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Tag: Brian Kelly

  • LSU confirms Kelly was fired ‘without cause’ and is owed his full $54 million buyout

    Former LSU coach Brian Kelly received a letter from LSU on Wednesday confirming that he was fired without cause and is owed “liquidated damages as required” under his contract of about $54 million.

    The letter, obtained by The Associated Press, clears the way for Kelly to withdraw a Nov. 10 lawsuit against the university. Kelly said in the suit that LSU officials had suggested he could be fired for cause, which could have substantially reduced his buyout.

    LSU spells out in Wednesday’s letter that Kelly has a legal obligation to make “good-faith, reasonable and sustained efforts” to get another job in football while he is still being paid by LSU.

    Under Kelly’s contract, salary from a new football-related job would offset what he is owed by LSU. The 10-year contract, worth close to $100 million, runs through 2031, unless the two sides agree to a settlement severing their legal relationship before then.

    Kelly’s lawsuit, filed in civil district court in Baton Rouge, alleged that LSU representatives had told Kelly’s attorneys that the coach was never “formally terminated” the day after LSU’s 49-25 loss to No. 3 Texas A&M on Oct. 25.

    Additionally, Kelly’s lawsuit said that 15 days after he’d packed up his office and left his job, LSU representatives told the coach’s lawyers for the first time that the university intended to fire him for cause.

    However, Kelly’s attorneys made a Nov. 19 offer to withdraw the lawsuit if the university provided written confirmation that the coach was fired without cause and still owed the full buyout. The offer came in a letter, also obtained by the AP, that was sent to LSU Athletic Director Verge Ausberry and LSU Board of Supervisors Athletics Committee chairman John Carmouche.

    Wednesday’s response from LSU was signed by newly appointed university President Wade Rousse.

    The 64-year-old Kelly went 34-14 with LSU, including three bowl victories. But the Tigers did not reach the College Football Playoff — which last year expanded to a 12-team format — during Kelly’s tenure.

    Four days after Kelly had packed up his office at LSU’s football operations building and had been replaced by interim coach Frank Wilson, LSU athletic director Scott Woodard resigned under pressure from Gov. Jeff Landry and his appointees on LSU’s Board of Supervisors.

    The day before Woodward resigned, Landry publicly slammed the then-athletic director, saying he would not be permitted to hire LSU’s next football coach. Landry also blamed Woodward for signing Kelly to a contract that became financially burdensome when the coach did not meet expectations.

    According to Kelly’s contract with LSU, the school could have fired him for cause if it had cited “serious misconduct,” including NCAA violations, crimes or immoral behavior.

    “Coach Kelly never engaged in any such conduct, and LSU never relied on any incident of cause” before firing Kelly, the coach’s Nov. 10 lawsuit stated.

    Kelly has informed LSU that he was open to a settlement, but that it had to “make sense financially.” It is common for people owed money through a certain future date to settle for a “present value” derived from a number of variables, including recent and projected rates of inflation.

    LSU initially offered to settle with a lump-sum payment of $25 million, which was raised to $30 million after Kelly rejected the initial offer, according to documents filed in Kelly’s case.

    Kelly has rejected LSU’s settlement offers so far, “but stated he remained open to any additional offers that LSU would like to make.”

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  • Florida or LSU? Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin’s coaching decision will be revealed after the Egg Bowl

    OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin will announce his next move — likely Florida or LSU — after the Egg Bowl against Mississippi State.

    Athletic director Keith Carter released a statement Friday saying a decision on Kiffin’s future is expected Nov. 29, the day after the fifth-ranked Rebels play their in-state rival.

    It could be an agonizing wait for the Tigers, the Gators and the Rebels, although most outsiders believe Kiffin staying in Oxford for a seventh season is a long shot.

    “Coach Kiffin and I have had many pointed and positive conversations regarding his future at Ole Miss, including meeting (Friday) with Chancellor (Glenn) Boyce,” Carter said. “While we discuss next steps, we know we cannot lose sight of what is most important — our … team is poised to finish the regular season in historic fashion.”

    Carter said Kiffin remains focused, and the announcement timeline ensures the Rebels’ players and coaches “can concentrate fully on next Friday’s game.”

    “This team is on the cusp of an unprecedented season, and it’s imperative they feel the support of the Ole Miss family in the week ahead,” he said.

