The Latest on Lance Leipold and Kansas

With Nebraska lurking, Kansas appears to have upped an extension offer to keep Lance in Lawrence

Welcome to “The Hearings,” and thank you for being here. If you are coming over from Twitter, hi friend! If someone has forwarded you this email, hi new friend! My name is Mike Vernon. I’m a former journalist and self-proclaimed KU Scoopsmeister — something that I really just do for fun and shouldn’t be taken too seriously. In fact…

EVERYTHING IN THIS NEWSLETTER IS BASED UPON WHAT I AM HEARING FROM PEOPLE I TRUST. PLEASE DO NOT MISTAKE THIS FOR FACT OR FOR ACTUAL JOURNALISM, WHICH HAS VERIFICATION STANDARDS THAT I HAVE NOT ADHERED TO. I DO NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT.

What I'm HEARING:

Note: This is a rapidly changing situation. These discussions are live and ongoing. I am more optimistic about Lance's future at KU writing this on Sunday afternoon than Friday. Here's why:

• Travis Goff appears to have met with Leipold’s representatives this week. 

• KU has offered Lance a revised deal in the last few days. The contract is an improved offer than had previously been extended. Negotiations are ongoing. 

• An offer has been on the table for quite some time. The previous offer was considered appealing. I don’t have financial details for the previous or new offer.

• The new offer is the latest in a series of aggressive moves from KU to keep Lance in Lawrence. KU is showing it will do just about whatever it takes. . 

• The negotiations have been with agents -- not with Lance personally. 

• Lance has recently expressed to people around the University that he wants to be in Lawrence for a long time.

• Very few people know what Nebraska AD Trev Alberts is doing. Not even the agents are too knowledgeable. 

• Leipold may not have the best history with Alberts, who was in favor of firing Lance’s old boss Frank Solich while at ESPN. Alberts also was AD at Nebraska-Omaha and killed the football program five years after Leipold left UNO for Wisconsin Whitewater. 

• There is a legitimate scenario in which Nebraska could offer Lance, and he'd turn it down to stay at KU. It's not a done deal that he'd leave KU if offered. 

• Still, it's hard to imagine Lance not being interested in the Nebraska job.

An important hearing... Lance does not want to take KU's deal only to leave for Nebraska two weeks later, hence some Reasons for Concern:

Lance is clearly in the mix at Nebraska¹. He may not be the favorite, but that doesn't mean he isn't a top candidate. Smart people around KU seem to believe Lance's reps has advised him to wait to accept an extension. The advice makes sense if Lance thinks there is a chance Nebraska offers -- and he's interested in the job. There are two ways to think about this:

1. If KU offers millions in additional salary, and you know you will say yes, why do you wait? Take the money! 

2. KU isn't going to rescind its offer, so what do you have to gain by saying yes now?

MY sole opinion about this:

Lance is interested in Nebraska to some extent. Let's not pretend that job isn't a clear step up in resources, fan interest, and prestige. Still, KU continues to raise its efforts to keep Lance and his staff in Lawrence. 

There's A LOT at stake here. The team's progress, a new stadium, a stacked returning roster, and an inspired fan base… it all relies on Lance taking this new deal from KU. 

The last 48 hours have me feeling like he will.

1. Longtime Nebraska writer Steven Sipple said Saturday night that he thinks the Cornhuskers' next coach will come from the state of Kansas. He gave a slight edge to Kansas State's Chris Klieman (hehe). On Friday, before KU's disaster with Texas, 247's Mike Shaefer predicted Leipold would get the job. His top 3 were: Leipold, Klieman and Matt Rhule. Those reporters have been around long enough to have some indication behind the scenes.