A possible casualty of Mizzou football’s new league-only schedule: contract incentives
When the Southeastern Conference announced it was going to a 10-game, conference-only schedule for football this fall because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Missouri Tigers’ non-conference slate went kaput.
Instead of playing four games of varying difficulty against Central Arkansas, Eastern Michigan, BYU and Louisiana-Lafeyette, two very tough SEC West opponents — LSU and Alabama — now highlight MU’s 2020 schedule.
These changes and remaining general uncertainty present difficult circumstances for first-year MU coach Eliah Drinkwitz. But nothing much about Mizzou football has been conventional since Drinkwitz’s hire just before the onset of the pandemic. Preseason camp begins Aug. 17 for the Tigers, pushed back 10 days from when it was supposed to start.
Varying factors have come into at play with the Friday unveiling of Missouri’s new schedule — including, of all things, Drinkwitz’s contract. Drinkwitz, 37, signed a six-year, $24 million contract in December when he was hired after one season at Appalachian State. He’s set to make $4 million annually, with a base salary at $450,000.
Incentive clauses built into Drinkwitz’s contract were designed to be attainable escalators. If the Tigers win eight or more games or a bowl game within his first two years in Columbia, for instance, his contract would be extended by one year with an annual raise of $100,000.
With Mizzou’s schedule shrunken by two games, but also stiffened overall thanks to the deletion of non-conference games against less-dangerous teams than the Tigers will encounter in the SEC, reaching that eight-win threshold just got more difficult. It’s unclear how bowl games will be different this season, if they’ll be played at all, and whether the usual six-win requisite for eligibility will stand.
Other incentives in Drinkwitz’s contract include $25,000 bumps for winning 10 to 12 games, being ranked in the Top 25 or winning Associated Press or SEC coach of the year awards.
For now, Mizzou is negotiating its way out of those four lost games. As The Star reported last month, getting out of binding game contracts is no small task. The distinctions between “act of God” and “epidemic” vs. “pandemic” language are significant, according to MU officials. At stake are penalties and other possible fees.
Here’s where things stand with each of the four schools Mizzou was to play:
Central Arkansas
Mizzou and Central Arkansas, an FCS school, were supposed to meet Sept. 5 in Columbia. It was to be the Tigers’ 2020 opener and the second game of the season for the Bears.
Central Arkansas, which was due $425,000 in guaranteed money for the game, is looking for a replacement opponent.
“I am disappointed for our student-athletes that they will not be playing at Mizzou,” Central Arkansas athletic director Brad Teague said in a statement. “We intend to work on a replacement for that game and to play a full schedule.”
Eastern Michigan
When the SEC moved to a conference-only schedule, Eastern Michigan was doubly affected: The Eagles had not just Missouri but also Kentucky on their original schedule. Eastern Michigan was set for a payday of $1.1 million for its participation in the game at Faurot Field.
“We are disappointed for our student-athletes, coaches, and fans that were looking forward to making the trip to Kentucky and Missouri for our non-conference football games,” Eastern Michigan athletic director Scott Wetherbee said in a statement. “We continue to monitor the ever-changing collegiate landscape and will continue to consult with the Mid-American Conference regarding the 2020 schedule.”
BYU
BYU saw six of its 2020 games — half of its schedule — canceled within a matter of weeks.
Aside from SEC-based Missouri, the Cougars lost games against rival Utah, Arizona State and Stanford (all Pac-12 teams), as well as games against Michigan State and Minnesota of the Big Ten. The Pac-12 and Big Ten, like the SEC, adopted league-only schedules.
But BYU is slowly reassembling its schedule. The Cougars will now play Navy on Labor Day, for instance, in a prime-time TV matchup.
Mizzou, as the road team at Provo, Utah, was set to earn $250,000 in guarantees to close out a two-game contract with BYU. The Tigers and Cougars met in former MU coach Gary Pinkel’s last career win, in 2015 at Arrowhead Stadium.
Louisiana-Lafayette
Mizzou dropped off the Ragin’ Cajuns’ 2020 schedule, but things could be worse for Louisiana-Lafayette. For now, anyway, they still have three non-conference games remaining.
The Sun Belt Conference, Drinkwitz’s old stomping grounds and Appalachian State’s league, announced it was beginning its football season over Labor Day weekend. Each team in the conference will play an eight-game conference schedule with the option of also playing as many non-conference games as it wants.
This story was originally published August 7, 2020 at 5:00 AM.