In the Sugar Bowl Classic where two SEC teams competed for a spot in the College Football Playoff semifinals, one of the biggest winners was Baton Rouge. At least financially.
Former Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin, who left the program for LSU last month, will receive a $500,000 bonus from his new employer thanks to his former team’s thrilling 39-34 win over Georgia to reach the CFP semifinals. The bonus was part of LSU’s deal with coaches to lure him away from Oxford, providing him with the same bonus he would have received for each CFP win while staying at Mississippi State.
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Kiffin already received a $250,000 bonus after the Rebels defeated Tulane in the first round. If they defeat the 10th-ranked Miami Heat in the next round, Kiffin’s bonus will increase by another $750,000.
One more championship for the program’s first title in decades? It was one of the most bittersweet $1 million payments in sports history.
Defensive coordinator Pete Golding, who remains at Mississippi State to take over as head coach, will receive the same bonus. When he left, Kiffin insisted on staying on to coach the Rebels in the playoffs, but the school understandably didn’t get to see another SEC team’s coach execute on his plans during a critical phase of the recruiting season.
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It’s an open question Thursday whether Kiffin will be in New Orleans to watch his former players and coaches take on the University of Georgia, but he has decided to stay at his current school. He was on the court at an LSU women’s basketball game, hugging head coach Kim Mulkey.
No. 5 LSU suffered its first loss of the season, falling to No. 11 Kentucky 80-78. After the game, it seemed Kiffin did make it to New Orleans, or at least his family did.
Mississippi State fans, meanwhile, made it clear what they thought of the players the team was adding by chanting “F*** Lane Kiffin” at the end of the game. The situation became surreal from the moment Kiffin started fielding calls from other schools, and it’s not going to get any better with Mississippi State having a real chance at the CFP Championship Game.