    Behind Kiffin’s next landing spot, the second-biggest question is whether Kiffin would stick around — or be allowed to stay — to coach Ole Miss through a potential College Football Playoff berth.

    The Rebels’ current standing in the CFP rankings has them poised to host a first-round game if they beat the Bulldogs. The selection committee, however, would be working within its guidelines if it factored the disruption of a coaching change into a team’s final seeding.

    Ole Miss (10-1, 6-1 Southeastern Conference, No. 6 CFP) does not play this weekend. The bye allowed Kiffin to meet with Florida and LSU officials.

    The Gators fired Billy Napier in mid-October and set their sights on Kiffin. LSU fired Brian Kelly a week later, creating a tug-of-war over a 50-year-old coach who is considered one of the top offensive minds in the game.

    Kiffin’s family members took scouting trips to Gainesville and Baton Rouge, and he met with administrators and fundraisers on several occasions. He even reportedly sat down with Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, who publicly slammed former LSU athletic director Scott Woodward for giving Kelly a 10-year contract worth about $100 million in 2022.

    Will he stay at the place he called “utopia” and turned into a perennial winner with his ex-wife and kids nearby? Will he move back to Florida, where his father became one of the most respected defensive coordinators in NFL history? Or will he land at LSU, where three of its last four coaches won national championships.

    Kiffin politely declined to talk about job openings this week. He sidestepped several questions about ongoing overtures from Florida, LSU and Ole Miss.

    “I’m going to stay on what I’ve done for six years, which isn’t talking about other jobs and that situation,” said Kiffin, who denied reports Tuesday that Ole Miss had given him an ultimatum. “I love it here, and it’s been amazing. And we’re in the season — the greatest run in the history of Ole Miss at this point (and) having never been at this point.

    “So I think it’s really exciting. … I’m just living in the moment — it’s amazing — and our players are, too. I see their joy about practice, season, where they’re at and have so much on the line. It’s just awesome to be a part of.”

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  • What to know about Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry’s intervention in LSU football

