Christmas came early for the LSU Tigers.
With the coaching carousel in motion, schools where Lane Kiffin is a top head coaching candidate were scrambling for a starting point to lure Lane Kiffin, thanks to his continued ambiguity on the talks.
On Monday, Kiffin served it up on a silver platter. And LSU best fits Kiffin's bill.
"I think that’s evolved and changed. A few years ago, people asked about facilities — practice fields, locker rooms — but that’s not really it anymore. Now it’s NIL," Kiffin said in his press conference on Monday.
"It’s how much NIL money you have, how your collective is run. That’s basically your salary cap — that’s what you can spend. And like in pro sports, over time, payroll matters."
No names were taken, but Kiffin's priority clearly gives LSU the edge over Florida.
How LSU surpasses Florida when it comes to NIL
According to 247 Sports' Brad Crawford, LSU is the top NIL collective leader among the programs with vacant head coaching roles.
Per Crawford's report, the Tigers are the third-highest NIL collective in 2025 at $20.1 million. And that's not even considering all the NIL superstars like Olivia Dunne and Angel Reese that LSU has rolled out in recent history.
Conversely, the Florida Gators are at No. 8 in top NIL collectives at $15.8 million.
Lane Kiffin on what makes a good job for a college head coach.
— Jon Tweets Sports (@jontweetssports) November 10, 2025
Mentions NIL but then adds that kids see “size of stadiums, tradition, Heisman winners, national championships”
🤔 pic.twitter.com/HwY4pdkY63
"Some things have evened out a bit, but there’s still a difference. You still ask: how much support is your program getting? What’s your collective like? There are still advantages for the traditional “blue bloods," Kiffin continued.
"Kids still care about stadium size, history, Heismans, national championships, and location to talent. So all of that matters, but the focus has shifted — it used to be your assistant coach pool, now it’s your player pool," the Rebels head coach explained.
Kiffin's name has been the hottest in Florida, and so has been his predicted contract there.
But that doesn't change what Kiffin would consider when offers from both schools could be on his desk, especially when he has mentioned that money won't be what he would base his decision on.
NIL, though, is a completely different story.