Lane Kiffin will be the top story in college football for a little while. His decision to leave the Ole Miss Rebels for the LSU Tigers has far reaching implications. From the hiring of other coaches to the transfer portal to fan reaction. One of those new developments is a curious bonus LSU has included in their contract with Kiffin.
According to a term sheet acquired by ESPN, LSU’s Kiffin contract includes a unique bonus payout. That bonus will equal what Ole Miss would have paid him based on Ole Miss’ success in the college football playoff. Kiffin will not be coaching Ole Miss in the playoff, but based on their success, he will get paid like he did.
Kiffin has agreed to a seven-year contract with LSU that will pay him $13 million annually. As well as a college football playoff bonus structure that mirrors what he would’ve earned if he stayed with Ole Miss. The first-round appearance pays out $150K, that amount increases to $250K for the quarterfinal round and caps out at $1 million if Ole Miss wins the National Championship.
Per the term sheet, the Ole Miss college football playoff amount is to be paid out 30 days after the Ole Miss season ends. Another notable contract clause could potentially make Kiffin the highest paid coach in college football.
Additional bonuses and a 'highest paid coach' escalator
An escalator will take effect in the event Kiffin wins a National Championship at LSU and will elevate Kiffin to the highest paid coach in college football. That escalator will only take effect once within the term of the LSU deal. Even if Kiffin were to win multiple National Championships.
The postseason bonuses as the LSU head coach are similar to that of Ole Miss, just larger numbers. Winning the SEC championship game is $1 million. A first round appearance in the college football playoff begins at $750K but can increase to $3 million for a National Championship.
LSU also offered to pay the difference (up to $500K) between the sale price of his Mississippi home and the price of his new primary residence in Baton Rouge.
Despite the Brian Kelly buyout drama and the public comments from Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry admonishing massive coaching contracts, LSU seemed perfectly content to pay top dollar to get Kiffin to Death Valley.
LSU is bowl eligible following the 2025 season but has not been in contention for the college football playoff for much of the year. Once the introductions are complete, Kiffin will assemble a staff and begin recruiting. Which should lead to another one of those far-reaching implications.
According to 247 Sports, LSU currently has the 12th ranked recruiting class for 2026. Conventional wisdom would suggest that number could improve after bringing in Kiffin.
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