Last season, schools in the Football Bowl Subdivision paid over $125 million in buyouts for head coaches who left, with Texas A&M paying a staggering $77 million to part ways with Jimbo Fisher without cause.

The increase in potential buyout amounts in coaching contracts is becoming increasingly pronounced each year, as highlighted in YSL News Sports’ yearly analysis of compensation for college football head coaches.

This year, an astounding 29 coaches from public FBS schools would be entitled to $20 million or more if dismissed without cause, as of December 1. This is more than three times the number of coaches who met that threshold when tracking began back in 2017. Among those, five would receive the previously unimaginable amount of $60 million or more, including Georgia’s Kirby Smart, whose buyout is an eye-popping $118.1 million.

Although average buyout amounts for both FBS and Power Four schools saw only slight year-over-year increases, they have steadily risen over the past seven years. The typical buyout for FBS coaches is currently $15.6 million, while for Power Four coaches, the average is $28.7 million—an average significantly influenced by the massive buyouts like Smart’s.

Many coaching contracts include clauses that require coaches to seek new employment after being fired, which can help reduce their buyouts. However, in certain instances, like Fisher’s agreement with Texas A&M, there was no requirement on his part to mitigate, and the university could not claim any offset.

“While the college sports sector excels at generating revenue, it often fails at controlling expenses,” remarked David Ridpath, a sports business professor at Ohio University.

“Avoiding these excessive buyouts, which are millions for coaches no longer coaching, could open up funds for lifetime scholarships, player salaries, and other essential needs.”

The commitments for buyouts have continued to escalate even as the financial dynamics of college sports begin to evolve. Athletes can now monetize their name, image, and likeness, and there is a pending $2.8 billion settlement that will allow athletic departments to redirect millions annually to athletes.

Ridpath, also a long-time member of The Drake Group, a college sports reform advocacy organization, does not believe that these larger-scale changes will soon affect coaches’ buyouts.

“I hope that maybe in about five years, as we explore unionization and bargaining, we might see a market correction,” he stated.

Here’s a quick overview of the largest buyouts in college football for 2024:

Kirby Smart’s buyout at Georgia: $118.1 million

The Bulldogs recently extended Smart’s contract for another two years and increased his salary to $13 million annually. According to his latest contract, if he were to be fired without cause during the next four years, he would receive the full remaining value of his contract, translating to a staggering $118.1 million. This is now the largest buyout recorded for a public school coach within the FBS since tracking began in 2017.

Kalen DeBoer’s buyout at Alabama: $70.1 million

If DeBoer is dismissed without cause, he would be entitled to 90% of the remaining value of his contract, which would be The financial obligation could exceed $70 million by December 1. Although Alabama faced a setback against Vanderbilt on October 5, it seems improbable that the Crimson Tide will initiate this buyout shortly. DeBoer, the previous head coach at Washington, has only been with the team for six games after taking over from seven-time national champion Nick Saban.

Mike Norvell’s buyout at Florida State: $63.8 million

Florida State awarded Norvell a substantial contract extension after missing the College Football Playoff the previous year, significantly boosting his salary and, consequently, his buyout, which now stands at 85% of the remaining contract value. Regrettably for Florida State, their performance has drastically declined. Norvell’s 2024 squad has started poorly in the Power Four, suffering five losses in their first six games, including a 20-12 defeat at home to Memphis, a Group of Five team that he previously coached.

Brian Kelly’s buyout at LSU: $61.7 million

LSU has made buyout payments or settled with its last two coaches, Ed Orgeron and Les Miles. If Kelly were to part ways similarly, he would be owed slightly over $61 million. This scenario seems unlikely considering the consistent performance of the Tigers under the former Notre Dame head coach. In Kelly’s first two years, they finished with records of 10-4 and 10-3 and currently hold a 5-1 record this season.

Dabo Swinney’s buyout at Clemson: $60 million

Swinney’s buyout amount for 2024 ranks among the highest in the nation but is a slight reduction from the $64 million figure a year ago. The veteran Clemson coach has maintained a projected buyout of $35 million or more annually since 2017; however, like many on this list, his future at the school has rarely been questioned. Swinney has successfully guided the Tigers to nine or more wins for 13 consecutive seasons, also winning two national titles in that span.