The College Football Playoff field was unveiled last weekend, making the 12 coaches of the teams playing in the newly expanded bracket more wealthy. Every college coach has incentives built into their respective contracts that reward winning and advancing in the CFP, with some getting more money than others.
Arizona State was projected to finish last in the Big 12 media poll and officially completed the worst-to-first turnaround by knocking off Iowa State in the conference title game last weekend. According to USA Today data, Sun Devils' coach Kenny Dillingham received $395,000 for appearing in the Big 12 title game and another $395,000 for winning it.
Dillingham' salary of $3.9 million was among the lowest in the Big 12 behind Cincinnati's Scott Satterfield and Arizona's Brent Brennan, but he has the opportunity to earn of just over $5.3 million in bonuses.
SMU and Notre Dame are private institutions, so coach contract info is not available to the public. Penn State revised coach James Franklin's his contract advised to address the 12-team CFP on Nov. 29, but exact amounts have not been disclosed.
Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State
- CFP appearance: $1,135,000
- CFP semifinal appearance: $197,500
- CFP title game appearance: $197,500
- Win CFP title: $395,000
Spencer Danielson, Boise State
- CFP appearance: $88,000
- CFP quarterfinal appearance: $110,000
- CFP semifinal appearance: $132,000
- CFP title game appearance: $176,000
- Win CFP title: $220,000
Dabo Swinney, Clemson
- CFP appearance: $75,000
- CFP semifinal appearance: $250,000
- CFP title game appearance: $250,000
- Win CFP title: $350,000
Kirby Smart, Georgia
- CFP appearance: $175,000
- CFP quarterfinal appearance: $250,000
- CFP semifinal appearance: $250,000
- CFP title game appearance: $100,000
- Win CFP title: $400,000
Curt Cignetti, Indiana
- CFP appearance: $500,000
- CFP quarterfinal appearance: $100,000
- CFP semifinal appearance: $100,000
- CFP title game appearance: $300,000
- Win CFP title: $1,000,000
Ryan Day, Ohio State
- CFP appearance: $100,000
- CFP quarterfinal appearance: $150,000
- CFP semifinal appearance: $100,000
- CFP title game appearance: $150,000
- Win CFP title: $500,000
Dan Lanning, Oregon
- CFP appearance: $150,000
- CFP quarterfinal appearance: $50,000
- CFP semifinal appearance: $50,000
- CFP title game appearance: $250,000
- Win CFP title: $500,000
Josh Heupel, Tennessee
- CFP appearance: $100,000
- CFP quarterfinal appearance: $50,000
- CFP semifinal appearance: $50,000
- CFP title game appearance: $100,000
- Win CFP title: $600,000
Steve Sarkisian, Texas
- CFP appearance: $150,000
- CFP quarterfinal appearance: $250,000
- CFP semifinal appearance: $250,000
- CFP title game appearance: $250,000
- Win CFP title: $250,000
Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame
Private institution, no contract information available.
James Franklin, Penn State
Penn State amended Franklin's contract on Nov. 29 to include bonuses for the 12-team College Football Playoff, but details have not yet been discolsed publicly.
"The Committee on Equity and Human Resources voted unanimously to revise the performance incentives section in coach James Franklin's contract," a Penn State Athletic Department spokesperson wrote in a statement. "The change accounts for the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff (CFP) format, which beginning this year includes one additional game compared to the previous four-team single-elimination CFP format from 2014 to 2023."
Rhett Lashlee, SMU
Private institution, no contract information available.
