'We Don't Give a F--k,' CFP Exec Predicts LSU's Stance on Salary Cap After Kiffin Hire

With the cost of college football rosters only rising among top schools, some programs have managed to work around a revenue-sharing cap.

LSU, which reportedly is prepared to spend $25-30 million on Lane Kiffin's roster annually, certainly isn't worried about a cap on its spending, according to one college football executive.

"That's very clearly an institution saying, we don't give a f--k," said the head of a Power 4 collective, per The Athletic's Stewart Mandel.

Over the summer, the House vs. NCAA settlement allowed Division I schools to "directly share athletic department revenue with student-athletes in the form of direct payments." The settlement allows schools to share 22 percent of their average revenue, but there is a cap of $20.5 million per school.

Mandel noted that LSU isn't the only school planning to spend more than the cap, as both Auburn and Penn State could have $30 million rosters in 2026.

Any additional spending beyond the $20.5 million cap would come from "over-the-cap" third-party NIL deals, Mandel noted. According to Mandel, "programs have already figured out a way around the restrictions, or they don't believe the [College Sports Commission] is capable of enforcing them."

When this year's House vs. NCAA settlement past, it meant a landmark moment for college sports. While many positives can and have come from that settlement, it also means bigger schools have the means to outspend smaller programs, even if there is a cap in place.