LSU's Massive Spending on CFB, MCBB Teams Revealed in Report After Lane Kiffin, Will Wade Hires

Succeeding in college athletics in 2026 means spending big on coaches, and no school knows that better than LSU.

With the addition of new football coach Lane Kiffin and new basketball coach Will Wade, the Tigers have now committed more than $200 million to their football and basketball programs through buyouts, contracts and roster payrolls, per Pete Nakos of On3.

Kiffin left Ole Miss for LSU at the end of the 2025 season, signing a massive seven-year, $91 million deal with the Tigers. The deal includes bonuses that could make him the highest-paid coach in the country.

LSU hired Wade on Thursday after he spent just one season with NC State. He reportedly signed a seven-year, $30 million deal. Wade coached the Tigers from 2017 to 2022 but lost the gig after a notice of recruiting violations. He was McNeese's head coach from 2023 to 2025 and led the Cowboys to the NCAA tournament twice.

The Tigers have faced years of mediocrity in both football and basketball, but spending big on coaches could help them return to national relevance.