The 30 biggest college football coaching buyouts in 2024
Pretty much every week during the college football season, there’s at least one fan base rioting online with their virtual pitchforks demanding that its football coach is fired before he leaves the field.
For schools, of course, there’s more to consider than what the fans want, particularly, what the terms of a buyout are. Fans may be ready for a change, but the school might not be ready to fork over an eight-figure buyout if it can help it.
Thanks to USA TODAY Sports’ database of college football coaches’ salaries, we know how much it would cost almost every school to fire its coach this year. (Obtaining this information from private schools is trickier because they’re not obligated to report salary data.)
As USA TODAY Sports explained in its methodology, these buyout numbers are how much the school would owe the coach if he’s fired without cause, and the amount may be paid out over a period of time, rather than a lump sum.
So here’s a look at the 30 biggest buyouts in college football in 2024.