Brian Kelly reveals LSU's NIL price for 2026 roster under Lane Kiffin

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Brian Kelly may no longer be the head coach of the LSU Tigers, but that doesn't mean he isn't still in the know about what is going on in Baton Rouge under Lane Kiffin's watch.

After getting fired during the 2025 season following his 34-14 start with the Tigers, Kelly has watched as Kiffin has come in and tried to revamp the program, mainly through some big purchases in the transfer portal. During his interview with Sirius XM Radio this week, Kelly revealed how much the Tigers' 2026 roster was actually costing the program, and it's a pretty large number.

According to Kelly, LSU is spending upwards of $40 million for this season alone.

Of course, in the NIL and revenue-sharing era, there is absolutely nothing stopping Kiffin or the Tigers from going all-in like this in order to build a championship roster. That doesn't negate the fact that the price is very steep, especially when you consider that LSU isn't even considered a consensus top-five team going into the year.

But with additions like Arizona State QB Sam Leavitt, Colorado OT Jordan Seaton, and Ole Miss EDGE Princewill Umanmielen, the Tigers landed three of the five best portal players available this offseason. That doesn't come cheap.

Will Kiffin be able to turn that roster into a playoff contender in his first year on the job? That is certainly the expectation at the moment. According to Kelly, they seem to be paying enough to get to the postseason.

This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: Former LSU coach Brian Kelly reveals Tigers' NIL cost for 2026 roster

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