LSU Athletics is a household name known for purple and gold, championships and Saturday nights in Death Valley. But who’s behind the branding of arguably the No. 1 name for collegiate sports in the country?

This spring, LSU Athletics announced the launch of The Brand, an in-house communications studio bringing together the department’s social media, videography, photography, podcasting, marketing and NILSU teams. In the new era of NIL, the department was born from the need to establish a more cohesive creative department to help maximize resources for student-athletes.

The third floor of Tiger Stadium South, which has been used for many offices over the years, was renovated to provide amenities for multiple units under one roof. In one space, camera equipment and backdrops are ready for photo and video shoots. In another section, radio shows and podcasts are recorded. There’s a recruit dressing room, NIL recruiting lounge and much more.

Once bare gray walls were transformed into an immersive hallway splashed with timeless photos, video boards and images of billboards and magazine covers—all products of the school’s various creative teams. Statistics signage shows the power of LSU’s podcast and radio reach.

As a student-photographer myself, I’ve volunteered with the LSU Athletics photo team since my freshman year. I’ve seen and experienced the impact that the creative department has on not only student-athletes, but also student-workers.

While The Brand was created to better collaborate among departments and provide a resource to student-athletes, it also elevates the work of LSU students, giving their work exposure and providing ongoing hands-on education.

Renovations began in January, but the plans for the space have been in motion since the end of last summer. Under the creative guidance of Executive Director of Creative Design and Photography Jason Feirman, a large portion of the branding and the walls were created and designed by student-workers.

Originally, the department’s creative, marketing and NIL units worked separately with occasional crossover, some of them not even working in the same building. But when Senior Associate Athletic Director Zach Greenwell came onto the scene last summer, he knew he wanted to make a change.

“The staff felt disconnected at times and really wanted something that tied them all together,” Greenwell tells me. “That was one thing that we were trying to solve: How can we become one team and really be able to rally around things, find things for all the staff to be able to take pride in?”

Combining the minds of Greenwell, Feirman and Associate AD of NIL & Strategic Initiatives Taylor Jacobs, the all-in-one branding hub and creative and marketing unit was conceptualized.

LSU has a long history of enrolling athletes who have star power, with figures from Olivia Dunn, Angel Reese and Jayden Daniels to Joe Burrow, Shaquille O’Neal and Seimone Augustus becoming style icons and household names.

Now, recruits, visitors and students walking the space should immediately grasp the school’s story and brand power, Feirman says.

“If I’m a recruit or a student-athlete, how am I looking at this space and this group to enhance my student-athlete experience—and help me effectively build a brand and leave LSU bigger than when I started,” Jacobs says.

The Brand looks to continue building, innovating and elevating resources for student-athletes—and in turn, broadening LSU Athletics’ name recognition.

“It’s something else that LSU could offer that no one else can. It’s kind of our differentiator from many other schools across the country,” Feirman says. “Always keeping LSU unique is kind of our goal. So this area, in this space, and our groups working together, accomplishes that.” lsusports.net/thebrand 

Home tour

A walkthrough of The Brand’s digs

If walls could talk

The third floor of Tiger Stadium South was renovated with workspaces and amenities for more than 100 staff members. The walls are splashed with images of historic moments across LSU Athletics. Hallways guide workers, student-athletes and recruits to photo and video sets, a recruit dressing room, a podcast and radio studio, an NIL recruiting lounge and more.

Dream weavers

The Brand’s graphic designers create visual experiences for the teams and players, dreaming up schedule cards, website and social media graphics, billboards and more.

Cover material

The communications department produces content and fields press requests. It published nearly 2,500 articles last year. Players are taught how to manage media during mock interviews and events.

On set

LSU’s Emmy-winning video team has produced in-house documentaries airing on LSU+ and ESPNU.

Heard ’round the world

With eight podcasts, the Hey Fightin’ Podcast Network has logged over 1.37 million plays. Some shows are even hosted by student-athletes.

Behind the lens

The LSU Pix team snapped over 3.5 million photos of teams and coaches last year, from the action on the field to in-studio portrait sessions.

This article was originally published in 225 Magazine’s 2025 Tiger Pride edition.