Before I start bashing Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, I just want to say I love LSU.

I love to cheer for the Tigers (when they're not playing Tech, of course) and I thoroughly enjoy my trips down to Baton Rouge to visit my friends who attend the school.

But in the light of the Sugar Bowl win, it seems the administration may be getting a little greedy.

In order to make LSU a flagship university in the region, the school is asking for an additional $50 million a year in funding. Many are afraid that if granted, LSU will be taking money away from other universities in the state.

This is where I start having a problem with LSU.

It is important to say that I have not read anywhere that the actual plan is to take money from other colleges and universities to fund LSU's budget increase; it's the threat that gets me.

Last Saturday, Nick Saban, head coach of LSU football, turned down an offer to coach the NFL's Chicago Bears. By staying with LSU, he will be making a salary of a little more than $3 million a year. This is more than any other football coach in the entire country.

And they're asking for more money?

I can't imagine how much money LSU makes just from football. Selling out their 90,000-seat stadium for every home game has to bring in an unimaginable amount just in ticket sales.

But as it is, they want $50 million more a year, some of which may have been allotted to Tech? I don't think so.

Luckily, however, I am not the only one who thinks this way.

In fact, in a poll conducted by Edward F. Renwick of New Orleans, 78 percent of people polled opposed the budget increase if it would take away from other universities.

In north Louisiana, only 11 percent supported it.

Roger Ogden, president of the LSU Board of Supervisors, said those polled focused on the wrong issue.

According to a Jan. 7 article on www.theadvocate.com, Ogden said those polled were focusing more on whether this would take away from other schools when they should have been focusing on what having a flagship school in Louisiana would do for the state's economic development.

Sorry, I guess I'm still stuck on whether or not Tech would lose money out of the deal.

However, it doesn't look like any big increase can happen this year at least, because the state faces a budget shortfall of $367 million this year, according to www.theadvocate.com.

How could anyone even consider giving away that much money just for having a good football team when the state is that much in debt?

Even in spite of the deficit, the University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors recently approved a pay raise for Dr. Sally Clausen, ULS president, and raises for the presidents of the eight universities in the ULS.

I'm sure Clausen, Tech President Dr. Dan Reneau and the other presidents fully deserve the raises. But can the state really afford that?

"There is never a good time for such things to occur," Clausen said of her raise, according to The Advocate.

One thing may not seem to have anything to do with the other, but I'm looking just at the surface.

The state is more than $300 million in debt. LSU wants $50 million more a year when they already have the highest-paid coach in college football. Now people think they may have to take away from Tech's funding.

I hope LSU does become a flagship school. I just hope that any increase it receives doesn't just go to football. I hope no money would have to be taken from our school.

I hate to bash LSU, but don't mess with Tech.

Heidi Hausmann is a senior journalism major from Opelousas and serves as editor for The Tech Talk.