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Afternoon Edition

January 2, 2026

Indiana and Ole Miss came out as the big winners in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals Thursday. Those victories mean big payouts for their coaches. The Hoosiers’ blowout of Alabama will likely net Curt Cignetti a $1 million raise. And Lane Kiffin, who left Ole Miss for LSU on Nov. 30, will receive a $500,000 bonus and can bring that number up to $1 million if the Rebels win it all.

— Alex Schiffer [[link removed]], Dan Roberts [[link removed]], Amanda Christovich [[link removed]], and David Rumsey [[link removed]]

Cignetti Triggers ‘Good Faith Market Review’ With Rose Bowl Win [[link removed]]

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Indiana’s Rose Bowl win over Alabama triggered a clause in coach Curt Cignetti’s contract that should earn him at least a $1 million raise after an offseason meeting with university brass.

Cignetti makes $11.6 million per year on a contract that requires a “good faith market review” whenever Indiana makes the College Football Playoff semifinals, which the Hoosiers did with their blowout win over the Crimson Tide on Thursday. If Indiana doesn’t offer him a top-three salary as part of that review, then he’s off the hook for his entire buyout. Ohio State’s Ryan Day currently has the third-highest known coaching salary at $12.5 million.

In just two years with the Hoosiers, Cignetti has turned one of college football’s bottom dwellers into a national powerhouse. Indiana has repeatedly shelled out [[link removed]] to make sure Cignetti stays.

His first contract paid $4.5 million annually. The school redid his contract in November 2024 to pay him $8 million a year, and reworked another extension in October to pay $11.6 million per year over eight years. That had him in college football’s top three before Lane Kiffin’s new seven-year, $91 million contract with LSU [[link removed]], which surpassed both Day’s deal and Kirby Smart’s $13.3 million annual salary at Georgia.

Despite being historically known as a basketball school, Indiana has gradually increased its spending in football in recent years [[link removed]], and Cignetti’s contract ensures that continues.

The “good faith market review” clause in Cignetti’s October deal, triggered by Thursday’s win, requires the sides to meet within 120 days after the Hoosiers’ Playoff run ends and adjust his salary to “no less than third (3rd) amongst active head coaches at institutions which are eligible to compete for the CFP,” according to the term sheet, which was reviewed by Front Office Sports. The language also accounts for possible tweaks to the CFP, such as expansion.

The “fair market review” means that Cignetti could leave without owing any of his $15 million buyout if the sides fail to reach a deal and Indiana doesn’t offer a top-three salary by annual value. The clause also says that the two sides could seek “an independent valuation expert to assist with determining market valuations”; the expert’s conclusion would be nonbinding.

The contractually obligated reviews also extend to Cignetti’s coaching staff and program support. Indiana has to engage in a review if the football team’s staff pool ever drops out of the top five in the Big Ten or the top ten nationally “based on agreed-upon market data.”

Cignetti can earn other performance-based bonuses in the CFP. If he beats the Ducks next week, his CFP bonus will be at least $1 million; that bonus maxes out with $2 million for a national title, according to the term sheet.

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Lane Kiffin Earns $500K Bonus From Ole Miss Win Over Georgia [[link removed]]

Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

No. 6 Ole Miss bested No. 3 Georgia 34–31 in the Sugar Bowl on Thursday night, and did it without the coach who led them all season long before leaving for LSU on Nov. 30 [[link removed]]. Lane Kiffin spent the evening watching LSU women’s basketball instead.

But he still got a $500,000 bonus from the Rebels’ quarterfinal win.

As part of Kiffin’s exit to LSU, his new employer agreed to cover his full bonus structure from his contract with Ole Miss, according to details in an LSU term sheet Front Office Sports reported last month [[link removed]].

Kiffin already earned $150,000 for the Rebels making the 12-team College Football Playoff bracket, and his bonus rose to $250,000 when the Rebels beat Tulane in the first round. Now he’s up to $500,000. As the Rebels advance, Kiffin can earn up to $1 million:

$500,000 for Ole Miss advancing to the semifinals $750,000 if Ole Miss makes the national championship $1 million if the Rebels win it all

Pete Golding, who took over from Kiffin as head coach for at least the rest of this season, will also get the same bonuses, paid by Ole Miss, depending on how far the Rebels advance.

Kiffin created coaching carousel chaos with his drawn-out “will he, won’t he” decision-making process in November, with multiple schools wooing him to leave Ole Miss. A number of coach vacancies got filled within 24 hours [[link removed]] after the Kiffin domino fell when he announced his decision to go to LSU.

Ole Miss next faces Miami in the Fiesta Bowl in Arizona on Jan. 8, when Kiffin can raise his bonus to $750,000.

