LSU has emerged as the most aggressive spender in college sports over the past five months, committing over $200M to completely reshape their football and men's basketball programs. The spending spree began in October when AD Scott Woodward fired head football coach Brian Kelly following a late-season collapse. Woodward himself was out shortly after amid criticism from Louisiana's governor, with Verge Ausberry stepping in as the new AD. LSU initially tried to fire Kelly for cause to avoid his buyout, but ultimately paid out the full $54 million in November 2025.

From there, LSU set its sights on Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin as Kelly's replacement. The Tigers landed him ahead of Ole Miss' College Football Playoff run, covering his $3 million buyout and signing him to a seven-year, $91 million contract worth $13 million annually. LSU then went all-in on the transfer portal, spending at least $40 million to bring in 40 new players, including some of the nation's highest-profile players.

The overhaul didn't stop at football. Last week, LSU turned its attention to men's basketball, hiring Will Wade away from NC State after a drawn-out process that ended with the formal firing of Matt McMahon, who never made the NCAA Tournament in four seasons. LSU covered Wade's $4 million NC State buyout and McMahon's $8 million buyout, then signed Wade to a seven-year, $30 million deal. Wade will have at least $12 million, and potentially up to $15 million, for his roster payroll.

Got all that? In total, LSU's combined spending across buyouts, coaching contracts, and projected payrolls for both programs lands at an estimated $242 million, a deliberate push from the top down to compete at the highest level in both football and basketball.


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