Overview
- Firings of James Franklin (~$50 million), Brian Kelly (~$53–54 million), Billy Napier ($21 million) and Mike Gundy ($15 million) have pushed 2025 buyout obligations past $150 million.
- Rep. Michael Baumgartner introduced the COACH Act to amend the Higher Education Act by capping any athletics employee’s total annual compensation at 10 times the school’s undergraduate tuition and required fees.
- Baumgartner cites roughly $1.7 billion in potential buyout liabilities across schools and an estimated $169 million this season for paying coaches not to coach.
- LSU and Brian Kelly are negotiating his exit terms, and reporting indicates a private donor is expected to cover the lion’s share of his buyout.
- Industry voices point to agents like Jimmy Sexton and ADs such as Scott Woodward as drivers of long, guaranteed deals, while proposals for shorter, incentive-heavy contracts grow as player compensation trends more toward performance-based terms.