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Louisiana HC asks players to donate to athletic fund

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Louisiana head coach Billy Napier wants all of his players to open their wallets and become dues-paying members of the school's booster club, according to ESPN's David M. Hale.

Napier announced in a press conference Wednesday that he's asking for a "mandatory" minimum of $50 to join, adding that memberships were "about gratitude."

"That's probably a little bit unheard of and a little bit unique, but I think this is a place where I think that would be appreciated," Napier said. "I think it's part of the type of program that we want to have."

However, in a follow-up statement Friday, the school said that it won't be compulsory for players to join.

"The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Department of Athletics is thrilled that head coach Billy Napier's football program and its student-athletes expressed their collective desire to give back and show gratitude to the Ragin' Cajuns Athletic Foundation," the school said in a statement. "Members of the football program have started an initiative to demonstrate their appreciation to the RCAF, including its board of directors, staff and investors, when they are able to do so.

"Additionally, student-athletes will be encouraged to join the RCAF at the introductory level during their college careers, an initiative the program and its coaching staff supports in order to give back to the foundation that has done so much to support the Louisiana Football team and the Department of Athletics."

Napier's new rule comes as the NCAA faces increasing criticism for not financially compensating amateur athletes.

Napier is in his second season at Louisiana following stints as an assistant at Clemson, Alabama, and Colorado State, among others.

The Ragin' Cajuns finished 7-7 in 2018, including a loss to Tulane in the Cure Bowl to finish the season.

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