    Gov. Jeff Landry is being applauded by some for taking a stand against bloated contracts in college sports and derided by others for political grandstanding that could make it harder for Louisiana State University to land a new football coach.This much is clear: The governor has been a vocal force in a sports shakeup that has consumed LSU recently.Video above: LSU interim coach Frank Wilson focused on ‘this moment’ in the wake of Brian Kelly’s firingThe university lost its football coach and athletic director last week amid criticism from Landry, a smooth-talking Cajun populist and staunch ally of President Donald Trump.The episode is just the latest example of Landry being hands on with LSU since taking office last year. He once revived the team’s tradition of bringing a live tiger onto the football field, publicly called for the school to discipline professors who criticized Trump in class and complained about LSU women’s basketball players not being on court to stand for the national anthem, though the team did not change its pre-game routine.Here’s what to know:What did Landry say?LSU football coach Brian Kelly was fired in the fourth season of a 10-year, $100 million deal, the day after a 49-25 loss to Texas A&M on Oct. 25.The day of Kelly’s firing, Landry said he hosted a meeting in the governor’s mansion on the evening of Oct. 26 “to discuss the legalities of the contract.” Landry has said he is concerned his state will be on the hook to pay for Kelly’s buyout, which is about $54 million.John Carmouche, chair of the LSU’s Board of Supervisors’ Athletic Committee, told the AP that the meeting at the governor’s mansion occurred after Kelly had already been fired by athletic director Scott Woodward.While the governor’s concerns are valid, negotiations with Kelly are ongoing and private donors and nonprofits have typically picked up the bill for sports-related buyouts at the university, Carmouche added.Days after Kelly’s firing, Landry told reporters at a Wednesday press conference that LSU’s athletic director would not be selecting the next football coach.“Hell, I’ll let Donald Trump select it before I let him do it,” said Landry. He also criticized Woodward’s prior tenure at Texas A&M, where he served as the school’s athletic director.The next day, LSU cut ties with Woodward.In a Thursday statement, Woodward said that “others can recap or opine on my tenure and on my decisions over the last six years as Director of Athletics, but I will not.”Board chairman Scott Ballard framed Woodward’s departure as the result of “a mutual agreement after conversations” between Woodward and the LSU board. Nine of 18 Board of Supervisors members have been appointed by Landry since taking office in January 2024 and the governor will be able to appoint four more in 2026.Carmouche, who, like Ballard, was appointed to the LSU board by Landry, denied that the governor’s remarks had any influence on Woodward’s departure.“We’re all independent people,” Carmouche said.What’s next for LSU footballIn a Friday press conference, LSU interim athletic director Verge Ausberry, flanked by Ballard and Carmouche, sought to reassure the public that the school’s athletic department “is not broken.”A search committee comprised of Ausberry, Carmouche, Ballard and several others is on the hunt for a new coach. The university board is scheduled to vote on a new president Tuesday, having been without one since June.Landry has denied that he will be picking the next coach, but said he wants the new contract to be structured differently than Kelly’s.“We’re going to put metrics on it, because I’m tired of rewarding failure in this country and then leaving the taxpayers to foot the bill,” Landry told reporters.What others are saying“The Louisiana governor and the LSU board has damaged the reputation of our university,” political pundit James Carville, a Democrat, told the AP. Carville has said he plans to burn his LSU diploma and football gear and is mulling a defamation lawsuit against Landry on Woodward’s behalf.Carville hosted a welcome party for Woodward, a former political consultant and lobbyist, when he was hired by LSU in 2019. Under Woodward, LSU won six national championships in various sports, including football.Former Louisiana Board of Regents Chair Richard Lipsey, who founded the influential Tiger Athletic Foundation and recommended Woodward’s hiring, said that Landry’s comments about Woodward revealed that he “wanted more control over LSU” and “wants to run the athletics department.”Landry’s office did not respond to a request for comment.Ed Orgeron, the former LSU football coach who led the team to a national title in 2019, said that it’s not unusual for a Louisiana governor to take an active interest in the university’s football program. Landry’s predecessor John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, hosted dinners for the university’s freshmen recruiting class and showed up at practice to throw passes with LSU receivers.Current Louisiana Board of Regents Chair Misti Cordell, a Landry appointee, said that the governor’s comments sparked constructive public discussion about the need for greater guardrails to protect public universities amid ballooning costs in college sports: “He said what a lot of people were thinking.”Rep. Dixon Wallace McMakin, an LSU graduate who serves as the football team’s announcer, said that Louisiana governors have regularly sought to influence the Tigers dating back a century to the days of firebrand populist Huey Long and are sensitive to poor performance on the gridiron.“It affects everybody and a governor feels it from all of his voters around the state,” said McMakin, a Republican. “Our standard is excellence, and anything less than excellence we will not stand for in the state of Louisiana.”Wilbert Pryor, who has served on the Louisiana Board of Regents for nearly a decade, said Landry’s perceived influence over the LSU athletics program would complicate the hiring process for a new coach reluctant to have the governor looking over his shoulder.“I don’t remember any governor in my lifetime making decisions on college football,” Pryor said. “You’d think he would have other things to garner his attention.”

    BATON ROUGE, La. —

    Gov. Jeff Landry is being applauded by some for taking a stand against bloated contracts in college sports and derided by others for political grandstanding that could make it harder for Louisiana State University to land a new football coach.

    This much is clear: The governor has been a vocal force in a sports shakeup that has consumed LSU recently.

    Video above: LSU interim coach Frank Wilson focused on ‘this moment’ in the wake of Brian Kelly’s firing

    The university lost its football coach and athletic director last week amid criticism from Landry, a smooth-talking Cajun populist and staunch ally of President Donald Trump.

    The episode is just the latest example of Landry being hands on with LSU since taking office last year. He once revived the team’s tradition of bringing a live tiger onto the football field, publicly called for the school to discipline professors who criticized Trump in class and complained about LSU women’s basketball players not being on court to stand for the national anthem, though the team did not change its pre-game routine.

    Here’s what to know:

    What did Landry say?

    LSU football coach Brian Kelly was fired in the fourth season of a 10-year, $100 million deal, the day after a 49-25 loss to Texas A&M on Oct. 25.

    The day of Kelly’s firing, Landry said he hosted a meeting in the governor’s mansion on the evening of Oct. 26 “to discuss the legalities of the contract.” Landry has said he is concerned his state will be on the hook to pay for Kelly’s buyout, which is about $54 million.

