Coach Brian Kelly said Thursday on his weekly radio show that LSU football spent around $18 million to build its 2025-2026 roster.

That estimate is a combination of revenue that the athletic department is now allowed to share with its players and donor-backed name, image and likeness (NIL) deals sourced largely from Bayou Traditions, LSU's official collective.

“We’re going to be just about $18 million," Kelly said.

According to the parameters of the landmark House settlement, schools across the country can share up to $20.5 million with their athletes. LSU, like most schools, earmarked around $13 million of that money for its football program, with that amount split between the two teams it will build during the 2025-2026 academic year.

Most of the NIL money, Kelly said, was "front

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