College football has experienced major shifts in recent years, with the Pac-12 facing challenges and the College Football Playoff expanding. However, not all of these changes are accurately reflected in the contracts of head coaches.

According to YSL News Sports’ yearly review of coaching salaries, over 40 Football Bowl Subdivision programs have not yet revised their head coach contracts to incorporate the expansion of the College Football Playoff from four teams to 12. This situation could lead to substantial financial implications if a coach misses out on expected bonuses.

The wording in these contracts varies, but deals at schools like LSU, Iowa State, and Iowa include bonuses for participating in major bowl games or CFP semifinal matches. Yet, they remain unamended, leaving uncertainty about whether advancing to the first round of the CFP should be considered a regular bowl game or a major one regarding bonuses. For instance, a first-round playoff appearance could cost Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz up to $150,000 due to this confusion.

Other contracts display different kinds of outdated terms. For example:

∎ Jake Dickert at Washington State has a contract featuring rewards for winning the Pac-12 or having the top graduation rates in the league. But following several transfers, the Pac-12 has dwindled to only two members this season, rendering those bonuses irrelevant, as confirmed by a university spokesperson.

∎ Ryan Walters at Purdue has a contract that still mentions a bonus for winning the Big Ten West, despite there being no divisions in the conference anymore, as verified by a sports department official.

∎ Justin Wilcox’s contract with Cal offers $10,000 for victories against Oregon, UCLA, or Southern Cal—three schools that are no longer members of the same conference or part of the Bears’ regular schedule. (All three have joined the Big Ten, while Cal is now in the ACC.) Wilcox does receive $25,000 for defeating Stanford, which is also in the ACC. This has also been confirmed by a university official.

Many of these discrepancies could be easily resolved. For instance, even if Deion Sanders, the Colorado coach, wins the Big 12 coach of the year, the university would probably still provide him a $75,000 bonus, despite his contract’s specific reference to the Pac-12 coach of the year award.

Updating contracts is an ongoing process. Recently, Toledo made revisions to Jason Candle’s contract, extending it by an additional year and updating bonus terms in line with changes in the Mid-American Conference and the College Football Playoff format.

The main concern revolves around the College Football Playoff, prompting some schools to proactively amend their coaches’ contracts to mirror the new postseason structure.

This includes established playoff contenders like Ohio State and Tennessee, as well as less likely candidates like Old Dominion, where coach Ricky Rahne will receive an additional $25,000 if the Monarchs reach the first round of the playoff instead of competing in a standard bowl game. Old Dominion currently has a record of 2-4 and has participated in only three bowl games since transitioning to the FBS in 2014.