    John Carmouche, chair of the LSU’s Board of Supervisors’ Athletic Committee, told the AP that the meeting at the governor’s mansion occurred after Kelly had already been fired by athletic director Scott Woodward.

    While the governor’s concerns are valid, negotiations with Kelly are ongoing and private donors and nonprofits have typically picked up the bill for sports-related buyouts at the university, Carmouche added.

    Days after Kelly’s firing, Landry told reporters at a Wednesday press conference that LSU’s athletic director would not be selecting the next football coach.

    Gerald Herbert

    LSU running back Harlem Berry (22) celebrates his touchdown against Texas A&M in the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025 in Baton Rouge, La.

    “Hell, I’ll let Donald Trump select it before I let him do it,” said Landry. He also criticized Woodward’s prior tenure at Texas A&M, where he served as the school’s athletic director.

    The next day, LSU cut ties with Woodward.

    In a Thursday statement, Woodward said that “others can recap or opine on my tenure and on my decisions over the last six years as Director of Athletics, but I will not.”

    Board chairman Scott Ballard framed Woodward’s departure as the result of “a mutual agreement after conversations” between Woodward and the LSU board. Nine of 18 Board of Supervisors members have been appointed by Landry since taking office in January 2024 and the governor will be able to appoint four more in 2026.

    Carmouche, who, like Ballard, was appointed to the LSU board by Landry, denied that the governor’s remarks had any influence on Woodward’s departure.

    “We’re all independent people,” Carmouche said.

    What’s next for LSU football

    In a Friday press conference, LSU interim athletic director Verge Ausberry, flanked by Ballard and Carmouche, sought to reassure the public that the school’s athletic department “is not broken.”

    A search committee comprised of Ausberry, Carmouche, Ballard and several others is on the hunt for a new coach. The university board is scheduled to vote on a new president Tuesday, having been without one since June.

    Landry has denied that he will be picking the next coach, but said he wants the new contract to be structured differently than Kelly’s.

    “We’re going to put metrics on it, because I’m tired of rewarding failure in this country and then leaving the taxpayers to foot the bill,” Landry told reporters.

    What others are saying

    “The Louisiana governor and the LSU board has damaged the reputation of our university,” political pundit James Carville, a Democrat, told the AP. Carville has said he plans to burn his LSU diploma and football gear and is mulling a defamation lawsuit against Landry on Woodward’s behalf.

    Carville hosted a welcome party for Woodward, a former political consultant and lobbyist, when he was hired by LSU in 2019. Under Woodward, LSU won six national championships in various sports, including football.

    Former Louisiana Board of Regents Chair Richard Lipsey, who founded the influential Tiger Athletic Foundation and recommended Woodward’s hiring, said that Landry’s comments about Woodward revealed that he “wanted more control over LSU” and “wants to run the athletics department.”

    Landry’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

    Ed Orgeron, the former LSU football coach who led the team to a national title in 2019, said that it’s not unusual for a Louisiana governor to take an active interest in the university’s football program. Landry’s predecessor John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, hosted dinners for the university’s freshmen recruiting class and showed up at practice to throw passes with LSU receivers.

    Current Louisiana Board of Regents Chair Misti Cordell, a Landry appointee, said that the governor’s comments sparked constructive public discussion about the need for greater guardrails to protect public universities amid ballooning costs in college sports: “He said what a lot of people were thinking.”

    Rep. Dixon Wallace McMakin, an LSU graduate who serves as the football team’s announcer, said that Louisiana governors have regularly sought to influence the Tigers dating back a century to the days of firebrand populist Huey Long and are sensitive to poor performance on the gridiron.

    “It affects everybody and a governor feels it from all of his voters around the state,” said McMakin, a Republican. “Our standard is excellence, and anything less than excellence we will not stand for in the state of Louisiana.”

    Wilbert Pryor, who has served on the Louisiana Board of Regents for nearly a decade, said Landry’s perceived influence over the LSU athletics program would complicate the hiring process for a new coach reluctant to have the governor looking over his shoulder.

    “I don’t remember any governor in my lifetime making decisions on college football,” Pryor said. “You’d think he would have other things to garner his attention.”

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  • Will Kelvin Sheppard Leave the Detroit Lions for LSU?

    The Detroit Lions are flying high at 5-2, and one of the biggest reasons for their early-season success is defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard. But with LSU suddenly in the market for a new head coach, it’s fair to wonder, could Sheppard’s time in Detroit be coming to an end sooner than anyone thought?

