Championship Paydays: Coaches Cash In on Conference Title Wins

In the inaugural year of the 12-team College Football Playoff, and amid a continued wave of head-spinning conference realignment, college football’s championship weekend brought great excitement on the field, even if not every game had a trip to the Playoff on the line.

Every Power 4 conference title game featured a first-year conference newcomer, and No. 15 Arizona State (11–2) became the first to claim its conference title, beating No. 16 Iowa State on Saturday afternoon. And since ASU has locked down its spot in the CFP, the Big 12 gets $4 million. 

Every conference, in fact, gets a $4 million guaranteed payout for each member school that makes the Playoff, then another $4 million for making the second round, $6 million for making the semifinals, and another $6 million for appearing in the national championship game. (Each school also gets $3 million per CFP round for its travel expenses.)

That puts the Big Ten and SEC in very lucrative positions, with four schools each in the current top 12, though that could reshuffle after Saturday’s results. No. 2 Texas (11–2) could have been the next newcomer to claim a title Saturday, but lost the SEC championship in overtime to No. 5 Georgia—its second loss this season to the Bulldogs (11–2). 

Title Game Bonuses

Several coaches earned significant bonuses for their teams’ performances in conference title games, with some securing spots in the College Football Playoff.

Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State: The 34-year-old has a $395,000 bonus coming his way for the Sun Devils’ 45–19 win over the Cyclones (10–3).

Kirby Smart, Georgia: He’ll pocket $300,000—$100,00 for playing in the SEC title game and $200,00 for winning it—and Georgia will score a first-round Playoff bye. Smart, according to USA Today, will also collect another $175,000 for his Bulldogs playing in the CFP.

Dan Lanning, Oregon: The No. 1 Ducks beat No. 3 Penn State 45–37, making quite a statement in its first season in the conference. Lanning had already earned a $100,000 bonus for making the title game and another $200,000 for Oregon’s 12th regular-season win. With the win, he added another $150,000 to his earnings by securing the school’s first Big Ten title.

Dabo Swinney, Clemson: In the ACC championship game, No. 17 Clemson knocked off No. 8 SMU, 34–31, keeping its CFP hopes alive. Swinney had already earned $50,000 for making it to the title game. With the victory, he added another $200,000 to his earnings and stands to earn an additional $75,000 if the Tigers make it to the CFP.

Spencer Danielson, Boise State: Danielson collected a $66,000 bonus for guiding his team to the Mountain West crown. The No. 10 Broncos topped No. 20 UNLV, 21–7, in the MWC title game Friday, likely securing Boise State (12–1) a spot in the College Football Playoff. 

Jeff Monken, Army: The No. 24 Black Knights (11–1) claimed their first American Athletic Conference title in 134 years by routing Tulane 35–14 on Friday, giving Monken a $50,000 bonus.