The NCAA scrutiny of LSU has expanded to include the football program, as the school confirmed on Friday afternoon that it has been working with the NCAA about an “ongoing inquiry” into a six-figure payment to the father of a former player.
An LSU booster named John Paul Funes, who pleaded guilty to stealing more than a half-million dollars from a foundation where he worked as a fundraiser, paid $180,000 to a man that Yahoo Sports confirmed on Friday is the father of former Tigers star lineman Vadal Alexander.
In federal documents, a man identified as “individual C” allegedly received “approximately $180,000 in Foundation Funds” from Funes. That man is James Alexander, the father of Vadal Alexander. His identity was first reported Thursday by the Baton Rouge Business Report.
Funes’ lawyer, Walt Green, declined comment to Yahoo Sports when asked explicitly whether he or his client had heard from the NCAA.
An LSU spokesman said in a statement that LSU has been engaged with the NCAA about the “ongoing inquiry” regarding the scheme. LSU has known about the alleged payment since 2018, but the NCAA has been limited in its investigative ability as to not interfere with Funes’ case. (This is similar to why the NCAA has been slow to react in the wake of the federal basketball corruption scandals.)
The emergence of this information from a federal case comes at a vexing time for LSU, which was already under significant NCAA scrutiny for activity within its men’s basketball program.
The Funes news comes amid an ongoing NCAA inquiry into the men’s basketball program. Coach Will Wade was suspended for more than a month earlier this year for not meeting with the school after a Yahoo Sports report detailed an FBI-intercepted call between Wade and aspiring agent Christian Dawkins. In the call, Wade expressed frustration about his inability to close what he described as a "strong-ass offer" for a recruit.
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NCAA inquiry of LSU basketball expanded to include football program
