LSU coach Brian Kelly and his wife, Paqui, will personally match up to $1 million in contributions to the Tigers’ name, image and likeness collective with a gift to the Tiger Athletic Foundation’s Excellence Fund. The initiative, dubbed the “Kelly Family Million Dollar Match Challenge,” is set to run from Dec. 13 to Feb. 5, 2025.
“LSU has a long and proud tradition of being one of the elite programs in college football,” Kelly said in a statement. “In order to remain among the nation’s elite in this new world of college athletics, we have to be competitive in all areas of our program. I am committed to doing all that we can to win championships at LSU.
“While we are not permitted to financially support our NIL efforts directly, Paqui and I can certainly match this tremendous fanbase’s generosity by investing in the future of LSU Athletics through the Tiger Athletic Foundation.”
This is the second time that Kelly has made a significant financial contribution to the university. In 2022, shortly after he was hired from Notre Dame, Kelly pledged $1 million to support the construction of new facilities for the football program. Both $1 million investments are the largest from a sitting head coach in university history.
The Tiger Athletic Foundation — which will receive Kelly’s donation — is a non-profit organization that supports every athletic program at LSU. It, notably, provides private funding for scholarships and facility upgrades across the campus.
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