That’s quite the financial haul that anyone would gladly accept -- unless you’re a college football player, of course.
Entering its Week 13 matchup with 6-4 Illinois, and coming off handing Minnesota its first loss of the season, No. 17 Iowa was listed as a 16-point favorite at home. While the Hawkeyes didn’t cover, they did more than enough to come away with a 19-10 win.
Nate Stanley passed for 308 yards, the fifth 300-yard passing day of his career and first this season, in the win, the eighth of the season for the Hawkeyes. Interestingly, it’s that eighth win that’s arguably the most interesting aspect of the game, at least when it comes to Kirk Ferentz‘s contract.
From USA Today:Ferentz’s contract, rewritten in 2016 after the Hawkeyes advanced to the College Football Playoff, states that the team’s eighth regular season win triggers a $500,000 bonus for the 64-year-old.
It is one of the largest lump-sum bonuses for a single on-field achievement that can be attained during the regular season.
(Writer’s note: Yes, I know Iowa didn’t play in the College Football Playoff in 2016. I’m assuming the writer was referring to the Hawkeyes playing in a New Year’s Six Bowl game after the 2015 season, the Rose Bowl specifically.)
This marks the fourth straight year that Ferentz has collected on the eight-win bonus. As Iowa has already reached bowl eligibility, that milestone triggered another $100,000 bonus for Ferentz.
This year, Ferentz is scheduled to make another $4.8 million in guaranteed compensation.