As college football continues to professionalize, football again has restructured its front office to focus on athlete pay.
Along with naming assistant general managers for external and internal operations Monday to help general manager , the Tigers have moved the head of the football team's name, image and likeness (NIL) initiatives, Taylor Jacobs, into a new role as a chief strategy officer for the program.
In her new position, Jacobs will oversee what third-party NIL deals are going to football players as well as the team's revenue-sharing dollars. According to a news release, the chief strategy officer is responsible for "generating strategic partnerships and ensuring alignment across key stakeholders to impact the long-term success of the program."
More than ever, the success of a college football team depends on how much money it can invest in a roster. LSU's roster for the 2026 season, built heavily through the transfer portal, upward of $40 million.
A large chunk of that money comes from the $21.3 million each school can directly share with student-athletes during the 2026-27 academic year, the lion's share of that going to football programs. But third-party NIL deals are a differentiator for schools.
Businesses can pay athletes directly for marketing campaigns, but LSU also has worked with its multimedia rights partner, PlayFly, to not only reel in sponsorship dollars for the school but also athletes.
Now the Tigers also will have Jacobs, who has spent the last five years focused on NIL initiatives, working to find third-party deals to boost LSU's budget.
Meanwhile, assistant GM for external operations JR Belton and Adam Clark, his internal operations counterpart, will help manage other aspects of the football program.
Belton, who served as director of football ops in 2025, will oversee recruiting, player development and personnel, and alumni relations as well as play a role in fundraising. According to the release, Belton will also help in building "a long-term financial strategy for roster construction."
Clark, who comes over from NC State, will oversee the football program's operational budget, including management of equipment, sports performance, nutrition, dining, athletic training, academics, compliance, human resources, game operations and facilities.
LSU coach obviously has familiarity with a more pro-style front office setup, serving as the Raiders' head man during the 2007 and 2008 seasons. Kiffin brought Glasscock with him from Ole Miss and assured he was one of the highest-paid GMs in college football.
Glasscock’s responsibilities, according to the release, are “department staffing, roster construction, player acquisition, transfer portal strategy, advanced scouting and long-term program development.”
“As Coach Kiffin says, LSU is ‘Just Different,'" Glasscock said in a release. “Building a front office staff the way we have will allow us to continue to lead in this space and continue to set LSU apart."