I know the NFL Draft begins tonight, but there is college football news that needs to jump the line this morning. The University of Alabama just gave head football coach, Kalen DeBoer, a contract extension and a raise. There was still plenty of time left on his existing deal, so this indicates to me one of three things:
- The Money Boys at ‘Bama really like Kalen DeBoer.
- Some other school was sniffing around trying to figure out DeBoer’s buyout deal
- Alabama was bidding against itself here
The contract extension was for two years on top of the five existing years on DeBoer’s previous deal; he is now committed to Alabama through 2033. He was slated to earn $10.5M this year on the old deal; now he gets a raise over the course of the new contract to $12.5M annually. And according to reports, there are plenty of “sweeteners” in the deal over and above the $2M per year raise in the contract:
- Buyout is $10M in January 2027, $8M in January 2028 and $6M in January 2029. Those are trivial numbers these days.
- If ‘Bama fires him, they owe him 90% of the balance of the contract with no mitigation clause if he takes another job.
- He gets personal non-business use of a private jet for 55 hours per year
- He gets an automobile allowance of $16.5K per year
- He gets a skybox and general admission tix to distribute at home games.
- He gets free transit for wife and kids to road games
- He gets a country club membership.
Kalen DeBoer is 51 years old and has been a head coach at the college level for five-and-a-half years – – a year and a half at Fresno State, two years at Washington and most recently 2 years at Alabama. His overall record is 57-17 – – win pct = .770. His record at Alabama is 20-8 overall and 20-4 in SEC games; considering the pressure he has been under in the last two years as the successor to Nick Saban at Alabama, that record is laudable. And yet, that contract extension is surprising …
Moving on and staying in the realm of college football, there was an ESPN report last week that the NCAA Football Oversight Committee – – who knew such a thing existed? – – recommended starting the full college football schedule a week earlier than is the case now. Currently there is something called “Week Zero” where a few games are played and it is the week before Labor Day. The recommendation is to start the full schedule in that week and using the “added week” for the season to allow for a second BYE Week for teams.
That “extra week” could be a useful thing if the CFP mavens continue to ponder a 24-team playoff field as is rumored. It also gives teams and conferences some wiggle-room if there is a push to maintain conference championship games and have a standalone weekend for Army/Navy. In the current process, those “Week Zero” games come into being because schools apply to the NCAA for a waiver allowing them to start the week before Labor Day; the committee recommendation would remove the need for such a waiver and just let all schools start then.
I like this idea and the networks should like it too because it would give them 14 weeks of regular season college football inventory as opposed to 13 weeks. There would still be a waiver process for teams to begin a week earlier – – call that “Week Minus-One?”. I’m not sure there is a loser in this recommendation.
I wonder how long it will take for the NCAA to receive the recommendation and then put together another group to study it and make recommendations on top of the current recommendation. As is often the case, my suggestion for the NCAA would be:
- Do something – – even if it’s wrong.
- Because if it’s wrong, you can always fix it.
- Your error will not cause the entropy death of the universe.
Finally, speaking of the universe, here is something from Neil deGrasse Tyson:
“The universe is under no obligation to make sense to you.”
But don’t get me wrong, I love sports………
“…ponder a 24-team playoff field:”
This number seems too high.