How much is Penn State paying Matt Campbell? Full contract breakdown

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Penn State formally introduced new football head coach Matt Campbell to the public this week. After agreeing to contract terms days ago, the contract could not be officially finalized until the Board of Trustees approved it. In doing os, Penn State is making sure Campbell will be among the highest-paid coaches in the Big Ten and the nation.

A glance at Campbell's contract shows Penn State may not be paying Campbell as highly as some other coaches around the Big Ten, but they balance it with job security. Campbell's initial contract will pay him $8 million in his first year, which would make him the seventh-highest-paid coach in the Big Ten, according to the USA TODAY Sports coaching salary database. Campbell is still behind Ohio State's Ryan Day, USC's Lincoln Riley, Oregon's Dan Lanning, Nebraska's Matt Rhule, Illinois' Bret Bielema, and Indiana's Curt Cignetti, but Campbell is still getting a major pay raise from where he was with Iowa State.

According to the USA TODAY Sports coaching salary database, Campbell was the eighth-highest-paid coach in the Big 12 this year with an annual pay of $5 million before incentives. Even with his bonuses paid, Campbell is set to earn more at Penn State just with his guaranteed pay. The only coach in the Big 12 that was making more than $8 million is Colorado's Deion Sanders. This is the difference between coaching in the Big 12 and coaching in the Big Ten. Campbell did all he could during his time at Iowa State, so he is very deserving of this opportunity to make a little more money and, perhaps, take the next step toward a championship pursuit.

Here is a breakdown of Campbell's new contract at Penn State.

How much will Matt Campbell make each year?

Matt Campbell will receive a guaranteed pay of at least $8 million each year during his contract. The guaranteed compensation includes Campbell's base salary and supplemental compensation. The yearly breakdown of Campbell's guaranteed annual pay looks like this.

• 2026: $8,000,000
• 2027: $8,250,000
• 2028: $8,500,000
• 2029: $9,000,000
• 2030: $9,000,000
• 2031: $9,250,000
• 2032: $9,250,000
• 2033: $9,250,000

Matt Campbell's annual retention bonus

As long as Matt Campbell keeps his job as head coach in Happy Valley, he will receive a bonus of $1 million each year. That is the amount of Campbell's bonus for each contract year.

When will the contract be automatically extended?

There are two ways Campbell's contract will automatically be extended. The first automatic extension kicks in if Penn State reaches the College Football Playoff. Any playoff appearance will trigger an automatic one-year extension with a compensation increase of at least $500,000.

If Campbell can lead Penn State to a national championship, then he would receive an automatic two-year contract extension with a compensation increase of at least $1 million. The national championship extension would replace the one-year extension for a playoff appearance.

Breaking down the contract bonuses

There are a number of incentive bonuses outlined in Campbell's contract for coach of the year awards, Big Ten championships, and College Football Playoff success. The highest possible incentive bonus will be paid out for the following conditions.

• Category A (Coach of the Year)
  • National coach of the year: $150,000
  • Big Ten coach of the year: $100,000
• Category B (Big Ten championship)
  • Win Big Ten championship game: $350,000
  • Big Ten championship game appearance: $250,000
• Category C (College Football Playoff)
  • Win CFP national championship: $1,000,000
  • Appear in CFB national championship game: $800,000
  • Appear in CFB semifinal: $500,000
  • Appear in CFB Quarterfinal: $400,000
  • Appear in CFB 1st Round: $300,000
  • Non-CFB bowl game appearance: $200,000

Academic-related bonus incentives

Penn State will also reward Matt Campbell for the academic success of the football team. Campbell boasted high academic marks with his Iowa State program and hopes to continue that success in Happy Valley. Here is how Penn State would reward Campbell for academic success.

The highest incentive unlocked in each category will be paid out.

• Category A (Team GPA)
  • 3.0 – 3.29: $75,000
  • 3.3 – 3.49: $100,000
  • 3.5 and above: $150,000
• Category B (Graduate Success Rate)
  • 90-92: $75,000
  • 93-94: $100,000
  • 95 and higher: $150,000

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This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Breaking down Penn State's contract details for Matt Campbell

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