Florida paying Colorado State record amount to finish 2014 buyout of Jim McElwain
By Jake Rill
Published:
Jim McElwain is no longer at Florida, but he is still costing the Gators.
On Saturday, Florida and Colorado State play a one-off matchup at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville. The Rams will be earning $2 million, the largest single-game payout that one school has paid to another, according to ESPN.
The $2 million guarantee is the final part of the $7 million buyout that Florida negotiated with Colorado State to hire away McElwain in 2014.
Per ESPN, the previous largest single-game guarantee that one school has paid to another, without receiving any compensation in return, was $1.7 million, which Ohio State gave Oregon State earlier this season.
McElwain was the coach at Colorado State from 2012-14, leading the Rams to a 22-16 record over three seasons, which included a 10-2 mark in 2014. He led the Gators to a 19-8 record over his first two seasons from 2015-16, but they were 3-4 in 2017, when they fired him midseason.
Mike Bobo has been the coach at Colorado State since McElwain’s departure, leading the Rams to a 22-20 record since the start of 2015. They have started this season 1-2.
Dan Mullen is now the coach at Florida, which has started the season 1-1.
Jake Rill contributes to news coverage for Saturday Down South. He has covered the SEC since 2016.
