
The boom of dead money in college sports
What did FBS schools pay football and basketball coaches not to coach? The numbers will surprise you.
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From January 1, 2010 to January 31, 2021, FBS schools spent a more than $533 million in dead money.....payments to coaches in football, men's basketball and women's basketball who were fired without cause with time left on their contracts.
The Top 10 Schools - Dead Money Payouts
1. Auburn - $31.2 million
2. Nebraska - $25.8 million
3. Texas - $21.5 million
4. Mississippi - $20.4 million
5. Kansas - $20 million
6. Arizona State - $18.7 million
7. South Carolina - $18.6 million
8. Oregon - $16.5 million
9. Texas A&M - $16.4 million
10. UCLA - $15.5 million
Bo Pelini and Mike Riley were fired within a year of new contract extensions. The cost for those mistakes: about $12.8 million.
The Top 10 Recipients
1. Will Muschamp - $19.2 million
2. Charlie Strong - $11.8 million
3. Todd Graham - $11.1 million
4. Kevin Sumlin - $10.8 million
5. Gus Malzahn - $10.7 million
6. Bo Pelini - $10.5 million
7. Mark Helfrich - $9.5 million
8. Rich Rodriguez - $9.3 million
9. Jim Mora - $9.2 million
10. Thad Matta - $9.0 million
Big Ten Dead Money Payouts
1. Nebraska - $25.8 million
2. Rutgers - $15.4 million
3. Maryland - $13.0 million
4. Illinois - $12.3 million
5. Ohio State - $10.2 million
6. Minnesota - $9.3 million
7. Purdue - $6.8 million
8. Indiana - $5.1 million
9. Cockeye - $4.0 million
9. Michigan - $4.0 million
11. Wisconsin - $1.1 million
Other Stats
116: Coaches who received more than $1 million
$1.4 million: Nebraska paid the most dead money in women's basketball
$5.4 million: Dead money paid to strength and conditioning coaches
$471 million: Total Power 5 dead money found