Cha-Ching: Urban Meyer's contract details released

Urban Meyer's full Ohio State contract released, with more details on bowl bonuses, NCAA violations

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Ohio State released the full contract for Urban Meyer today, which includes the chance for the first-year football coach to reach bowl game bonuses even though the Buckeyes are banned from a bowl this season. Meyer's attorneys also asked for, and received from Ohio State, an out clause that allows Meyer to leave the job, and get $1.5 million per year for the remaining years of his deal, if more major NCAA violations from the past come out against the Buckeyes' football program.

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"We're very confident we have no issues," Smith said of the NCAA caveat. "We scrubbed everything very hard, so when his attorneys asked for that, we felt comfortable doing that."

Meyer was hired by Ohio State more than six months ago, on Nov. 28, 2011, and the money from the original, less-specific contract from that time hasn't changed. Meyer was working under a framework of a deal that would pay him $4.44 million over six years, if he completes his entire contract.

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Sweet deal. At $4.44 million, Meyer is second only to Texas' Mack Brown and Alabama's Nick Saban in terms of average annual pay. Furthermore, despite the Buckeyes ineligibility for any postseason play, Meyer will earn bonuses for having the best record in his division, the best record in the Big 10 and just for being ranked No. 3 through No. 10.

Ohio State does have an out--if the school determines that he willfully or repeatedly violates NCAA rules, or if a player does so and Meyer coulda or shoulda known about it, he could be fired for cause.

The money part of the deal is no surprise--the contract terms were known in November. Today's release just confirms what everyone already knew.