Big Ten Widens CFP Gap in Expanded 12-Team Era [[link removed]]

Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Through the first two seasons of the expanded, 12-team College Football Playoff, the Big Ten is winning more than any other conference—on and off the field.

Big Ten teams have made up half of the final four participants each of the last two years, with the SEC being the only other conference to have multiple semifinalists:

Big Ten (4): Indiana, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State SEC (2): Ole Miss, Texas ACC (1): Miami Independent (1): Notre Dame

Beyond bragging rights, the on-field success has netted the Big Ten $82 million so far in performance-based revenue distribution payments [[link removed]]. Second is the SEC with $64 million.

Third on the bonus payout list is the ACC, with $22 million won so far. However, the conference is letting Miami keep the entire $14 million [[link removed]] it has earned, as part of the ACC’s “success initiative” that went into effect last year [[link removed]]. Notre Dame made $20 million [[link removed]] by reaching the CFP national championship game last season, which the school got to keep since it is independent.

The Big 12 has made $16 million total, the Mountain West and American conferences $8 million each, and the Sun Belt $4 million.

Despite the Big Ten’s overall advantage, the SEC has actually earned slightly more so far this postseason, $38 million compared to $36 million. The Big Ten is guaranteed another $6 million for the winner of the Indiana-Oregon semifinal reaching the national championship game, bumping the total to $42 million. If Ole Miss beats Miami, the SEC would come out on top with $44 million.

If Indiana or Oregon wins the national championship, it will be the Big Ten’s third consecutive CFP title (Michigan in 2023–24 and Ohio State in 2024–25), following four straight by the SEC before that.

This is the final season of performance-based CFP revenue distribution, with a new system beginning next season that will see the Big Ten and SEC earn roughly 29% of CFP revenue each, the ACC 17%, the Big 12 15%, and the Group of 6 conferences collectively 10%.

THE YEAR AHEAD IN SPORTS

What will dominate the headlines in sports in 2026? Front Office Sports has some ideas. From prediction markets to the Pac-12, these are some of the big themes for the coming year.

How the Pac-12 Will Resurrect in 2026 [[link removed]] Prediction Markets Exploded in 2025. What Comes Next? [[link removed]] The Biggest Questions Looming Over 7 Leagues in 2026 [[link removed]] The Growth of Women’s Pro Leagues [[link removed]] STATUS REPORT Two Up, One Down, One Push

Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Ole Miss/LSU coaches ⬆⬇ A handful of assistant coaches left Ole Miss to join LSU but temporarily returned to the Rebels for the College Football Playoff. They’re now at a crossroads [[link removed]], after Ole Miss upset Georgia [[link removed]] to advance to the CFP semifinals—just as the college football transfer portal opens [[link removed]] Friday.

Unrivaled ⬇ Cofounder Napheesa Collier will miss the 2026 season after having ankle surgery that will sideline her for four to six months, the league announced Thursday. Unrivaled’s second season tips off Monday. If the 2026 WNBA season starts without delay [[link removed]], the injury timeline puts Collier, the 2025 WNBA MVP runner-up, at risk of missing the season opener.

Venus Williams ⬆ The 45-year-old tennis legend is expected to play at the Australian Open after receiving a wild-card invite, the tournament announced Thursday. It will be Williams’s first time back in Melbourne since 2021. In July, Williams, who has won seven Grand Slam singles titles, became the oldest woman to win a WTA match [[link removed]] in more than two decades after beating Peyton Stearns at the DC Open.

Golf Channel ⬆ The network has unveiled its new logo [[link removed]], which has a throwback feel to its early days, and comes as Golf Channel continues to build its new identity under ownership of Versant [[link removed]], the spin-off of cable networks previously owned by Comcast. Golf Channel’s former logo incorporated NBC’s peacock imagery.

Editors’ Picks Sabalenka, Kyrgios Hint at ‘Battle of the Sexes’ Sequel [[link removed]]by Colin Salao [[link removed]]Sabalenka lost to Kyrgios in straight sets in the controversial exhibition. How Jay Glazer Has Gone on an NFL Scoop Streak [[link removed]]by Ryan Glasspiegel [[link removed]]The NFL insider says his job is to “give you something no one knows.” ESPN Says It Has No Issue With Aikman’s Dolphins Adviser Gig [[link removed]]by Michael McCarthy [[link removed]]“His schedule remains unchanged,” an ESPN spokesman tells FOS. DAILY TRIVIA Factle Sports

Can you rank the top 5 teams by most points scored in a single bowl game (post-2000; if tied, rank alphabetically)?

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