Lane Kiffin recently lost out to Texas Tech in the transfer portal after it was announced that former Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby decided to commit to Texas Tech. This announcement came just 48 hours after he visited both LSU and Texas Tech.
Kiffin agreed to a seven-year contract with LSU that will pay him $13 million annually. According to recent reports, LSU is already ready to commit $25-30 million annually for Kiffin’s roster through revenue sharing and name, image, and likeness funds.
Texas Tech’s $5M Spending Beat Out Lane Kiffin’s LSU
Following the announcement that Sorsby would be playing for Texas Tech in 2026, national college football analyst RJ Young broke down the financial situation at both programs. Both LSU and Texas Tech reportedly competed heavily to secure the quarterback’s commitment.
“We’re seeing a lot of universities, finding more money to pay players. Texas Tech and LSU have always been proud of how much money they can bring in. And if they can use that to beat the rest of college football to death with, then they’re going to do that.” Young stated.
With backing from billionaire Cody Campbell, Texas Tech successfully landed the nation’s top-ranked portal class in 2025. Losing out to just the Texas Longhorns as the biggest spenders of 2025, Texas Tech’s roster cost around $28 million this year, according to reports.
Additionally, according to a recent report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Texas Tech will pay heavily for the highly ranked transfer portal quarterback. According to a report, Sorsby is set to earn around 5$ million in NIL money for the 2026 season.
According to PFSN QBÂ impact rankings, the Cincinnati quarterback was ranked in the top ten nationally in quarterback play. Throwing for over 2800 yards and 27 passing touchdowns, Sorsby finished with an impact ranking of 88.2.
“LSU has been able to do that since hiring Nick Saban in 2000, which got them to a National Championship. And now they went to pay $13 million to Lane Kiffin. They got the money, and the same thing is true of Texas Tech,” Young stated further.
“They just don’t have the accolades. Once they get the accolades, then you will see more of Texas Tech in the national conversation landscape. And this is the year for it, it’s new blood, it’s not just the same team that have made the national championship every year.”
Meanwhile, after missing out on the quarterback, LSU and Kiffin will likely have the financial resources to pursue another quarterback after failing to secure their target. Currently, Arizona State Sun Devils quarterback Sam Leavitt is the quarterback being linked to the Tigers.
Following Lane Kiffin’s $13 million contract, it has also been reported that LSU has prepared to commit $25-30 million annually for Lane Kiffin’s roster through revenue sharing and name, image, and likeness funds. This is 8$ million more than Brian Kelly’s roster.
While Kiffin may have missed out on his preferred quarterback target, LSU undoubtedly has the money to look elsewhere. Meanwhile, Texas Tech will continue to reap the rewards of their billionaire backer as they look to continue to challenge in the CFB playoffs.