    A Meteoric Rise in Detroit

    When Sheppard took over as defensive coordinator this offseason, some questioned whether he was ready to step into such a high-profile role. He had been groomed under Dan Campbell since 2021, moving up the coaching ranks after his stint leading the Lions’ linebackers.

    Those doubts? They’ve been erased.

    Through seven games, Detroit’s defense ranks No. 11 in the NFL in points allowed (21.6 per game) and No. 8 in the NFL in total yards allowed per game (300.0), despite missing key pieces like Alim McNeill, D.J. Reed, and Terrion Arnold for stretches.

    The results speak for themselves. The Lions defense has kept opposing offenses off-balance, tightened up in the red zone, and shown a level of physicality and discipline that reflects Sheppard’s fiery, no-nonsense coaching style.

    A Familiar Call from Baton Rouge

    Now, that success might have LSU calling.

    Following their 49–25 loss to Texas A&M, the Tigers fired head coach Brian Kelly, opening one of the most prestigious jobs in all of college football.

    Sheppard starred for LSU from 2007 to 2010, racking up 311 tackles (26 tackles for loss) and helping the program maintain its national prominence. He even returned to Baton Rouge briefly after his NFL career as LSU’s director of player development before joining the Lions coaching staff.

    NFL or LSU: What’s the Better Path?

    That’s the million-dollar question.

    On one hand, Sheppard’s stock in the NFL is rising fast. His leadership, defensive vision, and connection with players have already put him in early head coaching conversations at the pro level. Staying in Detroit, especially under a mentor like Dan Campbell, could prepare him for that next big step.

    On the other hand, LSU is… LSU. The program prints money, recruits itself, and plays on the biggest stage in college football. After paying Brian Kelly $54 million in buyout money not to coach (Note: there is a report swirling that they may have settled on $20 million), you can bet they’ll be ready to open their wallet for whoever comes next.

    And unlike the NFL, college programs offer total control, recruiting, culture, staff, and long-term identity. That kind of power and payday could be tempting, even for a coach who bleeds blue and silver right now.

    Kelvin Sheppard Terrion Arnold Kelvin Sheppard Lions

    Timing May Be the Biggest Hurdle

    Even if LSU does make the call, and they likely will, the timing isn’t ideal. The Lions are in the middle of a playoff push, and Sheppard’s focus is clearly locked in on Detroit’s Super Bowl aspirations.

    NFL coordinators rarely interview for college jobs during the season, and Sheppard would almost certainly defer any talks until January. But once the offseason hits, his phone is going to ring. Loudly.

    The Bottom Line

    Let’s be clear, Kelvin Sheppard isn’t chasing headlines or job offers right now. He’s helping lead one of the NFL’s most complete teams and learning under one of the league’s most respected head coaches. But when LSU calls, and they will, it’s going to be hard to ignore the pull of home.

    If he stays, Detroit fans can rest easy knowing their defense will continue to thrive under one of the NFL’s brightest young minds. If he leaves, LSU would be getting one of the best culture-builders in football, period.

    Either way, Sheppard’s future looks every bit as bright as the team he’s helped turn into a contender.

    Jeff Bilbrey

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  • LSU Fires Brian Kelly After Back-to-Back SEC Losses

    According to a report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel, the LSU Tigers have fired head coach Brian Kelly following a disappointing start to the 2025 season.

    The decision comes on the heels of Saturday’s 49-25 loss to Texas A&M, which dropped LSU to 5-3 overall and 2-3 in SEC play. It marks a stunning fall for Kelly, who was expected to have LSU competing for an SEC title in his fourth season at the helm.

    Kelly, who arrived in Baton Rouge ahead of the 2022 season after a long and successful tenure at Notre Dame, finishes his LSU run with a 48-34 overall record (including postseason play) and two bowl victories. However, despite flashes of success, including a 10-win campaign in 2022, the Tigers struggled to maintain consistency against top-tier opponents in the SEC.

    The loss to Texas A&M appeared to be the final straw for the administration, as LSU’s defense once again faltered and the Tigers failed to generate much offensive rhythm after halftime.

    The school is expected to name an interim head coach in the coming days while the athletic department begins its search for Kelly’s successor.

