On September 22, 2022, following a 21-month cooperative process between LSU Athletics and the NCAA Committee on Infractions, the COI released its public decision on a case involving the LSU Football program

Throughout the process, the University worked in concert with the enforcement staff to determine the truth and to self-impose sanctions.

In its decision, the COI determined the program “violated recruiting rules when a former assistant coach and former assistant director of recruiting met separately with a prospect during the COVID-19 recruiting dead period and provided the prospect with impermissible recruiting inducements.”

The violations are as follows: 

• In-person contact with a prospective student-athlete during an impermissible time period.  Specifically, a former assistant coach and a former assistant director of recruiting had in-person contact with a prospective student-athlete during a recruiting dead period.
• Impermissible recruiting inducement in the form of used athletic gear given to a prospective student-athlete.  Specifically, a former assistant coach and a former assistant director of recruiting provided used team issued athletic gear to a prospective student-athlete during a visit to the locale of the member institution.

• Exceeded the permissible number of countable coaches by one. Specifically, a former assistant director of recruiting met a prospective student-athlete at an off-campus location and provided them transportation to member institution’s campus during a recruiting dead period.

As result of these violations, the COI imposed the following penalties:

• One year probation
• A $5,000 fine (self-imposed)
• A limit of official visits for football to 55 during the 2022-23 academic year (self-imposed)
• A one-week prohibition against unofficial visits in the football program prior to the beginning of the 2022-23 academic year (self-imposed)
• A one-week prohibition against recruiting communications in the football program prior to the beginning of the 2022-23 academic year (self-imposed)
• A reduction of seven evaluation days in the football program during the fall 2021 evaluation period (self-imposed)

In its ruling, the committee also found that “LSU took appropriate, good-faith measures intended to deter and prevent the type of violations that happened in this case.” LSU Athletics will continue to proactively educate coaches and student-athletes to ensure rules compliance.