Colleges agreed to nearly $228 million in severance for football coaches this year, almost doubling previous records and prompting calls for legislative scrutiny of athletic buyouts, Josh Moody reports. The spike in payouts has placed fresh pressure on university budgets already strained by enrollment declines and fiscal adjustments. Large buyouts shift institutional resources toward athletics and away from academic priorities, fueling debates among trustees, state lawmakers and alumni about governance, spending discipline and contract terms. Some states are already considering or enacting limits on executive and coach severance in public institutions. For campus CFOs and boards, the surge demands tighter contract oversight, clearer alignment between athletics and institutional mission, and contingency plans for sudden compensation liabilities that can affect credit ratings and accreditation evaluations.