    LSU fans, who entered the season with College Football Playoff aspirations, are now left wondering what’s next for a program that has struggled to find stability since its 2019 national championship run.

    Don Drysdale

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  • LSU’s Brian Kelly makes honest admission about his ‘job’

    LSU head coach Brian Kelly is feeling the heat in Week 9 amid a 5-2 start.

    More News: LSU’s Brian Kelly Issues Serious Warning to Team Amid Calls for His Firing

    On Saturday, the Tigers dropped their second game of the season in a 31-24 loss to then-No. 17 Vanderbilt on the road. LSU’s first loss of the season came to then-No. 13 Ole Miss on Sept. 27.

    Pressure is mounting on Kelly’s squad to get a win over No. 3 Texas A&M in Week 9. A loss would put the Tigers out of the race for the College Football Playoff and would invite more scrutiny about Kelly’s future in Baton Rouge.

    More News: Lane Kiffin Caught Joking With Ref at Kirby Smart’s Expense

    LSU appeared ready to take the next step under Kelly with a win over then-No. 4 Clemson in Week 1, but that victory looks less impressive as Clemson now has a 3-4 record.

    On Monday, Kelly seemed aware of the outside noise surrounding his program.

    Per Scott Rabalais of The Advocate, Kelly told reporters during his news conference that he realizes fans and the media don’t think he’s getting his job done during his fourth year with the Tigers.

    “Some are saying I’m not getting my job done now,” Kelly said. “I get that. But we are working hard every single day to get our football team better.”

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    The team has been not been good enough against top-tier competition in the SEC, at least for a program that expected to enter the CFP. Kelly’s squad was unable to finish against the Rebels and Commodores.

    The next two games could define Kelly’s future at LSU. Following Saturday’s game against the Aggies, LSU has a bye and then will travel to play No. 4 Alabama on Nov. 8. The Tigers need to win both to stay in the CFP conversation, but Kelly needs to win at least one to show he can coach in big games.

    Even going 1-1 against Texas A&M and the Crimson Tide could be problematic for Kelly, as his record against ranked teams in the SEC would be inconsistent at best.

    Following Saturday’s loss, Kelly told the media that he warned his team to be play mistake-free football against Texas A&M, believing the Tigers can win in Week 9 and fight to make it to the SEC championship.

    “Then it’s a four-game race to the SEC championship,” Kelly said. “It’s a disappointing loss. There’s no doubt (about) it. But they’ve got to bounce back right to reality and know that they’ve got to play mistake-free against their outstanding A&M team.”

    For more on the NCAA, head to Newsweek Sports.

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  • Time to get real on the bullet train: California is building it, so let’s make it work

    Time to get real on the bullet train: California is building it, so let’s make it work

    SACRAMENTO — 

    Gov. Gavin Newsom got the Christmas present he desperately wanted from President Biden: the crucial piece of a train set.

    It’s a relatively small piece that’s vital to eventually making this fancy electric train work.

    I’m referring to the much-maligned bullet train that three California governors have been trying to build .

    When complete, it will carry passengers from Los Angeles to San Francisco in less than three hours at speeds of up to 220 mph. That’s the sales pitch, anyway.

    Biden’s gift is a $3.1-billion grant that’s badly needed to continue work on the high-speed rail line’s initial segment in the San Joaquin Valley.

    The ambitious project has been widely lampooned over the years by many, including me, as a too-costly boondoggle and off track from the start.

    But let’s get real: This giant adult toy is going to be constructed one way or another, whether at reasonable speed or in pokey chug-chug fashion. It’s time we acknowledge that and focus on making it work the best for everyone. And sooner the better.

    You don’t spend $11 billion on a project, as California already has, then abandon it.

    Critics consistently have asserted that bullet train money should be shifted to more essential projects — reducing homelessness, educating kids, widening freeways. But that’s practically impossible. Most bullet train money — state bonds and federal grants — can be used only for high-speed rail.

    Ardent supporters just as erroneously constantly point out that California is the world’s fifth-largest economy. And if nations with smaller economies — in Europe and Asia — can afford bullet trains, they argue, California certainly can.

    Wrong. Those are nations, not states. They heavily subsidize high-speed rail and can do that because their purse strings are much looser. States have budget-balancing requirements. And they can’t print money.

