Brian Kelly on Lane Kiffin’s LSU gamble: ‘At least you know what you’re getting’

Brian Kelly knows the intersection of culture, politics, sports and LSU all too well.

He remembers receiving an invitation to one of Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry’s biggest fundraisers — a “gator-tagging event” — amidst LSU’s own preseason football camp.

Kelly is not at all surprised LSU’s attempt to play athletes who had spent time in NFL training camps has become intertwined with all things… Louisiana.

“Boy, it’s a lot,” Kelly exclusively told USA TODAY Sports on Friday, Sept. 4. “I think you kind of answered it in the question: they’re all wrapped in together. There’s no separation of church and state, if you will, in Louisiana. It all works together. The politics are involved. The fanbase is influential. Maybe that’s not unique, but in the state of Louisiana, all of that culture is wrapped together with athletics, the university and politics. It makes it difficult to operate at times.”

Kelly is monitoring the situation at LSU, which includes player Junior Tuihalamaka, a former commitment to Kelly’s Notre Dame program, and the landscape nationally involving athletes — some with pro experience — seeking a return to college.

“Early on, I thought it was much ado about nothing because it was not…

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/sports/