For all the noise swirling in Gainesville, Baton Rouge, and Oxford, the man at the center of it keeps ducking the drama. Florida continues to circle Lane Kiffin as its top target, and on a recent ESPN broadcast, Kirk Herbstreit openly wondered what happens if the Gators miss, floating USC’s Lincoln Riley and Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz as fallback options, with Tulane’s Jon Sumrall hovering in the rumor mill.
As Egg Bowl week kicks off, that decision still hasn’t been made. On3 reports that Kiffin remains in active communication with Ole Miss football team, Florida, and LSU, with one industry source saying he “holds the keys” to nearly the entire coaching carousel. After a Friday meeting, Ole Miss AD Keith Carter said the coach will announce his choice on Saturday, the day after the Egg Bowl, though school sources believe clarity could come as early as Wednesday or Thursday, with a possible leak Friday morning.
In the meantime, all three programs are acting like they have a real shot. Florida and LSU have each had stretches in the last two weeks where they felt they were “on track” to land Kiffin, while Ole Miss insiders can still see a path where he returns in 2026.
Kiffin’s family has visited both Gainesville and Baton Rouge, and On3 reports that Florida representatives met with his camp Thursday night, even as the Ole Miss football team quietly maps out contingency plans if he walks. With National Signing Day on December 3 and the Rebels holding the No. 20 class, everyone in Oxford knows how fast that ranking could crumble if he bolts.
The money only underlines how high the stakes are. According to On3, Florida, LSU, and Ole Miss are all prepared to offer at least $13 million annually, potentially pushing toward $14 million, plus a minimum of $25 million in NIL roster investment for Kiffin. He has insisted earlier this year that “money won’t be the reason I make any decision,” and he already sits among the sport’s highest-paid coaches at $9 million, tied for 11th.
In Baton Rouge, the courtship has gone public. During LSU’s tense 13-10 win over Western Kentucky, students in Tiger Stadium spent the closing minutes chanting “We want Kiffin,” waving shirts and shifting the atmosphere from Senior Night salute to open recruiting pitch. It was a loud reminder that LSU’s fan base fully expects to be in this fight to the end.
Back in Oxford, the football stakes are just as big as the contract numbers. Ole Miss sits at No. 6 nationally and is on the cusp of its first-ever College Football Playoff berth; a win over Mississippi State in Starkville could lock in that invitation and even set up a home playoff game. Whatever he decides after that rivalry game will reshape not just Ole Miss, but the futures of Florida and LSU as well.
