LSU helped launch it. Now Bocock Brothers’ college cigar line is growing

Last year, Houston-based cigar company Bocock Brothers made history when it began selling officially licensed LSU cigars. It was the first time a major university had partnered with a cigar brand.

Fast forward to today and the company has significantly broadened its scope.

Bocock Brothers now has eight collegiate partners, most of them in the SEC: LSU, Mississippi State University, Texas A&M University, the University of Florida, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, the University of Mississippi, the University of Missouri and Wake Forest University. And more partnerships are on the way.

“It all started with LSU,” Matt Anderson, the company’s global sales and marketing director, tells Daily Report. “They were the first ones to take a chance on a tobacco company and enter into a partnership like this.”

Bocock Brothers’ pitch is simple: capitalize on the long-standing culture of cigar smoking after sporting victories, a culture that’s pervasive in the SEC.

With universities now required to come up with more than $20 million to pay their athletes each year, the company’s pitch is even more compelling, as partner institutions receive a share of the proceeds. Inquiries increasingly are coming in from outside the SEC, according to Anderson.

“There’s an arms race going on to find new streams of revenue, whether it be a custom cigar or just getting our products in front of donors to get them more excited about giving money,” Anderson says. “That’s kind of where all of this is coming from.”

Bocock Brothers is aiming to sign on five to 10 more schools within the next year, though Anderson says he could “easily” see 15 to 20 coming on board over that time span. Professional teams are another potential avenue for growth.

Still, LSU remains a cornerstone of the brand’s offerings. On Monday, the company announced its latest LSU release: a commemorative cigar box celebrating the Tigers’ 2025 College World Series win.