USC doesn’t necessarily have to get boxed into one painful choice with Lincoln Riley.
The Trojans could keep him. They could fire him and absorb the full cost. Or there’s a third path: Riley wants out, another program wants him, and both sides figure out a financial way to part.
That idea came up on the USC LAFB Show, and it’s important to be clear about what it is and isn’t. It’s not reporting that a deal is in motion. It’s a scenario worth tracking because the pressure around USC is only getting louder.
After the loss to Wisconsin, USC is sitting at 6-2 and doesn’t have much margin left. A strong close could shift everything. If the Trojans win out and then put together a competitive playoff performance, Riley would have a much stronger case to stay.
But if the season adds another bad result, the questions about where this program is headed are only going to sharpen.
There’s also the broader issue of fit. Riley can still be a good coach without being the right coach for USC in the Big Ten. His offense helped Oklahoma reach the College Football Playoff three times, and a return to the Big 12 could give him a setting that looks more natural for what he does best.
That’s where the Texas conversation starts.
Riley’s background matters here. He grew up in Texas, played at Texas Tech, and got his coaching start there. Those ties make a move back to that part of the country feel more plausible than some other possibilities.
The video mentioned three schools as potential landing spots, though they are all in very different places.
Baylor is the cleanest immediate name, especially after the announced dismissal of Dave Aranda. The show also pointed to reporting that Baylor wants an offensive-minded coach with Texas ties, which makes Riley a logical name to keep in view.
TCU is another school that could enter the picture if its job opens. The discussion there centered on questions around Sonny Dykes’ future, but nothing should be treated as established fact. If that door did open, the appeal would line up in a similar way: Texas roots, offensive credibility, and familiarity with the Big 12.
Then there’s Texas Tech, the option with the strongest personal link and the most speculation attached to it. Joey McGuire is still the coach, and the video did not say a change is happening. Instead, it raised the possibility that influential financial backer Cody Campbell could want a different direction if the season doesn’t meet expectations.
The financial side is where this gets interesting. In theory, if another school wanted Riley, USC might not have to eat the full buyout on its own. A negotiated exit could lower the Trojans’ cost compared with simply firing him.
The show referenced a buyout figure of about $70 million, while making clear that the exact mechanics are unknown.
That doesn’t mean another school would just cut USC a check for the whole thing. Any arrangement would have to work through Riley’s contract, the negotiations, and what everyone involved is willing to do.
And if more than one school wanted him, there could be extra incentive to work something out instead of waiting for him to hit the open market. That’s a possibility, not proof that those talks are happening.
The USC LAFB Show also pointed to USC basketball’s Andy Enfield leaving for SMU as a rough comparison. In that case, a coaching relationship had run its course, another school stepped in, and USC moved on with Eric Musselman.
It’s a helpful example of how a separation can come together. It is not a prediction that Riley’s situation would unfold the same way.
For now, the key things to watch are simple: USC’s finish, how Baylor’s search develops, whether TCU’s job opens, whether Texas Tech actually considers a change, and whether there’s any credible reporting that Riley has real interest elsewhere.
A mutual split would take more than USC deciding it’s time to move on. Riley would need a destination he wants, and a school would have to want him enough to help make the move work.
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