LSU and Brian Kelly’s $54 Million Battle Gets Even Messier

The drama between LSU and Brian Kelly just took another wild turn. What seemed like a normal coaching change has turned into a legal fight that could shake up college football.

LSU is now saying that Brian Kelly might not have been officially fired at all. The school claims that former athletic director Scott Woodward may not have even had the power to fire him. If LSU proves that, it could avoid paying Kelly the huge $54 million buyout he’s demanding.

Less than three weeks after being let go, Brian Kelly filed a 48-page lawsuit in Louisiana’s 19th Judicial District Court. He says LSU is trying to get out of paying what they owe him. Kelly’s lawyers say the school told him he was never “formally terminated,” and now they’re trying to argue he was fired “for cause.” If LSU wins that claim, they won’t have to pay the full buyout.

College football reporter Pete Nakos shared a big update on X (formerly Twitter). He said LSU is now arguing that Woodward didn’t have the authority to fire Kelly when he did, even though top university officials were in the meeting. That includes members of the LSU Board of Supervisors, Julie Cromer, Austin Thomas, and Verge Ausberry.

Brian Kelly’s lawsuit says LSU’s story has changed over time. At first, they told him he was fired for performance after losing to Texas A&M. Then later, they said there were “grounds for termination for cause.” Back when Woodward announced Kelly’s firing, he said it was about results, not misconduct.

“We had high hopes that he would lead us to multiple SEC and national championships,” Woodward said at the time. “But the success LSU demands just didn’t happen.”

The lawsuit also says LSU tried to settle with Kelly twice, first offering $25 million and then $30 million. Kelly turned both down. It wasn’t until November 10 that LSU brought up the “for cause” reason for firing him.

ESPN’s Paul Finebaum didn’t hold back. He called LSU’s actions “disgraceful,” saying the school “did more damage to itself in two weeks than most programs do in years.” He added, “You can hate Brian Kelly, but a contract is a two-way deal. If you sign it, you need to honor it.”

LSU hasn’t said anything publicly yet, and Brian Kelly isn’t backing off. With $54 million on the line, this battle is only getting hotter — and fans everywhere are watching to see what happens next.

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