Kelly’s lawyers claim the Tigers have made offers of $25.30 million.

in 2025 LSU football the season quickly turned into a disaster, despite all the promise they had at the start of the season. Brian Kelly was fired due to the team’s poor performance after the loss to Texas A&M. However, Kelly has a whopping $54 million buyout, and this amount has hit a snag due to its large size. This could get even uglier now that lawyers on both sides have gotten involved.

According to on3’s college football insider Pete Nakos, Brian Kelly has filed a complaint against LSU’s board of supervisors, saying that the Tigers did not “formally waive” him. as the head coach. It was filed Monday and states that LSU is working to fire Kelly “for cause” and avoid paying the entire buyout.

It’s worth noting that in the lawsuit, LSU spoke with Kelly on Monday, stating it believed there were grounds to fire him “for cause.” ESPN first reported that Kelly filed a lawsuit against his former employer.

“LSU representatives had a conversation with Coach Kelly’s representatives where LSU took the position that Coach Kelly had not been formally terminated and advised Coach Kelly’s representatives, for the first time, that LSU believed there were grounds for termination for cause,” the complaint states.

LSU fired Brian Kelly after the Tigers were humiliated at home in a 49-25 loss to Texas A&M. The Tigers initially cited performance on the field as the reason for the firing. Scott Woodward made the statement as athletic director, but the LSU athletic department also let him go after Kelly’s firing.

Kelly’s attorneys are seeking a declaratory judgment to certify that Kelly was fired without cause and is entitled to “the full amount of damages provided by (his contract).” If LSU can prove his “for cause” firing, the institution would not owe a buyout. LSU is also trying to fire Kelly “for cause,” which would eliminate a buyout.

According to the filing, LSU has tried to settle with Kelly multiple times since his termination. That includes offers of $25 million and $30 million. The $30 million payment would be made in two installments, eliminating the obligation to mitigate the clause.

An added aspect to all of this is that LSU is facing political fallout, with Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry becoming much more involved in coaching hires than anyone would have expected.