    It would be politically impossible for California alone to finance the Los Angeles-to-San Francisco high-speed rail line that’s currently projected to cost a gargantuan $110 billion. And that estimate keeps growing. It’s now roughly three times what voters were told the line would cost when they approved a nearly $10-billion bond issue for the bullet train in 2008.

    “The longer it takes to build, the more expensive it is,” says Brian Kelly, chief executive officer of the California High-Speed Rail Authority.

    “But it’s a lot cheaper than expanding freeways and airports.”

    Could the work already done be converted to use by conventional, non-electrified passenger trains? That would be a lot less expensive.

    “I suppose so,” Kelly says. “But to continue to run yesterday’s technology would not be in the state’s interest. It would be a disaster.”

    The appeal of electrified trains — besides their zippy speed — is that they burn clean energy, not climate-warming fossil fuels.

    But like bullet trains in Europe and Asia, California’s need generous federal funding — lots of it.

    Several years ago, the feds gave California $3.5 billion for the project. That’s long gone. And it’s all the money Washington has sent — in no small part because former Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield hated the bullet train because its tracks cut through his constituents’ farm fields.

    But now, Biden’s Christmas present to Newsom will allow him to continue erecting the project’s first 171-mile segment from Merced to Bakersfield. The line is supposed to be operational by 2030.

    “The train to nowhere,” critics long have cried.

    “That’s wrong and offensive,” Newsom responded in his first State of the State Address in 2019. “The people of the Central Valley … deserve better.”

    A 2022 poll by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies found wide public support for continuing to build the rail line regardless of whether it initially operates only in farm country. Among registered voters, 56% favored it, with 35% opposed.

    But there was a huge partisan difference: 73% of Democrats favored construction and 66% of Republicans were opposed.

    Newsom said the federal gift amounts to “a vote of confidence … and comes at a critical turning point, providing the project new momentum.”

    OK, but the question still remains: Why would anyone bother to take a bullet train from Merced to Bakersfield?

    Kelly answers that Amtrak already draws 1.5 million passengers annually in the valley. And high-speed rail is projected to attract 7 million.

    The next links will be into the San Francisco Bay Area by 2033 — it’s promised — and later into Los Angeles and Anaheim. No one has a clue when the entire line will be complete.

    The total projected cost of just the San Joaquin Valley line is up to $32 billion. That money is far from lined up.

    Kelly’s goal is to get an additional $5 billion from the same kitty that provided the Christmas gift: the $1.2-trillion infrastructure package that Biden pushed through Congress and signed in 2021.

    Newsom’s rail project simultaneously got a second boost from the Biden administration — indirectly, at least — when it approved a $3-billion grant for a planned bullet train between Las Vegas and Southern California.

    Kelly intends to connect California’s bullet train to the Vegas line and make it easier for Central Valley residents to travel by rail to Sin City.

    “This is a great opportunity for high-speed rail — to buy trains together and be more efficient,” Kelly says.

    But California’s electric train remains tens of billions of dollars short of enough money for completion — with no additional dollars in sight.

    Private investors haven’t shown any interest. It’s doubtful California taxpayers would dig deeper. Washington is where the money is. How does Sacramento keep tapping into its vaults?

    “What they really want to see is people working,” Kelly says. “We’ve got to keep grinding, keep advancing.”

    If Newsom’s a good boy, maybe Washington’s Santa will give him another piece of the train set next Christmas.

    George Skelton

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  • AP Top 25: Tide retakes No. 1 from UGA; Kansas snaps drought

    AP Top 25: Tide retakes No. 1 from UGA; Kansas snaps drought

    Alabama reclaimed No. 1 from Georgia in The Associated Press college football poll in one of the closest votes in the recent years, and six teams — including Kansas — made their season debut on Sunday.

    The Crimson Tide received 25 first-place votes and 1,523 points in the AP Top 25 presented by Regions Bank, two points more than the Bulldogs. Georgia received 28 first-place votes to become the first team since Alabama in November 2019 to have the most first-place votes but not be No. 1.

    The Tide was No. 2 behind LSU that year, with 21 first-place votes to the Tigers’ 17.

    The last time there was a two-point margin between Nos. 1 and 2 was Nov. 1, 2020, when Clemson was ahead of Alabama. There have been three other polls with a two-point margin at the top since 2007.

