Lawmakers thought they were sending a message by naming a rule after last year’s Lane Kiffin controversy. Instead, it opened the floodgates for critics who believe lawmakers are clueless about the inner workings of the sport.

Senator Ted Cruz pointed to the NFL as a model for the rule, but LSU analyst Matt Moscona says the comparison falls flat.

"Kiffin wanted to stay with his team through the College Football Playoff and coach them to the end of the year. But Ole Miss didn't want him to,” said Moscona on June 1. “This is what I think: Senators Cruz and Cantwell maybe don't understand, or are missing, here. You don't see head coaches jump jobs in the NFL. That's not a thing. There are 32 NFL head coaching jobs—that's it. They're all highly coveted.”

To illustrate why the NFL model will not work, he raised the Saints-Eagles situation from early 2025. The New Orleans Saints fired their coach, Dennis Allen, on November 4, 2024, after their seventh straight loss.

The Saints eventually set their sights on the Philadelphia Eagles' offensive coordinator, Kellen Moore, and after an interview, they hired him. Despite being hired by the Saints, he was allowed to continue his duty with the Eagles.

That’s the critical distinction Moscona wants Senators Cruz and Cantwell to absorb: Moore was allowed to finish the Eagles' season; Kiffin was not.

Moscona argues that the NFL provides a blueprint that assistant coaches can accept head coaching jobs while finishing the season with the current teams, but that’s not quite the case for the college-level teams.

What Will Change After the Lane Kiffin Rule?

Lane Kiffin accepted a seven-year, $91 million deal from LSU before leaving Ole Miss before the conclusion of the 2025 season. This deal might be the last of its nature, as similar midseason departures in the future could soon face new restrictions under the Protect College Sports Act.

“An individual who serves, or has served at any point during a competitive season, as football athletic personnel for a varsity sports team for intercollegiate football at an institution shall not, during that same competitive season, perform for another institution any duties or responsibilities customarily associated with a head coach of a varsity sports team,” read Section 10 of the Protect College Sports Act of 2026.

For example, if a coach accepts a new job in late 2026, they would be barred from coaching their new team during the 2026 regular season, conference championships, or College Football Playoff games.

It has not been enacted yet, but given the current trajectory, the Lane Kiffin Law will most likely come into force. That said, what are your thoughts on it?

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Written by

Suryakant Das

Edited by

Shubhi Rathore