Those who celebrated a little too much after Brian Kelly’s firing might want to wait a bit. LSU is now questioning whether his termination was even official, claiming that then–athletic director Scott Woodward may not have had the authority to fire him in the first place. Now, if LSU succeeds in that argument, it could directly impact Kelly’s massive buyout claim.

Less than three weeks after his firing, the former Tigers’ head coach filed a 48-page lawsuit in Louisiana’s 19th Judicial District Court, accusing the university of trying to avoid paying his $54 million buyout. This happened just after LSU representatives dropped a shocker on him, saying Kelly was never “formally terminated.” Now, they are trying to argue that they fired him “for cause,” a move that would allow them to avoid paying Kelly his full buyout.

On3’s Pete Nakos shared another shocking update on the Brian Kelly-LSU lawsuit in X: “Two interesting sections of Brian Kelly’s lawsuit vs. LSU: The first provides a glimpse into who attended the meeting when Brian Kelly was fired, and the second outlines that LSU reps have allegedly said that Scott Woodward was not acting with authority when Kelly was fired.” So, despite having all LSU Board of Supervisors members, Woodward, Julie Cromer, Austin Thomas, and Verge Ausberry during the termination, now LSU is arguing that the former AD never actually had the authority to fire him or negotiate a settlement back in October.

Even the lawsuit outlines, “LSU’s representatives had a call with Coach Kelly’s representatives, where LSU took the position that Coach Kelly had not been formally terminated and informed Coach Kelly’s representatives, for the very first time, that LSU believed grounds for termination for cause existed.” After losing against Texas A&M, LSU’s record dropped to 5-3, and within the next 24 hours, Woodward made it clear in his statement that this move is purely performance-based.

“We had high hopes that he would lead us to multiple SEC and national championships during his time in Baton Rouge. Ultimately, the success at the level that LSU demands simply did not materialize,” he said. Now, three claims of LSU forced him to take this extreme step: first, the idea of his never being terminated; second, Scott Woodward didn’t have any right to fire him despite the reports claiming that he was in the governor’s office while the decision was made; third, the buyout was the cause.

Interestingly, LSU even tried settling the amount with Kelly multiple times, offering him $25 million and $30 million in two installments, but Kelly refused. So, it proves that LSU never claimed the “cause” before November 10. “LSU has never claimed that Coach Kelly was terminated for cause and, prior to November 10, 2025, never asserted that he engaged in any conduct that would warrant such a termination,” the lawsuit stated. “To the contrary, LSU repeatedly confirmed, both publicly and to Coach Kelly, that the termination was due to the team’s performance, not for cause.”

Till now, there’s no update from LSU’s side, but it looks like Brian Kelly is not stepping aside. Even the CFB world is backing him in it.

Paul Finebaum gets real about LSU’s misstep towards Brian Kelly

Brian Kelly’s move to sue LSU didn’t just shake the entire college football world, but it also raised many questions about the fair judgment of universities. And voices have already begun to weigh in. As ESPN’s Paul Finebaum called LSU’s move “disgraceful,” criticizing their recent actions. “We try to prop up everybody here,” Finebaum said. “And we were in Baton Rouge a number of weeks ago, talking to everybody who mattered down there. But I have never seen a school do more damage to itself in the span of two weeks. You have every right to fire your coach. But the sleaziness that has permeated the air in Louisiana since the Brian Kelly firing is pretty disgraceful.”

It’s true that paying a hefty $54 million buyout might get overwhelming, but let’s not forget it’s a two-way deal between coaches and the school. On top of it, agreeing to such a big amount in the first place was LSU’s big mistake, and now they are making another by defending it. And Finebaum makes sure LSU knows it: “I don’t know if you’ve ever had a contract, but it’s a two-way deal. You can hate Brian Kelly, but you still have to agree he is entitled to whatever his contract stipulates. Whether the governor, whether the other characters in this cartoon agree or not.” 

Now, as the drama intensifies, let’s wait and see if Brian Kelly finally makes his way through LSU’s big claims.