    Ohio State remained third, but the Buckeyes also gained some ground on the top two, getting 10 first-place votes.

    The Crimson Tide started the season at No. 1, but the defending national champion Bulldogs took the top spot away from their Southeastern Conference rivals after Week 2 when Alabama needed a late field goal to beat Texas.

    The Bulldogs remain unbeaten but needed a fourth-quarter rally to beat four-touchdown underdog Missouri on Saturday night. Earlier in the day, the Tide managed to pull away from Arkansas in the second half without Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young.

    Young sprained his throwing shoulder in the first half and missed most of the game in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

    No. 4 Michigan, No. 5 Clemson and No. 6 Southern California all won and held their places this week, though the Wolverines and Tigers are now separated by just three points.

    No. 7 Oklahoma State, followed by Tennessee, Mississippi and Penn State, round out the top 10.

    The rest of the AP Top 25 got a major overhaul after 10 ranked teams lost, five to unranked opponents. That cleared the way for seven teams to move into the rankings this week, most notably No. 19 Kansas.

    The Jayhawks are ranked for the first time since Oct. 18, 2009, which was the longest drought for a team currently in a Power Five conference.

    POLL POINTS

    The closest margin between Nos. 1 and 2 in AP poll history is zero. Oklahoma and Miami tied for No. 1 in the 2002 preseason poll, and Miami and Washington shared the top spot in mid-October 1992.

    The last time there was a one-point margin between the top two teams was 1992, when the Hurricanes and Huskies were separated by a point in the weeks before and after they were tied.

    With Kansas back in the rankings, the longest poll appearance drought belongs to Illinois, which was last ranked in 2011. And the Illini have positioned themselves to make the leap with a 4-1 start heading into their home game against Iowa next week.

    Next up on the list is Rutgers (2012), Oregon State (preseason 2013) and Vanderbilt (final 2013).

    IN

    The voters generally decided to start from scratch at the back half of the rankings, flipping seven teams.

    — No. 17 TCU is in the rankings for the first time since a brief stay in 2019 at 25th.

    — No. 18 UCLA is off to its first 5-0 start since 2013.

    — No. 19 Kansas stayed unbeaten by knocking off Iowa State. The Jayhawks last started 5-0 in that 2009 season, then proceeded to drop their next six games and fall to the bottom of major college football for more than a decade.

    Both Kansas schools are ranked for the first time since Oct. 14, 2007.

    — No. 22 Syracuse improved to 5-0 with an easy victory against Wagner and finally cracked the rankings. The Orange are ranked for the first time since early in the 2019 season.

    — No. 23 Mississippi State has been ranked for only one week (after the first regular-season game of 2020) since the end of 2018 season.

    Both Mississippi SEC schools are ranked for the first time since Nov. 11, 2015.

    — No. 24 Cincinnati. The Bearcats are the one team to enter the rankings this week that already had been in this season. Cincinnati fell out after a Week 1 loss at Arkansas and has won four straight since.

    — No. 25 LSU has its first ranking under coach Brian Kelly. The Tigers have won four straight, including two SEC games, since losing a heartbreaker to Florida State on Labor Day weekend.

    OUT

    Among the seven teams to drop out of the AP Top 25, five of them will be unranked for the first time this season: Oklahoma, Baylor, Arkansas, Texas A&M and Pittsburgh.

    Florida State and Minnesota had brief stays in the AP Top 25. The Seminoles and Gophers were teams on the rise for a week and then both lost at home.

    CONFERENCE CALL

    SEC — 7 (Nos. 1, 2, 8, 9, 13, 23, 25).

    Pac-12 — 5 (Nos. 6, 11, 12, 18, 21).

    ACC — 4 (Nos. 5, 15, 16, 22).

    Big 12 — 4 (Nos. 7, 17, 19, 20).

    Big Ten — 3 (Nos. 3, 4, 10).

    American — 1 (No. 24).

    Independent — 1 (No. 16).

    RANKED vs. RANKED

    No. 25 LSU at No. 8 Tennessee.

    No. 17 TCU at No. 19 Kansas.

    No. 11 Utah at No. 18 UCLA.

    ———

    Follow Ralph D. Russo at https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP and listen at http://www.appodcasts.com

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    More AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/AP—Top25. Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: https://bit.ly/3pqZVaF

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