Forever Team LSU: Finding a Place and Paying it Forward
November 09, 2026
BATON ROUGE - Lauren Taylor (BS Marketing ’09, MS Kinesiology ’12) was in her first semester at LSU when Hurricane Katrina hit. As the Texas Tiger watched the campus community open its doors and hearts to thousands of evacuees, she saw that the school’s true colors go far beyond the purple and gold seen on game days. In those moments, she knew she’d found a home.
“LSU is the place where I unlocked something, piece by piece that I don’t think I would have anywhere else,” said Taylor.
As it turns out, those missing pieces would lead to a career in shaping the biggest brands in college sports. Using skills developed in her courses, Taylor began her career through a sports marketing internship at LSU. She went on to earn a full-time role with the LSU Department of Athletics. She sees the Tiger Stadium Campout and the Mike’s Kids Club relaunch as her most impactful projects as they helped engage a new generation of fans.
Her work engaging Tiger fans was just the beginning. After seeing the University of
Maryland through its transition from the ACC to the Big Ten, Taylor worked for the
Southeastern Conference, where she adapted to the different challenges that exist
when working for, in
essence, 16 schools at once.
In her current role as the director of sports marketing for college sports for ESPN,
Taylor cultivates the SEC Network and ACC Network brands. Additionally, she oversees
tasks like the promotion of live sports, original content and studio program coverage.
Taylor believes that her
time at LSU truly set her up for success.
“ It was, hands down, the most important thing. This campus has such a rich culture and so many opportunities. ”
Regardless of where she has worked, Taylor has expressed a genuine passion for helping students and giving them an honest look at her profession. She worked as an adjunct professor at the University of Alabama and enjoys speaking to marketing students at LSU about her industry. Some of the specific qualities she finds to be the most helpful for students pursuing a career in marketing are energy, excitement and resourcefulness.
“That is a core value of who someone is as a person and how they work,” said Taylor.
“I tell students to start (looking for opportunities) earlier than they might think.
(A lot of people) would be surprised, especially in sports, to know that people start
as early as freshman year… so I
would say start early as much as possible and then try a lot of things.”
Taylor considers herself to be someone who builds the leaders of tomorrow. She does this by reciprocating much of the kindness she was given to students and young professionals trying to get their start in the sports industry.
LSU will always hold a special place in Taylor’s heart. Like anything special, Taylor
wants to make her alma mater proud of her success and hopes to pay it forward. Now,
two decades after watching LSU open its doors to those who needed it most, she is
living up to that example:
showing up for others, especially students looking to launch their own careers. As
the 2026 E. J. Ourso College of Business Outstanding Young Alum recipient, she hopes her story will show Tigers what’s possible.
About the LSU E. J. Ourso College of Business
Since 1928, the LSU E. J. Ourso College of Business has served as Louisiana's flagship business college. Through its undergraduate, master's, doctoral and professional programs, the college prepares students for immediate success and long-term leadership. Its faculty produce research that influences business, policy and the Louisiana economy. Guided by its 2026–2031 strategic plan, the E. J. Ourso College aims to maximize its return on investment and position itself among the nation's leading public business schools.
Learn more at lsu.edu/business.