Lane Kiffin’s contract with LSU includes the one-time clause that he will receive a payment equal to the amount he would have earned for coaching Ole Miss in the upcoming College Football Playoff, according to a term sheet obtained by ESPN on Monday.
Kiffin, who agreed to a seven-year contract with LSU on Sunday that will pay him $13 million annually, will receive the same CFP bonus from LSU that he would have had he stayed with Ole Miss through this postseason. It starts at $150,000 for the Rebels’ appearance in a CFP first-round game, increases to $250,000 for appearance in a quarterfinal and tops out at $1 million if Ole Miss wins the national championship.
Kiffin had hoped to coach the Rebels (11-1) in their first CFP appearance, but Ole Miss opted for a clean break and promoted defensive coordinator Pete Golding to head coach on Sunday.
Kiffin will be required to pay LSU’s CFP bonuses within 30 days of the end of the Rebels’ season, according to the term sheet signed Saturday by Kiffin and LSU officials.
Another notable clause calls for Kiffin to become the highest-paid coach in the country if LSU wins a national championship during his coaching tenure. Escalation would only happen once during Kiffin’s tenure with LSU, when the team would win a national title.
LSU agreed last week to pay former coach Brian Kelly its entire $54 million buyout after firing him Oct. 26. The school is also expected to make its final payment this month to former coach Ed Orgeron, who led the Tigers to a national title in 2019 and was fired in 2021.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry publicly criticized Kelly’s contract and its structure after the coach was fired, as well as athletic director Scott Woodward, who quickly resigned from his position.
If Kiffin is terminated without cause during his seven-year tenure at LSU, he would be owed 80 percent of his remaining salary — an amount not subject to compensation or mitigation, according to the term sheet. If Kiffin leaves LSU for another head coaching job, his buyout would start at $7 million and drop to $6 million in January 2027.
LSU will pay Kiffin a $1 million bonus for winning the SEC title game, as well as a CFP structure that starts at $750,000 for a first-round appearance and increases to $3 million for a national title win. The school will also cover the difference – up to $500,000 – between the purchase price of his home in Mississippi ($2.89 million) and that of a new primary residence in the Baton Rouge area.
