(BCSNN) — We see it happen every year - a coach gets fired from a big time job, and that school tries to find a way to pay less than the buyout that was agreed to in the coach's contract. LSU is the latest to try it, but will face a fight from former LSU head coach Brian Kelly. Kelly has filed a lawsuit against the university’s board of supervisors, alleging that LSU is attempting to retroactively fire him “for cause” in order to avoid paying the nearly $54 million buyout stipulated in his contract.

The 48-page (who wants to read all of that?) petition for declaratory judgment, filed in the 19th Judicial District Court in East Baton Rouge, claims LSU informed Kelly’s representatives on Monday that he had not been “formally terminated” and that the school now believes grounds exist for a “for cause” dismissal.

Kelly, 64, was initially relieved of his duties on Oct. 26, one day after a 49–25 loss to Texas A&M dropped the Tigers to 5–3. Then-athletic director Scott Woodward cited performance-based reasons for the move, stating, “The success at the level that LSU demands simply did not materialize.”

However, the lawsuit alleges that LSU is now attempting to invalidate that termination and reclassify it as “for cause,” which would nullify the buyout. Kelly’s attorneys argue that LSU never followed the contractual process required for such a termination, including providing written notice and a seven-day response window.

The suit also disputes LSU’s claim that Woodward lacked the authority to terminate Kelly or negotiate a settlement. Woodward stepped down four days after the firing, following public criticism from Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, who referenced the $53 million liability in a press conference.

Kelly’s legal team included emails in the filing that show LSU offered to settle for $25 million and later $30 million — both of which were declined. The lawsuit seeks a declaratory judgment confirming that Kelly was terminated without cause and is entitled to the full buyout.

Kelly went 34–14 in three seasons at LSU after arriving from Notre Dame in 2022.

Will the tax-payer funded courts determine that LSU has to fork over tax payer funds to fulfill Kelly's contract, or will the tax payers' money spent on LSU's attorneys pay off? Either way, it's going to be the Louisiana tax payer and LSU students on the hook for whichever millionaires win the suit.