Brian Kelly Offering $1 Million in Strategic NIL Plan for LSU Football

Kelly will match the public's support of Name, Image and Likeness, donate his own money to the fund.

Nov 30, 2024; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers head coach Brian Kelly looks on against the Oklahoma Sooners during the fourth quarter at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

LSU coach Brian Kelly and wife Paqui have announced the “Kelly Family Million Dollar Match Challenge,” committing to match the public’s support of Name, Image and Likeness with a gift of up to $1 million to LSU Athletics.

For every dollar of public support to NIL via the Bayou Traditions Football Fund today through Feb. 5, 2025, the Kellys will donate up to $1 million to the Tiger Athletic Foundation’s AD’s Excellence Fund.

LSU Football supporters can participate in the Kelly Family Million Dollar Match Challenge by giving to Bayou Traditions here.

“LSU has a long and proud tradition of being one of the elite programs in college football,” LSU coach Brian Kelly said. “In order to remain among the nation’s elite in this new world of college athletics, we have to be competitive in all areas of our program. I am committed to doing all that we can to win championships at LSU.

“While we are not permitted to financially support our NIL efforts directly, Paqui and I can certainly match this tremendous fanbase’s generosity by investing in the future of LSU Athletics through the Tiger Athletic Foundation.”

Brian Kelly and his wife, Paqui, are kicking off the Kelly Family Million Dollar Match Challenge!

They will match donations to LSU's Football NIL efforts - up to $1 million - with a gift to the Tiger Athletic Foundation’s AD’s Excellence Fund. pic.twitter.com/eqTGi6MBTO

— LSU Football (@LSUfootball) December 13, 2024

As the Tigers prepare to face Baylor in the Kinder’s Texas Bowl on Dec. 31 in Houston, they are also heavily engaged in recruiting new talent and retention of the current roster.

The transfer portal opened on Dec. 9 and will close on Dec. 28. LSU also signed 23 new recruits during the Early Signing Period in a class ranked in the top 10 nationally. LSU’s 2025 freshman signing class includes the top-rated players in the states of Louisiana, Arkansas, Florida and Indiana.

This is not the first time the Kelly Family has invested in the future of LSU Athletics. They also committed $1 million in 2022 to support the construction of the new and improved athletic training room and recovery suite within the LSU Football Operations Facility. Those improvements officially opened in August ahead of the 2024 season.

Both $1 million gifts from Kelly family are the largest by a sitting head coach in university history.

Via LSU Release

More on Kelly's NIL Thoughts:

“It’s not just about finding the right fit academically or holistically anymore,” Kelly said last week. “It’s about what’s the most money I can get, and that’s unfortunate. But it’s the world we live in, and you have to be able to adapt and realign.”

“If LSU wants to be at the top of the food chain, we have to be involved as well,” Kelly said. “It can’t just be one or two guys; it has to be all of those who want to see LSU succeed.”

"If you want to be in the big poker game, this is what the ante is," Kelly said. "We still have donors who say, 'I'm not giving to that.' I get it. But we are still in the big poker game. And so we still have to be able to go out and say we need support so we can continue to build our roster. … We're going to be in the transfer marketplace, and we're going to do what we need to do to fulfill the needs of putting together a roster that is able to compete and win a championship."

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