COLLEGE FOOTBALL: THE BOWLS : ORANGE : No. 1 Bonus on the Line for Osborne

Nebraska Coach Tom Osborne has an added incentive to win the Jan. 1 Orange Bowl game against Miami. Earlier this month, the Nebraska Board of Regents approved a contract whereby Osborne will get a $50,000 bonus if his team wins the national title. He also got a bonus of $21,310, or two months of his base salary, for playing in a major bowl game. He would have received only a one-month bonus for playing in a minor bowl.

The bonus follows the lead of the Florida schools, who have been giving bonuses for years. Florida Coach Steve Spurrier got six weeks pay ($75,000) for making it to the Sugar Bowl. A minor bowl would have been worth one month’s pay.

Bobby Bowden of Florida State picked up $86,250, or six weeks pay, for making the Sugar Bowl but would have received only two weeks pay for a minor bowl.

Miami Coach Dennis Erickson and his assistants also get a bowl bonus, although school officials would not disclose it. However, Miami doesn’t tie the size of the bonus to the size of the bowl.

“We really haven’t come to the issue because we’ve been, for the last 12 years, in New Year’s Day games,” Miami Athletic Director Paul Dee told the Ft. Lauderdale Sun Sentinel.