As a result of winning the Big Ten championship game and earning a spot in the College Football Playoff, Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer has earned a one-year contract extension and is eligible for a $200,000 bonus, according to a report by USA Today.
According to the report, Meyer's bonus for reaching the national semifinal is $50,000 more than it would have been had there still been the Bowl Championship Series and the Buckeyes made a BCS bowl other than the national title game.
"(The playoff semifinal) is the game that gets you closer to getting to the championship," Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith told USA Today. "It is much more valuable than in the old BCS system – not to diminish the Cotton Bowl experience or the Fiesta Bowl experience."
If Ohio State reaches the national championship game, Meyer will receive a $250,000 bonus instead of any other post-season bowl payment, according to the report.
Meyer also received a $50,000 bonus for the Buckeyes winning a Big Ten East Division title and an additional $100,000 and a one-year contract extension for Ohio State's win over Wisconsin in the Big Ten championship game.
Meyer is already one of the highest-paid coaches in all of college football, but these bonuses are not uncommon amongst major programs across the country.
"He's the CEO of a large corporation," Smith told USA Today. "We're fortunate we have him at Ohio State."
