LSU is working towards finalizing a contract extension with athletic director Verge Ausberry that runs through 2030.
The LSU Board of Supervisors is expected to ratify the deal at its meeting on Thursday, formalizing Ausberry’s compensation as the full-time leader of the Tigers’ athletic department.
According to multiple reports, the agreement features escalating base salary that climbs to $1.5 million by the end of 2027, $1.6 million in the following year, and $1.7 million the year after that. It also includes performance incentives tied to postseason success in football, men’s basketball, and women’s basketball. A football national championship, for example, would trigger a $150,000 bonus for the AD.
Termination language is standard but notable in today’s buyout-heavy landscape: If LSU fires Ausberry without cause, the school would owe 80% of his remaining contract value. The deal includes a duty-to-mitigate clause, requiring him to seek other athletics-related employment, with any new earnings offsetting LSU’s obligation.
Ausberry, a former LSU linebacker (1986-90) who has been with the athletic department since 1991, was elevated to interim AD in fall 2025 following Scott Woodward’s departure. He was named permanent athletic director in November 2025 by new LSU president Wade Rousse.
The contract supersedes his previous agreement from early 2025 (tied to his prior executive deputy AD role) and reflects his elevated status amid one of the most turbulent and expensive periods in college athletics.
Since taking over, Ausberry has overseen major moves including the hiring of Lane Kiffin as football coach and Will Wade as men’s basketball coach, while navigating the rollout of revenue sharing, NIL collectives, and new corporate partnerships. He has publicly discussed reshaping the department’s reporting structure to emphasize revenue generation across sports and adjusting the revenue-sharing model to give baseball its own dedicated slice.
The timing of the new deal comes as LSU athletics operates in a dramatically different financial environment—one defined by massive coaching contracts, roster spending, and the need to maximize every revenue stream. Ausberry’s extension signals stability at the top as the Tigers push to compete at the highest level in the revenue-sharing era.
Full contract details are expected to become public following Thursday’s board approval. This move keeps a lifelong Tiger in charge during a turbulent time for college athletics overall.
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