Report: Louisiana settlement from Juul Labs will help fund LSU NIL deals

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill is using a recent $10 million settlement the state received from Juul Labs to boost NIL at LSU. According to a report from the Louisiana Illuminator, Murrill plans to launch a youth anti-vaping campaign that will engage athletes from the school.

The state has agreed to spend $281,000 on NIL deals over the next three years, with $225,000 of that going to LSU athletes. The rest will be paid to athletes at Louisiana-Monroe, Grambling, Northwestern State, Southeastern Louisiana and McNeese State.

The campaign will target teens and adults under 21 to reduce vaping among that demographic. It is a requirement of the settlement with Juul Labs that the money received be used for research, education and vaping cessation programs, among other things.

Louisiana law does not have any restrictions on public funds going toward NIL deals. However, the report stated that no other agencies have entered into any similar agreements with schools.

The money for LSU athletes will be paid to Playfly Sports Properties, a private company that manages the athletic department’s corporate partnerships. In addition to the $225,000 that will go directly to student-athletes, the state will pay another $125,000 directly to Playfly to run advertisements related to the campaign during LSU athletics events.

Signs will be posted during LSU volleyball matches, men’s and women’s basketball games, gymnastic meets and baseball, softball and soccer games. Additionally, the state will receive 30-second commercials that appear during broadcasts of men’s and women’s basketball and baseball.

The contract does not detail which LSU athletes will be paid to participate in the campaign or how much they will individually make. Athletes at the other Louisiana universities will be paid between $1,000 and $3,000 each.

The agreement also gives the state opportunity to distribute anti-vaping materials on campus at one football game, three regular season basketball, volleyball or gymnastics matches and two appearances at either a baseball or softball game. 

According to the report, a 2023 survey found that 30% of high school students and 20% of middle schoolers in the state of Louisiana vape. The survey also discovered that 80% of both groups reported they were able to purchase vapes from stores.

It’s certainly a unique use of NIL, but the hope is that by partnering with well-known athletes at LSU, those numbers will come down.