Mike Bellotti, Oregon’s former athletic director and winningest head football coach, left the University for ESPN this week with a generous $2.3 million severance package as the result of an informal handshake. No documentation was ever signed regarding the length of his contract, and the terms of his salary were subsequently left uncertain.
What’s even more questionable is the fact that the University didn’t realize the lack of a written contract until this winter, when Bellotti’s buyout negotiations began. Additionally, the University never responded to The Register-Guard’s multiple public records requests regarding Bellotti’s contract, and school officials sent out conflicting information on the terms of the settlement.
The University and the athletic department show a lack of accountability in not documenting the deal. It seems foolish — and suspicious — for such high-profile public figures not to sign a contract on such a high-profile position, not to mention, unacceptable to the University community. And with no written contract, it seems unreasonable to pay Bellotti this hefty sum to move on to a better-paid, celebrity job, especially when donors will be footing the buyout.
To Bellotti’s credit, Lariviere essentially asked him to resign, making the principle of the deal seem somewhat more justifiable than if he had received $2.3 million for leaving on his own will. Still, Bellotti believes he was promised a five-year contract, which would have given him an even larger buyout, though it’s hard to know without evidence in writing. He said in a press conference he is not taking anything that isn’t owed to him, a statement that seems out of touch amid the ongoing argument that the University places a higher priority on athletics than academics. It’s irresponsible for Bellotti to insist upon so much money, when as former athletic director, he knows the athletic department already owes $16 million annually to cover debt service payments for Matthew Knight Arena.
The entire situation exposed the secretive business practices going on in the Casanova Center and at the University, raising suspicions and prompting Lariviere to attempt to clear up the deal in a press conference. Lariviere was correct to openly admit the mistake and deal with it publicly. By promising not to let such an error happen again, he has begun the amends-making process in earnest.
Damage control wouldn’t have been necessary if a legal contract had been drawn up from the beginning.
In the future, the University and the athletic department need to openly disclose and document all business practices to keep Oregon athletics from any further embarrassment. With such a large sum of money at stake, a simple handshake isn’t enough.
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