Brian Kelly will match up to $1M in NIL donations

BATON ROUGE, La - LSU head coach Brian Kelly is prepared to use his own funds to enhance the school's NIL initiatives.

According to Nick Schultz of On3 Sports, Kelly and his wife, Paqui, will match up to $1 million in fan donations to the LSU NIL collective with a contribution to the Tiger Athletic Foundation's AD's Excellence Fund.

This initiative, called the "Kelly Family Million Dollar Match Fund," allows fans to donate to the NIL collective between Dec. 13 and Feb. 5, 2025.

Kelly discussed the school's current NIL funding efforts, expressing his "commitment" to doing everything possible to make the program a National Championship contender.

"LSU has a long and proud tradition of being one of the elite programs in college football," Kelly stated, according to Michael Bonnette of LSUSports.com. "To remain among the nation's elite in this new era of college athletics, we must be competitive in all aspects of our program. I am dedicated to doing all we can to win championships at LSU.

With a salary of $9.9 million for 2024 and being in the third year of a 10-year contract, Kelly's potential donation wouldn't significantly impact his finances but demonstrates his commitment to keeping LSU at the forefront and aiding in securing top recruits.

The Tigers finished 8-4 in 2024 with a 5-3 record in the SEC. Kelly's overall record at the school stands at 28-11, and while the program has been close to making the College Football Playoff, it hasn't qualified during his tenure.

LSU also lost the recruiting race for five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood, who switched his commitment to Michigan after the Wolverines presented a significant NIL offer that surpassed LSU's.

Although Kelly's donation won't go directly into the NIL fund, his pledge to match fans' contributions clearly indicates his intent to remain a top choice for recruits.