Lane Kiffin's departure fromMississippitoLSUwas drawn-out, dramatic and undeniably messy, transforming a man who had been a hero in Oxford, Mississippi into a pariah in a matter of weeks.
In 2025, Kiffin led the Rebels to the program's best season in generations, going 11-1 in the regular season and leading them to a berth in theCollege Football Playoff. It marked the fourth time in the past five years thatOle Misshad won at least 10 games, a benchmark it had reached only twice from 1972-2020.
But after weeks of will-he-or-won't-he speculation, Kiffin opted to leave the Rebels for LSU, where he signed a seven-year contract that will pay him an average of $13 million annually.
OPINION:Lane Kiffin's foolish pride blinded him to what he had at Ole Miss
Though he's no longer coaching the team, Kiffin will still be connected to Ole Miss – at least financially.
As part of Kiffin's contract with LSU, he will earn bonuses based on how the Rebels perform in the playoff, even though Kiffin's in Baton Rouge and new Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding has helped guide the team to theplayoff semifinals.
Heading into Ole Miss' matchup against Miami in the Fiesta Bowl on Thursday, Jan. 8, here's a closer look at Kiffin's contract with LSU and why he's able to profit off of the Rebels' playoff run:
Penn State hired Matt Campbell as its next head coach. Campbell, 46, coached 10 seasons at Iowa State and was the winningest coach in school history." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Florida hired Jon Sumrall as its next head coach, replacing Billy Napier, who was fired midseason. Sumrall, 43, spent two seasons at Tulane and two at Troy and led his teams to the conference championship game in each of those four seasons." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Iowa State hired Jimmy Rogers as its next head coach. Rogers, 38, spent one year as the coach of Washington State after coaching South Dakota State for two seasons and an FCS national championship in 2023." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
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Penn State hired Matt Campbell as its next head coach. Campbell, 46, coached 10 seasons at Iowa State and was the winningest coach in school history.
Does Lane Kiffin make money if Ole Miss wins CFP games?
As strange as it may seem, Kiffin will be cashing sizable checks based on the success of a team he no longer coaches.
As part of his contract with LSU, Kiffin will receive the same College Football Playoff-related bonuses that he was in line to receive at Ole Miss prior to his departure. Those payments will come from LSU.
Here's how those bonuses are structured:
$150,000 for CFP appearance ✔
$250,000 for CFP quarterfinals appearance ✔
$500,000 for CFP semifinal appearance ✔
$750,000 for CFP championship game appearance
$1 million for CFP title
Golding will receive the same bonuses, though his are paid by Ole Miss.
CFP PREDICTIONS:Picking winners for Peach Bowl and Fiesta Bowl semifinals
How much has Lane Kiffin made from Ole Miss CFP run?
Heading into the Rebels' national semifinal matchup against Miami in the Fiesta Bowl, Kiffin has made $500,000 from Ole Miss' wins against Tulane and Georgia in the playoff. If Ole Miss is able to knock off the Hurricanes and advance to the national championship game, that bonus will increase to $750,000.
Kiffin earns a single bonus based on how far the Rebels ultimately advance. His bonuses are not cumulative, meaning he didn't earn $150,000 for the playoff appearance, another $250,000 for the first-round win against Tulane and another $500,000 for the victory over Georgia. Had that been the case, Kiffin would have earned $900,000 to this point.
Despite taking the LSU job, Kiffin had expressed his desire to coach Ole Miss in the playoff, though it was an arrangement viewed by many as untenable.
"We tried every single thing possible to continue to coach the team through the playoffs," Kiffinsaid during his LSU introductory news conference. "In the end, that was their decision, and we totally respect that."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Lane Kiffin bonus money for Ole Miss College Football Playoff wins
