LSU Will Pay Lane Kiffin $250,000 After Ole Miss Won Its Playoff Game…And Could Be On The Hook For $1 Million

One of the biggest storylines of this college football season was where Lane Kiffin would wind up. The 50-year-old head coach had led Ole Miss to its first 11-win regular season in program history and a spot in the College Football Playoff. Yet Kiffin ultimately agreed to a deal with the LSU Tigers that will pay him $13 million per season and includes a hefty buyout package.

Kiffin wanted to coach the Rebels throughout the playoff, but the Ole Miss administration shot that idea down. Instead, it marched into the postseason with new coach Pete Golding. The Rebels defeated the Tulane Green Wave 41-10 in a game that felt reminiscent of a Week 4 game that Kiffin coached, where Ole Miss defeated Tulane 45-10.

Kiffin congratulated his former team on X. He's no doubt excited to see the team he coached doing well. A win for Ole Miss is also a win for him financially, since his contract includes performance bonuses. Reaching the playoff came with a $150,000 bonus. Winning the first-round game bumps that payment up to $250,000. And because this whole coaching saga has been so bizarre, it's Kiffin's new team that's on the hook for the payment.

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That means LSU will owe Kiffin the $250,000 bonus. And depending on how far the Rebels advance in the playoffs, Kiffin could earn up to $1 million. If the Rebels upset Georgia in the Sugar Bowl on New Year's Day, Kiffin will earn another $250,000 for a total of $500,000. Georgia defeated Ole Miss 43-35 on Oct. 18, giving the Rebels their only loss of the year to this point. Kiffin was on the sidelines for that one, and he'll be keeping a close eye on the rematch.

Should Ole Miss defeat Georgia to reach the semifinals and then defeat its next opponent—either the Miami Hurricanes or the Ohio State Buckeyes—Kiffin will earn another $250,000. And if the Rebels win the national championship for the first time since 1962, Kiffin will collect $1 million from LSU. That's a lot of math, so here's a handy list of Kiffin's potential earnings:

• College Football Playoff appearance: $150,000
• CFP Quarterfinal appearance: $250,000
• CFP Semifinal appearance: $500,000
• National Championship Game appearance: $750,000
• National Championship: $1 million

With the first-round victory, Ole Miss has set a program record for most wins in a season with 12 victories. Kiffin is hoping the team can go a little bit deeper in the playoff.

Meanwhile, LSU is already investing heavily in its new coach. What's another few hundred thousand to a million dollars?