legislation creates a double standard by shielding athlete payments while public salaries of non-athlete university employees remain transparent.