Brian Kelly: Transparency, consistency key for college sports' future

When asked about the leadership governing college sports, LSU head coach Brian Kelly highlighted "transparency and consistency" as paramount.

"Those two words are probably the most important thing as we continue to move forward," Kelly said at Southeastern Conference media days on Monday.

The 63-year-old also placed responsibility on coaches and emphasized the moral aspect of NIL and the evolving landscape of college athletics.

"It's got to start with us. I mean, we have to be the stewards of this. There has to be a moral high ground," Kelly said. "I was at a speaking engagement a few weeks back, and every question about the NIL was trying to find a way around it, trying to find a way to bring in revenue in some other way.

"Sooner or later, we have to take a stand that transparency, consistency, ethics and morality are at the core of this."

Kelly, who is entering his fourth year at LSU and 22nd coaching at the FBS level, has been candid about the effects of NIL on recruiting in the past. He's said that prospects now prioritize money over on-field and off-field development when choosing a school.

LSU faced this reality firsthand when Bryce Underwood, the No. 1 overall recruit in the Class of 2025, flipped his commitment from the Tigers to Michigan in December. The quarterback will reportedly receive an NIL deal worth between $10.5 million and $12 million over four years.

Conversely, Kelly and his wife, Paqui, donated $1 million to LSU's NIL collective Monday as part of their "Kelly Family Million Dollar Match Fund." The Kellys launched this initiative shortly after Underwood's flip and pledged to match fan donations to the school's NIL collective up to $1 million.

While the Tigers lost out on their potential quarterback of the future, Kelly is focused on the man under center this season.

Garrett Nussmeier is entering his fifth season and second year as LSU's starting quarterback. He produced 4,052 passing yards and 29 touchdowns last season, but led the SEC with 12 interceptions thrown.

Kelly is confident Nussmeier will take a leap, but recognized that comparing him to the Heisman-winning LSU quarterbacks of the past sets lofty expectations.

"When you're comparing (Nussmeier) to Jayden Daniels and Joe Burrow, that's a high bar for anybody, right?" Kelly said. "Garrett is at LSU because he loves LSU. He wants to lead our football team to a championship. If the Heisman follows with that, I think he's good with that."

One of Kelly's primary goals is to set the tone for the season in the first week. During his team at LSU, Kelly is 0-3 in season openers. The Tigers kick off the 2025 season at Clemson.

"We needed to do some things differently this year. That is embrace the opener. Embracing it in the manner that this is a big game," Kelly said. "It's a tangible goal for our football team to want to be 1-0. That's not, ‘Let's warm up into the season.' We want to be ready for this football game."