DeVonta Smith’s $40 Million Pledge: The Heisman Winner’s Enduring Vow to Restore Alabama-LSU as a…

NFL star and former Alabama Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith is making an extraordinary, eight-figure pledge to restore one of college football’s most iconic rivalries. Sources close to the Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver and the University of Alabama’s fundraising arm confirm that Smith is preparing to establish a $40 million endowment fund with the explicit purpose of influencing the Southeastern Conference (SEC) to make the Alabama-LSU game the permanent, final rivalry game of the regular season.

Smith, whose career-defining one-handed touchdown grab against LSU in 2019 is etched into rivalry lore, has reportedly grown concerned that the expanding SEC and the accompanying schedule changes—threaten the tradition and high stakes of “The Game” being played in the season’s final weeks, often with national championship implications.

“This is not just about a donation; it’s about preserving the soul of the SEC West,” said a source familiar with the negotiations. “DeVonta sees the Alabama-LSU rivalry as a cultural cornerstone. He believes the game belongs at the end of the year, under the lights, with the full weight of the season riding on it. His goal is to create a perpetual funding mechanism that secures the rivalry’s traditional date in any future conference scheduling model.”

 

The proposed “DeVonta Smith Rivalry Endowment” would not directly pay for the game itself. Instead, the $40 million gift would be invested, with the annual generated returns—potentially between $1.6 million and $2 million annually, based on typical endowment spending rates—dedicated to initiatives designed to incentivize the traditional matchup.

While the specifics are still being finalized, the fund’s revenues could be used to:

Fund a perpetual, seven-figure annual bonus to the University of Alabama Athletic Department (and potentially LSU via a reciprocal fund) that is contingent upon the game being played on the final Saturday of the season.

Establish a substantial academic or community service scholarship tied to the LSU game week, ensuring the rivalry generates a positive, tangible return for both communities regardless of the outcome.

Cover ancillary costs related to moving the game to a marquee date, effectively eliminating any financial argument against a late-season slot.

 

In the NIL era, donor influence is increasingly shaping the collegiate landscape, but a commitment of this scale, dedicated purely to preserving a scheduling tradition, is unprecedented. It is a powerful statement from a former player who understands the game’s deep historical and emotional value.

 

“The greatest matchups in college football have a specific time and a specific feel—Army-Navy, Ohio State-Michigan, the Iron Bowl,” Smith’s representative stated. “LSU and Alabama, for a generation, has been that game for college football in November. DeVonta wants to ensure that remains untouched by conference restructuring.”

University officials from Alabama and members of the LSU fundraising community have reportedly been in contact regarding the proposal.

While the SEC Office ultimately controls the schedule, the commitment of $40 million by an iconic former player—aimed at supporting institutional excellence through a specific scheduling structure—is a powerful lever that cannot be easily dismissed.

 

For DeVonta Smith, the Heisman winner who left the game with two national championships and a legendarily modest demeanor, this move redefines his legacy. It solidifies his commitment to the traditions that built the Crimson Tide dynasty, ensuring the epic, late-season showdown he once starred in will endure for generations to come.

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