How much would LSU get on the open market for broadcast rights?

Having moved away from Louisiana—living in Tampa, Cincinnati, and now Charlotte—you realize LSU's brand doesn't carry the universal weight people in the region assume it does. We aren't Notre Dame, and we don't have a truly independent national footprint that can command standalone network money.

If we hit the open market alone, an Amazon or Apple deal would likely top out around $45M a year. Networks pay premium dollars for inventory—meaning a full slate of games every single Saturday. Buying standalone rights for an independent LSU just gets them 6 or 7 home games a year against whoever is actually willing to schedule us. Getting booted from the SEC would destroy our leverage and cut our payout nearly in half.