If you thought LSU was done writing big checks after Brian Kelly, think again. Down in Baton Rouge, boosters are firing up the money cannon for Lane Kiffin and this one’s got a nine-figure fuse. Reports from CBS Sports say the Tigers now have real momentum to pry the hottest coach in the SEC away from Ole Miss.

In a CBS Sports’ article on November 22, Brandon Marcello reported a source stating that LSU is preparing a seven-year deal worth up to $98 million, with a monster NIL and revenue-sharing promise stacked on top. Yahoo! Sports pegs that investment north of $25 million. A $14M-per-year average would make Lane Kiffin the highest-paid coach in the sport, eclipsing Kirby Smart’s $13.3M and the ghost of Brian Kelly, who was fired midway through Year 4 of his 10-year megadeal. 

Lane Kiffin currently makes $9M at Ole Miss, No. 6 in the SEC in 2025 but state laws in Louisiana mean LSU can only offer a modest $3M base. The rest are loaded bonuses, boosters, and loopholes. But money isn’t the only thing making this messy.

With Florida and LSU circling, Lane Kiffin has become the belle of the SEC coaching ball. He’s 54-19 in nearly six seasons at Ole Miss, with four 10-win seasons and the No. 6 Rebels sitting at 10-1, one win away from their first-ever CFP berth. Ole Miss AD Keith Carter met with him Friday, hoping to keep him in Oxford with a deal that would make him one of the nation’s highest-paid coaches. And then came the awkward flight logs.

A plane carrying members of Lane Kiffin’s family including his wife Layla hit Gainesville and Baton Rouge on back-to-back days, stirring a storm the Rebels HC tried to dodge on Wednesday’s SEC teleconference.

“I’m saying the same thing for six years,” he said. “I’m not talking about speaking on other jobs. I’m focused on this one.”

But that cloud of uncertainty keeps hanging over Oxford. And that’s where Nick Saban steps into the chat.

Nick Saban weighs in on Lane Kiffin coaching situation 

On College GameDay, Nick Saban slammed the brakes on the entire coaching carousel. His message is that this isn’t about Lane Kiffin. It’s about a broken system. 

“Everybody should be thinking about the players,” he said. “Players shouldn’t be penalized if a coach leaves because the committee has the opportunity, if a player or coach doesn’t participate, they can sink you in the rankings. So Ole Miss could go down in the rankings, maybe lose the home game. So their players are getting penalized.”

There has been talks that if Lane Kiffin leaves Ole Miss, there is a chance that the Rebels’ could get snubbed in the playoffs. As Yahoo Sports’ senior writer Dan Wolken mentioned, it could replay the 2023 Florida State scenario where the CFP committee left the undefeated team out of the playoffs because their star player Jordan Travis suffered a season ending injury. 

Nick Saban also laid out the hypocrisy in blunt language.

“In the NFL, you cannot leave your team until you’re finished playing,” he said. “You can’t talk to another coach in the regular season. There’s a defined time when you can talk to them if they’re in the playoffs. That’s the way it should be.” 

He blasted early signing day, portal pressures, and the mad November hiring rush saying “none of this is fair to the player.” 

“This is not a Lane Kiffin conundrum,” he added. “This is a college football conundrum that we need some leadership to step up and change the rules on how this gets done in terms of coaching searches and opportunities for people to leave.”

But LSU’s not waiting for Congress, they want their guy now. A win over Mississippi State in next Friday’s Egg Bowl might be Lane Kiffin’s last act in Oxford. And LSU believes they’ve already written the check for the next chapter.