Schiano Buyout: Rutgers’ $18.5 Million Window If Coach Moves On After 2026

Rutgers would owe Greg Schiano roughly $18.5 million if the school parts ways after the 2026 season, under a 2023 six-year extension through 2029 that pays 76.85% of the remaining salary with biweekly payments and an offset for future jobs; the buyout then declines to $11.7 million after 2027, $5.9 million after 2028, and $0 after 2029, plus a $500,000 raise after 2026. Schiano is in his second stint with Rutgers (returning in 2019) and led back-to-back seven-win seasons in 2023–2024, but Rutgers went 5-7 in 2025; with a new athletic director, Keli Zinn, the program is aiming to improve as it opened 2026 with a 37-21 loss to UMass.