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Report: LSU dealing with NCAA inquiry following booster’s $180k payment to father of former Tiger offensive lineman
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Will Wade’s basketball program may not be the only Baton Rouge sports program in the NCAA’s crosshairs this summer as new allegations have surfaced that involve the LSU football program.
Former LSU booster John Paul Funes recently plead guilty to stealing $550,000 from the Our Lady of the Lake Foundation, and according to court documents, $180,000 of that money was sent to an individual referred to as “Individual C” in the documents. Turns out, “Individual C” is James Alexander, the father of former LSU starting offensive lineman Vadal Alexander.
This news was first reported last week by the Baton Rouge Business Report.
The $180,000 alledged payment occurred while Vadal Alexander was playing at LSU. Considering James Alexander is based out of Atlanta and has no connection to the Our Lady of the Lake Foundation, the payment has obviously raised a red flag for the NCAA. The NCAA has opened an “ongoing inquiry” following these allegations. Following the initial report, Yahoo Sports is reporting the same news.
Former LSU coach Les Miles, who was Alexander’s head coach in Baton Rouge, issued the following comment to the Baton Rouge Business Report after hearing the allegations of the payment to James Alexander:
“I didn’t know about it and wouldn’t have expected that in any way.”
It will be interesting to see if anything comes following this news as these allegations obviously have nothing to do with the LSU football program since Ed Orgeron took it over but the NCAA has been known to punish programs for the misdeeds of others in the past.
A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Michael Wayne Bratton oversees the news coverage for Saturday Down South. Michael previously worked for FOX Sports and NFL.com
