Brian Kelly claims LSU is paying ‘more than $40 million’ for 2026 roster
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Former LSU coach Brian Kelly joined Dusty and Danny in the Morning on SiriusXM Radio for a wide-ranging interview on Friday morning.
Kelly was asked about the overall health of college football
“College football is not in a bad place,” Kelly said. “The revenue is ridiculous. I don’t even know how LSU is doing it. They’re paying Lane Kiffin whatever, they’re paying me. That’s crazy. That shouldn’t happen. But it is because it’s out there.
“The problems are real but college football is still in a pretty good place.”
Dusty Dvoracek then mentioned LSU is paying $40 million for its roster, to which Kelly responded: “maybe a little more.” Asked for specifics, Kelly simply and confidently said it’s more than the $40 million number that Dvoracek quoted.
“More than 40, I’ll tell you that,” Kelly said.
While NIL evaluations are not public for every player, it’s been speculated for several years that top college football programs are spending well over 8 figures per year on their rosters.
As for Kelly and Kiffin’s expenditures, those numbers are public. LSU is obligated to pay Kelly a $54 million buyout as a result of his firing. Regarding Kiffin’s deal, he reportedly signed a seven-year, $91 million deal with LSU back in December.
Expectations are certainly for the Tigers in 2026. Here’s a look at the odds to win the SEC in 2026 on Kalshi:
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
