Ed Orgeron Gave Classic Answer When Asked About SEC Paying Players Before NIL

Coach O embraced every bit of the question.

Former LSU head coach Ed Orgeron didn't shy away from a question regarding the SEC paying players prior to NIL. / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Former LSU national champion head coach Ed Orgeron has been in the news quite a bit lately.

First, it was Orgeron stating that he had interest in rejoining LSU as an assistant under good friend Lane Kiffin. On Tuesday, it was an entirely different topic—NIL in college athletics.

Orgeron joined the Bussin' with the Boys podcast to discuss a host of topics, one of which included paying players before NIL. Podcast hosts Taylor Lewan and Will Compton joked that the SEC paid players before it was legal, and Orgeron chuckled before giving a classic response.

"Hey, you know... it's all good. They say, 'Hey Coach, you know, you've been out of coaching for a while. How are you going to adjust to NIL?' I said, 'Well, it's a minor adjustment. ... Back then, we used to walk through the back door with the cash. Now we just gotta walk through the front door with the cash!'"

Everyone knows the SEC was paying players before paying players was legal

Coach O with an incredible response on @BussinWTB 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/PvHvQK3Bdp

— Will Compton (@_willcompton) December 9, 2025

Nobody will ever admit that players were paid under the table prior to NIL, even though it was always considered one of college football's worst-kept secrets. But it sounds like Orgeron is ready to embrace the NIL era if he ever gets an opportunity to return to the sidelines.

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