A lot of money was at stake for NCAA coaches this weekend
This week marked the second last weekend of the NCAA's regular season, and for most universities, their last regular-season games of the year.
Playoff bids, division titles, conference championship, and bowl berths were all on the line.
What else was on the line was a total of $1,872,189 for coaches, as bonus clauses in their contracts kicked in.
Eleven coaches were awarded a total of $1.4 million this week, highlighted by Iowa's Kirk Ferentz's $500,000 for winning eight games. Ohio State head man Urban Meyer added $50,000 to his 2016 pay, and could add another $200,000-plus if the Buckeyes are selected to play in one of the six College Football Playoff affiliated bowls.
Here's the list of coaches' bonuses:
| Coach | Money | Clause |
|---|---|---|
| Kirk Ferentz (Iowa) | $500K | 8 wins reached |
| Mark Stoops (Kentucky) | $250K | 7 wins reached |
| James Franklin (Penn State) | $250K | Win division |
| Mike MacIntyre (Colorado) | $100K | Division title |
| Urban Meyer (Ohio State) | $50K | Share division title |
| Dabo Swinney (Clemson) | $50K | 11 wins reached |
| Chris Petersen (Washington) | $50K | Win division |
| Paul Chryst (Wisconsin) | $40K | Win division |
| Mike Norvell (Memphis) | $35K | 8 wins reached |
| Dave Doeren (NC State) | $25K | Bowl eligible |
| Willie Taggart (USF) | $25K | 10 wins/Division title |
| Justin Fuente (Virginia Tech) | $25K | Win division |
On the losing side, both on the field and in their bank accounts, were six coaches and $472,189:
| Coach | Money | Clause |
|---|---|---|
| Jim Harbaugh (Michigan) | $125K | Division title |
| Tracy Claeys (Minnesota) | $125K | Share division title/6 conference wins |
| Mike Riley (Nebraska) | $100K | Share division title |
| Mike Leach (Washington State) | $75K | Beat Washington/Division title |
| Larry Fedorda (North Carolina) | $29.689K | Win division |
| Tom Herman (Houston) | $17.5K | 10 wins reach |
Herman can't be too sad, as his new contract with Texas will pay him more than $5 million, while Harbaugh can cash in on $200,000 if Michigan is selected for one of the six College Football Playoff affiliated bowls.
What a time to be alive in amateur athletics.