Did Leonard Fournette's family break NCAA rules?

Josh Peter | USA TODAY Sports

NEW ORLEANS — Before Leonard Fournette made his debut at LSU, his parents and a family associate were setting up an online business to capitalize on the star running back’s growing fame.

The plan was to sell T-shirts and hats emblazoned with “BUGA Nation," an acronym for "Being United Generates Attitude" that Fournette helped develop when he was the top-rated high school recruit in the country.

Paul Price, described by Fournette's mother as the family’s manager, made payments of about $10,000 to build a website and produce the merchandise to be sold, the owners of three companies involved told USA TODAY Sports. The owners said they gave Price and the Fournettes more than $20,000 in discounts because they expected strong sales driven by the star running back's popularity. Even with the discounts, one of the business owners said he has yet to be paid in full.

The website launched the week of LSU's 2014 season opener, but the business went no further — sales of T-shirts and hats were stopped within 24 hours after the NCAA learned of its existence, according to Lory Fournette.

“There’s certain rules that just can’t be broken,” she told USA TODAY Sports.

NCAA rules prohibit athletes or their family members from profiting off the athlete’s name, image or likeness. The Fournettes insisted their son’s name or image not be used on the website, and indeed the apparel that appears on a development version of the website only includes the “BUGA Nation” logo and LSU colors.

It is unclear whether Price's role in getting the website built, any discount offered to the family or the attempt to sell "BUGA Nation" merchandise would be viewed by the NCAA as an impermissible benefit for Leonard Fournette.

Lory Fournette told USA TODAY Sports that the NCAA views "BUGA Nation" as Leonard Fournette's brand.

However, when asked whether the NCAA was aware of the matter, spokeswoman Stacey Osburn said the governing body has no record of correspondence with the Fournettes. Any communication with the Fournettes on the issue would come from the school or conference, she said.

In an email to USA TODAY Sports, the Southeastern Conference responded on Thursday that it also has no record of correspondence with the Fournettes.

Both LSU and Leonard Fournette had no comment, said Michael Bonnette, communications director for the athletic department. The university, in response to public record requests submitted by USA TODAY Sports, said it has no evidence of written communication with the NCAA regarding Fournette and cited federal privacy law when asked for communication with the SEC.

Unpaid fees remain

The stoppage of sales dashed the high hopes of the business associates. Fournette has emerged as the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy, awarded annually to the nation's top college player, and will be on the national stage again Saturday when fourth-ranked LSU (7-0) plays sixth-ranked Alabama (7-1).

Although Price, who lives about 20 miles from LSU in Geismar, made the payments of about $10,000, an email one company said came from Price identified Lory Fournette as the owner of the website.

Joe McFerrin, owner of the IWD Agency, said he provided a 45% discount because he expected Leonard Fournette’s success at LSU to generate publicity for the website and his company.

McFerrin said Price paid a deposit of $4,715 but did not pay the balance of $14,682 that McFerrin said he tried to collect from Price.

“He was managing the whole project for (the Fournettes)," McFerrin said, adding that he sent the bill to a collection agency but eventually gave up.

Timothy Baudier, owner of Alternative Tees in New Orleans, said he printed up about 300 T-shirts and 50 hats that are still in boxes. He said he provided a 50% discount because he also thought Leonard Fournette’s popularity would drive sales. He said he thinks sales could have approached $1 million by now with Fournette leading the nation in rushing yards and with LSU undefeated and vying for a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Baudier said he spent at least $4,400 and that he thinks Leonard Fournette Jr., father of the LSU running back, paid half of the expenses.

Fournette Jr. did not respond to requests for comment.

Chris Hanley, the owner of HanleyCreative who said he created graphics and design for the website and merchandise, said Price paid him about $5,000, a discounted rate he said he agreed to because Price promised Hanley would be hired for future projects involving Leonard Fournette.

“I gave him major price breaks,’’ Hanley said.

Worried about rules

Hanley and McFerrin, the website developer, said they had concerns about whether the website and merchandise sales would violate NCAA rules. But both said Price told them he had cleared the project with the NCAA.

“He said he crossed his T’s and dotted his I’s making sure the NCAA wasn’t going to be shutting it down," Hanley said.

In a form Price submitted in May 2014, according to IWD Agency, he outlined the proposal and identified “BUGA Nation” as “a collegiate brand’’ and that from July to January “our primary audience is the LSU fan base. … Once that’s established, in the spring we’re going to broaden our targeted audience to a more global approach by introducing the color swatch."

He listed Nike, Under Armour and Adidas as potential competitors.

Price declined to discuss the project or his relationship with the Fournettes.

“I don’t want to take away any of the shine from the kids," he said, referring to LSU’s football players while standing in front of his house.

The site went live Aug. 27, 2014 and sales were halted the next day — two days before Fournette made his college debut in LSU’s season opener against Wisconsin, according to Lorin Stumph, who managed the “BUGA Nation” website development for IWD Agency.

Stumph said no more than a few items were purchased and the orders were not filled — a step to ensure no NCAA rules violations took place.

In August, according to IWD Agency, Price sent an email that read:

“We want to reiterate based on our initial discussions and agreement that Leonard Fournette has absolutely nothing to do with the BUGA Nation website. We ask that if there are any photos of Leonard Fournette’s images or likeness on the BUGA Nation/Being United Generates Attitude website that they be removed effective immediately. This site is owned by Lory Fournette and we want to make sure that the website is free and clear of all photos and mentionings of Leonard Fournette.”

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Family manager

Lory Fournette described Price as “one of the managers we have."

“A person we know, a friend of the family. (Price) was assisting with us in developing this,” she added during an interview at the Fournettes' home in Slidell, a New Orleans suburb.

Price is listed as the executive on a handful of inactive Louisiana businesses, including Street Life Entertainment, which Bryson Scott, who also is listed as an executive for the company, said was a record label. Scott identified himself as a rapper and said Price handled publicity.

Scott also said he met Leonard Fournette during a barbecue at Price’s house when Fournette was playing football at St. Augustine High School in New Orleans.

“I know they were trying to run the BUGA Nation campaign,’’ Scott said.

Court records in Ascension Parish, where Price lives, show he has faced three civil lawsuits alleging unpaid credit card bills in recent years.

Stumph said IWD Agency spoke to Lory Fournette only once, and Stumph said she met Leonard Fournette during a chance encounter in Baton Rouge.

“He seemed very happy with the website and all the products,’’ Stumph said.

Lory Fournette said the family plans to relaunch the venture when Leonard Fournette becomes eligible for the NFL draft after his junior season next year. She said she does not think her son will challenge the NFL’s rule prohibiting college underclassmen from entering the draft.

Lory Fournette said she thinks a college football player eventually will challenge the rule, but added, “I don’t think it’s going to be Leonard. He’s not going to" do it.

Leonard Fournette and two of his cousins came up with the motto "BUGA Nation" when Fournette was at St. Augustine High School, his mother said.

“They just knew it was in Leonard,” Lory Fournette said, “like he’s playing ball and they say, ‘We can take this thing by storm. This is going to be worldwide.’ ”

Contributing: Steve Berkowitz