‘The Purple and Gold Run Deep’: LSU Alumni Help Bring the Super Bowl to Life in Louisiana

This year’s Super Bowl is more than just a football game—it’s an opportunity to showcase Louisiana on the world stage, drive economic growth, and leave a lasting impact on local communities.

Behind the scenes, a team of LSU alumni is working tirelessly to make it all happen.

From coordinating large-scale operations to ensuring that New Orleans communities benefit from the event, these alumni play a vital role in making the Super Bowl an unforgettable experience.

 

LSU Alumni Leading Super Bowl Operations

Hosting a Super Bowl is no small feat. It takes years of preparation and collaboration among the NFL, local officials, and the host city.

LSU graduates are at the heart of this effort, working with the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation to manage everything from logistics and fundraising to communications and marketing.

Billy Ferrante, senior vice president of the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, has been deeply involved in bringing the Super Bowl to New Orleans. Ferrante is originally from New Orleans and graduated from LSU in 1985 with a degree in business management.

“Hosting the Super Bowl is such a great way to show off the culture, personality, and history of the city, the state, and the region,” Ferrante said. “It’s a lot of work—it’s a couple of years’ worth of work—but it’s certainly worth it.”

 

His day-to-day role focuses on private fundraising to offset the $35 million budget.

“We’ve got such a strong infrastructure of relationships in the business community and public sector. That includes infrastructure work that's being completed prior to Super Bowl. There are beautification projects that have happened. And if you don't have everybody pulling in the same direction, a shared vision, a common goal, it doesn’t work; that’s what exists here, and that’s how we’re able to do everything that we’re responsible for,” Ferrante said.

Ellie Hamblen, a two-time LSU graduate, plays a key role in communicating the host committee’s efforts as communications manager for the sports foundation and the host committee.

“The host committee liaises with the NFL, the city of New Orleans, and the state of Louisiana to put on the Super Bowl—and not just the game, but all the ancillary events that come with it,” Hamblen said. “My role is to promote New Orleans and Louisiana as a premier destination for sporting events and to meet the NFL’s bid obligations for PR, media, and communications.”

 

Hamblen, who’s originally from Alexandria, Louisiana, earned a communications degree in 2020 and an MBA in 2022. Hamblen works closely with 2017 LSU public relations graduate Katie Babin. Babin, from Metairie, Louisiana, is a senior account executive with the Ehrhardt Group. She credits her LSU education for preparing her for this high-profile role.

“The skills I learned at LSU I take with me and use every single day in my job,” Babin said. “I learned how to write for different audiences and connect with people across the state and across the country, which is so important in our field.”

Their LSU connection runs deep.

“It’s a statewide effort,” Ferrante said. “The LSU alums on our staff are just a small percentage of the LSU alums involved in this event—whether it’s serving on committees, working in city government, or leading marketing and security efforts. The purple and gold run pretty deep in this host committee.”

Beyond the Game: Community Impact

While millions nationwide watch the game, LSU alumni are ensuring the Super Bowl leaves a legacy for New Orleans and Louisiana.

Chincie Mouton, a 2011 communication studies graduate, is no stranger to leading community programs for major sporting events. The Carencro, Louisiana native has been part of eight major events in the last eight years. She previously worked for the Los Angeles Sports and Entertainment Commission, which hosted Super Bowl LVI. Before living in Los Angeles, Mouton managed community engagement programs for the 2020 NCAA Men’s Final Four, Super Bowl LIII, and 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship in Atlanta. Now, she’s back in her home state as the director of community engagement for the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation and Super Bowl Host Committee.

“My role with community engagement is making sure that the people of New Orleans and surrounding region are included and positively impacted by the Super Bowl,” Mouton said. “We want them to be engaged and involved, and we have a number of community programs that we run and activate.”

 

These initiatives include a supplier diversity program, local nonprofit grants, STEM activations, community champions, and sustainability projects. Through Impact 59 Powered by Entergy, more than $3.5 million has been awarded to 65 local nonprofit organizations to help advance education, workforce training, youth development, health and wellness, and equitable opportunities. Mouton and her team also work closely with the NFL to implement the Super Bowl LIX Source program, which supports local underrepresented businesses by providing contracting opportunities, networking, and capacity-building resources. Host Committee sustainability efforts include environmental projects related to coastal restoration and tree plantings in addition to food recovery, carbon reduction, and waste management.

“For me, what's most rewarding is being able to represent the state of Louisiana, the city of Carencro and LSU, doing this work at home, and knowing that it's going to impact so many people,” Mouton said.

Donald Dunbar Jr, the assistant director of community engagement who earned his master’s degree in Sport Management from LSU in 2023, emphasized the broader significance of hosting the Super Bowl.

“We don’t have 11 Super Bowls in New Orleans for no reason,” Dunbar said. “It is because of relationships, experience, and the impact it has on both the NFL and the city. Large-scale events such the Super Bowl bring an influx of new dollars, sustainability efforts, and opportunities for small businesses that wouldn’t happen otherwise.”

 

William Dede, a 2016 LSU graduate from New Orleans and the senior director of operations and community affairs, takes pride in carrying the LSU brand into such a monumental event.

“In Louisiana, everyone knows LSU and what it stands for,” Dede said. “It makes me feel great to be part of other graduates doing successful things—not just in the world, but in this industry.”

 

For Dunbar, the Super Bowl’s impact goes far beyond the field.

“It’s more than just the game,” Dunbar said. “It’s leaving a lasting impact—a real impression on the city of New Orleans.”

Inspiring Tigers to Dream Big

For the LSU alumni leading the charge, it’s an opportunity to give back to their state, strengthen Louisiana’s presence on the world stage, and inspire future generations of Tigers to dream big.

“This profession is one that gets into your blood,” Ferrante said. “If it's something you're looking into, pursue it, and the best way is through an internship.”

“If you want to do this and you want to be a part of a winning team, you have to understand that there's going to be trials and tribulations of what you do,” Dede said. “There's going to be long nights and hours, but you have to say to yourself, if this is what I want to do, I'm willing to make the sacrifice to make it happen.”

“L-S-U. People know those three letters wherever you go around the world,” Dunbar said. “LSU has produced some of the world's most influential and notable people, and I'm glad that we are a part of that number now. I believe we're doing a great service to not only LSU but also to the state through our work.”

Next Steps

Let LSU put you on a path to success! With 330+ undergraduate programs, 70 master's programs, and over 50 doctoral programs, we have a degree for you.

Experience LSUFind Your MajorBecome a Tiger