Following Minnesota’s 8-0 start, which resulted in the Gophers earning a program-best No. 17 ranking in the first set of 2019 College Football Playoff rankings, Coach P.J. Fleck signed an extension with the school through 2026.

Stadium obtained a copy of the contract amendment, which has been signed by Fleck and Minnesota AD Mark Coyle but still needs to be approved by the Minnesota Board of Regents, via public records request.

His new contract term extends through December 31, 2026, with each contract year starting on January 1.

Fleck’s annual base salary will be $1.1 million and his base salary will increase by $50,000 on January 1, 2021 and on January 1 of each subsequent year, meaning his base salary during the contract term will peak at $1.4 million during the final contract year.

Fleck will also earn annual supplemental compensation worth $3.5 million for his efforts in media, fundraising, community involvement and endorsements of apparel and shoes, meaning he’ll be paid $4.6 million in the first contract year and $4.9 during the final contract year.

Other compensation and benefits Fleck will receive include:

• Up to 60 hours of private aircraft use per year when making recruiting visits and other mutually agreed upon university business when he’s traveling more than 200 miles from Minnesota’s Twin Cities campus.
• A suite for all football games, up to 20 tickets for any bowl game the team competes in; up to six season tickets for Minnesota men’s basketball; up to four season tickets to men’s hockey games, tickets to all other home athletic events.
• An annual $49,000 Nike Elite allotment

 

Minnesota also agreed to make an additional $1,050,000 available for Minnesota’s assistant coaches and/or other staff members, on February 1, 2020. On February 1, 2021, the school agrees to make an additional $200,000 available for assistant coaches and/or other staff members.

If Minnesota fires Fleck without cause, the school will owe him a termination fee of 65 percent of the base salary (including raises) and supplemental compensation that would have been paid to him throughout the term of the agreement. Fleck’s termination fee would consist of severance and nonqualified deferred compensation.

If Fleck terminates his contract with Minnesota, he’d owe the school the following termination fee:

• $10 million through December 31, 2020
• $4.5 million from January 1, 2021 through December 31, 2021
• $3 million from January 1, 2022 through December 31, 2023
• $2 million from January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2025
• $0 from January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026

 

Fleck can earn the following cumulative performance-based incentives:

• Winning the Big Ten Championship: $150,000
• Winning or tying for Big Ten division title: $100,000
• Being named National Coach of the Year: $100,000
• Being named Big Ten Coach of the Year: $50,000

 

Fleck can earn the following non-cumulative, performance-based incentives:

• Win the College Football Playoff Championship: $300,000
• Participate in a College Football Playoff Semifinal: $200,000
• Play in a New Year’s Six bowl game that’s not part of the College Football Playoff: $150,000
• Participate in a bowl game and be the first or second team remaining in the overall conference standings not selected to participate in the College Football Playoff: $125,000
• Participate in a bowl game that’s not part of the stipulations listed above: $75,000

 

Fleck can earn $50,000 if Minnesota wins a bowl game over a team from the ACC, SEC, Big 12 or Pac-12.

Fleck can earn the following non-cumulative, APR-related performance-based incentives:

• Team APR score greater than or equal to 960: $30,000
• Team APR score greater than or equal to 970: $50,000
• Team APR score greater than or equal to 980: $75,000

 

Fleck can earn the following non-cumulative, performance-based incentives:

• A team graduation success rate greater than or equal to 85: $75,000
• A team graduation success rate greater than or equal to 75: $50,000