Jayhawks reward AD Goff with lucrative deal

Pete Thamel, ESPNMay 29, 2024, 03:18 PM ET

Kansas athletic director Travis Goff has agreed to a new seven-year contract through 2031, the school announced Wednesday.

The move includes a significant pay raise and is indicative of the work Goff has done to revive Kansas football to relevancy. From 1996 through 2022, KU football had three winning seasons.

Goff goes from being the Big 12’s lowest-paid athletic director at a base of nearly $750,000 per year to making an average of $1.6 million over the next seven years, which will put him near the top of the conference.

Since arriving in April 2021, Goff hired football coach Lance Leipold and has been aggressive in retaining him. Leipold’s average salary of $7 million per year puts him in the top three in the Big 12.

That investment and commitment to Leipold is part of a heavy focus on football, something that’s crucial for the university and athletic department moving forward. Goff helped organize and orchestrate $450 million in football facility projects for both Kansas’ Memorial Stadium and facility upgrades.

Goff has also helped Kansas initiate $50 million in upgrades to Allen Fieldhouse, the school’s historic basketball venue.

This move gives Kansas chancellor Doug Girod the three most prominent athletic department figures significant long-term deals. Basketball coach Bill Self is among the highest-paid coaches in college basketball, Leipold’s contact is through the 2029 season and now Goff through 2031.

“Travis has proven to be among the most respected athletic directors in the country and terrific fit for KU at this moment in our history,” Girod said as part of school statement.

Kansas won the 2022 national championship in basketball and the football program has reached back-to-back bowl games for the first time since 2007 and 2008.