Ohio State football coach Ryan Day earned a bonus of $100,000 for his team’s near-3.4 cumulative grade point average over the past academic year, a school spokesperson confirmed.
The six-figure bonus raised Day’s incentive pay to $450,000 for 2025-26, an amount including previous amounts for the Buckeyes’ appearances in the Big Ten championship game and College Football Playoff quarterfinals in December, pushing his total compensation to nearly $13 million for the year.
Day is eligible to receive bonuses for “exceptional achievements” that range from the Buckeyes’ postseason finish to their academic performance as part of the terms of his contract, according to a copy obtained by The Dispatch through a public records request.
He picked up the $100,000 bonus as a result of the Buckeyes’ cumulative GPA surpassing 3.3 for the fall and spring semesters.
It was worth twice as much as the previous two years when he received bonuses of $50,000 for cumulative team GPAs that were just above 3.2. He is due at least a bonus of $50,000 if the GPA is above 3.0.
The academic bonus the school owes Day can reach as much as $150,000 if the Buckeyes carry a 3.5 GPA or higher for the two semesters.
Most of Day’s potential incentive earnings are ultimately tied to playoff performance. He received $1 million last year when Ohio State captured the national championship, winning four consecutive games to advance through the first 12-team bracket.
As one of the highest-paid coaches in the nation, Day is due $12.5 million in basic annual compensation. Only Georgia’s Kirby Smart made more last year, according to USA TODAY Sports’ annual database for coaching salaries.
Day received a pay raise in early 2025 as part of a new contract on the heels of the national title run, adding more than to $2 million to his annual compensation package, among other benefits.
Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Email him at jkaufman@dispatch.com and follow him on @joeyrkaufman on X.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ryan Day earns six-figure bonus for Ohio State football GPA in 2025-26
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