College Football Buyouts Surge Past $100M As Coaching Firings Pile Up In 2025 Season

Reese, Kmac, Pam and Alex discuss college football contract buyouts. There have been a significant number of college football coach buyouts this season, both in terms of frequency and cost. So far in the 2025 season, at least nine FBS head coaches have been fired, which is a high number this early in the year. The financial impact has been significant, with total buyouts for these dismissals exceeding $100M. The rising number of buyouts is driven by the pressure to win, shaped by NIL deals, the transfer portal and playoff expansion. James Franklin’s firing from Penn State came with a $49M buyout, one of the largest in college football history. Similarly, Florida’s firing of Billy Napier will reportedly cost the school about $21M. As it stands, this season is shaping up to be one of the most expensive ever for coaching changes in college football. What is going on?