There could be trouble brewing down in the Bayou!
In a move that has Nick Saban’s name written all over it — that was a joke — LSU star running back Leonard Fournette is having to deal with a story emerging about his family and a possible NCAA violation per USA Today.
Before Leonard Fournette made his debut at LSU, his parents and a family associate were setting up an online business to capitalize on the star running back’s growing fame.
The plan was to sell T-shirts and hats emblazoned with “BUGA Nation,” an acronym for “Being United Generates Attitude” that Fournette helped develop when he was the top-rated high school recruit in the country.
Paul Price, described by Fournette’s mother as the family’s manager, made payments of about $10,000 to build a website and produce the merchandise to be sold, the owners of three companies involved told USA TODAY Sports. The owners said they gave Price and the Fournettes more than $20,000 in discounts because they expected strong sales driven by the star running back’s popularity. Even with the discounts, one of the business owners said he has yet to be paid in full.
The website launched the week of LSU’s 2014 season opener, but the business went no further — sales of T-shirts and hats were stopped within 24 hours after the NCAA learned of its existence, according to Lory Fournette.
The family has said previously that Fournette’s name or image was never used on the site or on any products, only the BUGA phrase and LSU’s colors.
NCAA rules prohibit athletes or their family members from profiting off the athlete’s name, image or likeness.
So far there’s been no communication between Fournette’s family or the NCAA.