In a new era of college athletics, LSU football head coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] is stepping up to provide for his program in a new way.
Kelly, alongside his wife Paqui, is starting the Kelly Family Million Dollar Match Challenge, according to an Instagram post shared on Friday. The couple will match contributions up to $1 million to the football NIL fund through LSU’s collective, Bayou Traditions, through February 5.
The Kellys will send their contribution to the Tiger Athletic Foundation’s AD’s Excellence Fund. It is their second $1 million contribution to the LSU athletic department, the first coming in 2022 to support the construction of new training facilities, which opened in 2024. Both gifts are the largest by a sitting head coach in LSU history.
“While we are not permitted to financially support our NIL efforts directly, Paqui and I can certainly match this tremendous fanbase’s generosity by investing in the future of LSU Athletics through the Tiger Athletic Foundation,” Kelly said.
Following a subpar season and the loss of the No. 1 recruit in the 2025 class, Kelly is committed to bolstering his roster now and in the future. The fourth-year head coach pointed to aggressive recruiting of the transfer portal and uncommitted high school prospects following the Tigers’ final game of the regular season.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DDhwvxzRNRA/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D