Ohio State is paying football coach Urban Meyer "a minimum of $4 million annually -- more money than his predecessor -- and detailing in the contract what he’s required to do if an NCAA rules violation occurs under his watch," according to Joe Kay of the AP. The university "completed details of Meyer’s contract and released it" yesterday. The school’s Board of Trustees is "expected to approve it later in the week." The deal runs through the '17 season and keeps Meyer "among the top five nationally in compensation." Meyer will get "more than twice as much in guaranteed money as Ohio State President Gordon Gee, who is one of the best-compensated university presidents." One change from former OSU football coach Jim Tressel's deal is that Meyer's contract "goes into greater detail about what he must do if he becomes aware there is a potential violation of NCAA rules." OSU AD Gene Smith said, “Given the circumstances we had, we felt it was important to put provisions in there to make sure the right safeguards are in place on both sides." Meyer’s contract also "provides more specifics on how he is expected to handle a possible violation." Smith said, "It’s more the message than anything, to make sure that he’s communicative, does the right paperwork, makes the right decisions. It’s more tying that down." The 30-page contract "provides base salaries of $700,000; a one-time 'transition'’ payment of $250,000; annual contributions of $40,000 to a defined contribution plan; $1,850,000 annually for media responsibilities, including radio and television shows; and $1.4 million annually as part of the school’s contract with Nike" (AP, 6/18). In Columbus, Bill Rabinowitz notes Meyer must be "diligent in following NCAA rules." Meyer has "never been found to be in violation of NCAA rules at his previous jobs, but after the NCAA scandal that ended Jim Tressel's coaching tenure, OSU is not taking anything for granted" (COLUMBUS DISPATCH, 6/19).
