LAFAYETTE — A new chapter in college athletics is already underway, and at the center of it is revenue sharing with student-athletes.
Following the House vs. NCAA settlement, athletic departments are now permitted to distribute up to $20.5 million of their annual revenue with players.
To adapt, Louisiana athletics launched the Cajuns Edge Fund last year, an initiative overseen by the Ragin’ Cajuns Athletic Foundation.
Inside his office, RCAF Executive Director Trey Frazier is focused on growing that fund, which he says is critical to keeping UL competitive in the modern college sports landscape.
“Athletic departments are now able to share revenue with student-athletes,” Frazier said. “That’s what revenue sharing is.”
The Cajuns Edge Fund allows UL supporters to donate directly toward revenue-sharing opportunities for student-athletes. Those funds are separate from Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deals, which are agreements between athletes and outside businesses.
“If a fan gives $100 to Cajuns Edge, it will go directly into a pot that our coaches have the ability to manage to their own discretion on how they want to distribute revenue sharing with their respective programs,” Frazier said.
RCAF supports UL athletics through several key priorities: the Champions Fund, which helps fund scholarships; Capital Resources, backing major projects like the Our Lady of Lourdes renovation and a future baseball clubhouse; sport-specific giving for things like travel, recruiting, and meals; and the newest initiative, Cajuns Edge.
While UL still provides roughly $9 million annually in scholarships across the athletic department, revenue sharing serves as an added benefit for athletes — and a growing factor in attracting players.
“It’s the new thing in recruiting,” Frazier said. “You sit down and they want to know what’s my experience going to be like, what are the facilities like, what’s my relationship with the coach going to be like, and am I going to be included in an NIL or revenue-share opportunity.”
Frazier said fan support now plays a direct role in the university’s ability to recruit and retain talent, making the impact of contributions heavier than ever before.
“If we want to continue to be competitive and have the success that we’ve had over Dr. Maggard’s tenure, we’ve got to support this area of the new landscape in college athletics,” he said.
According to Frazier, RCAF has raised just under $2 million so far, with funds that can be distributed across multiple sports programs.
Fans interested in contributing to the Cajuns Edge Fund can find more information here. To learn more about the Ragin' Cajuns Athletic Foundation and their initiatives, click here.
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