The Tigers have been wagging their proverbial tails as they prance through this offseason. HC Brian Kelly and LSU’s shortcomings on the high school recruitment front have largely been offset via the transfer portal. They’ve got one of the top portal classes across CFB. Why? LSU dug into their NIL arsenal in a sink-or-swim scenario. To make sure 2025 transpires better than 2024 did. But funds aren’t incessant, and their treasury wasn’t bottomless. Moreover, it needs replenishing in order to compete in the treacherous southeast and nationally. Coach Kelly got things rolling, and they’ve snowballed into what’s gearing up to be a game-breaking measure to attack the imminent revenue-sharing era. All while also being ahead of the competition in terms of NIL. It sounds too good to be true, except it’s not.
Brian Kelly was initially averse to the process of recruitment molding into an arbitrary equation revolving around money. The numbers dictating a prospect’s landing spot as opposed to more traditional yardsticks wasn’t something he embraced. However, desperate times call for desperate measures. As cliche as that sounds, it rings true in Baton Rouge. After a mediocre season by their lofty standards, LSU are opting into modernity. With the House Settlement and rev-share around the corner, It’s an era of uncertainty. You can go down two paths. Be reactive, or be proactive. The school is choosing the latter.
Their latest move is poised to allow them to have their cake and eat it, too. Courtesy of a fresh partnership with their long-term associates Playfly Sports. LSU insider Matt Moscona detailed how this will revolutionize the rest of Brian Kelly’s stint in Death Valley. Speaking over the “Locked on LSU” podcast, Moscona laid bare what’s going down between the school and this third-party company. Who have held multimedia rights for the Tigers for a couple of years?
When the revenue-sharing era begins, LSU has a plan to exceed the cap.
It will arrange NIL deals through a partnership with Playfly, which comes amid an uncertain future for LSU’s collective.
Details on a changing approach:https://t.co/O1ZQyAk0Gv
— Wilson Alexander (@whalexander_) February 24, 2025
Essentially, Playfly has relations with companies that’ll be willing to advertise with players in exchange for NIL. Remember, players can still pursue individual NIL deals on top of their piece of the pie with rev-share. Playfly will connect athletes to brands and take a percentage of any deals they facilitate as an intermediary. In exchange, the company will pay LSU a fixed annual amount worth millions. Which counts as “revenue” for the school. This means LSU gains an additional revenue stream which implies they can “share” more. Also, their players gain an additional NIL stream by way of more opportunities. In theory, this is a win-win.
Moscona relayed the figures that Playfly Sports will pay LSU. Safe to say, it makes Brian Kelly’s own gargantuan sacrifice look rather timid. LSU will receive tens of millions across the next 5 or so years. This includes a lump sum $3 million signing fee. The rev-share cap when the House Settlement kicks in is projected to be $20.5 million across all sports. LSU will be equipped to utilize that full amount. Moreover, have the extra sweetener of NIL. This partnership stands to put LSU at an edge over its contemporaries. Imagine the recruitment advantages for Brian Kelly. Who needs acknowledgment himself.
Brian Kelly’s 7-figure sacrifice paved the way
Brian Kelly and his wife, Paqui, had announced something called the “Kelly Family Million Dollar Match Challenge.” In what was equally brave and generous, the couple pledged a donation of up to $1 million towards LSU’s NIL fund. It was supposed to match every dollar that fans donate towards the school’s collective, Bayou Traditions Football Fund. Turns out it wasn’t just $1 million that the fans conjured. An anonymous donor gifted an additional $1 million to the collective. This means the fund just got bolstered by as much as $3 million.
“I’m very appreciative of our fans and the generosity…it looks like we’ve met our goals. I couldn’t be more excited about that and the direction that allows us to continue to move relative to NIL, said Brian Kelly. Other coaches, famously Mike Norvell, have also pledged personal salaries towards NIL. It’s perhaps not a coincidence that these are two coaches coming off poor seasons. Who probably felt the heat from inside and outside the campus and decided to quell it via generosity.
Despite his success traversing the portal window, Coach Kelly remarked how he wasn’t happy with the direction he had to take in order to replenish his roster. “I don’t want our roster to be built through the portal,” remarked Kelly. “I would like it to be topped off [using it]. This year was a little bit heavier.” Now, with this influx of cash on the way, high school recruiting for LSU should get a boost. It’s not ideal, but kids will see the green just as much as the purple and gold. That’s the reality of college football at this juncture. At least LSU are moving with the times.
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