LSU will begin its search for its next administrative leader after its president’s exit. William F. Tate has resigned and headed to Rutgers to serve in the same capacity as President. Tate began his tenure as President of LSU in 2021 and played a key role in LSU athletics during his time in Baton Rouge.
The Rutgers Board of Governors, with the advice and consent of the Rutgers Board of Trustees, appointed Tate as its new president. He will begin serving as president on July 1, 2025, succeeding Jonathan Holloway, who has been president for five years.
William F. Tate’s Jump From LSU to Rutgers Raises Eyebrows and Expectations
Tate will be Rutgers’ 22nd university president and will take charge of one of the oldest and largest universities in the United States. Tate will be responsible for a university with over 259 years of history and 69,000 students.
Reactions to his appointment have been mixed among LSU and Rutgers fans.
While at LSU, Tate presided over a university and an athletic department that was at the forefront of college athletics in NIL, as the school has had some of the top-earning athletes across different sports.
LSU’s president headed to Rutgers. https://t.co/ATuaHgqK8c
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) May 19, 2025
His tenure at Baton Rouge brought national championships in baseball, women’s basketball, and gymnastics, along with a football team that has produced a Heisman trophy winner and five top-10 draft picks in the NFL.
As one social media user pointed out, LSU athletics thrived under his tenure, but academics didn’t necessarily thrive.
“Good news, bad news: Football should be better; LSU not very competitive academically- No. 179, U.S. News,” one user commented.
Some LSU fans are disappointed in Tate’s exit as they think his tenure was a successful one.
“Horrible day for LSU!!!” another user said.
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For some reason, some fans think his departure is good news.
“Great day for LSU,” one user said.
Tate is a member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, National Academy of Education, Sigma Xi, and a fellow in the American Educational Research Association. Rutgers fans will hope he can lead them into an era of success in athletics and academics.
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