The University of Illinois Board of Trustees convened on Thursday morning and Lovie Smith’s contract was one of the items on their agenda. The trustees approved some minor changes to the deal, including a redistribution of $2 million into the first half of Smith’s tenure. So while Illinois’ new head coach will still be making a total $21 million over the next 6 years, the annual salary amounts have been shaken up.
| Year | Base Salary | Additional Compensation | Total | Change |
| 2016-17 | $407,692 | $1,400,000 | $1,807,692 | $0 |
| 2017-18 | $800,000 | $2,200,000 | $3,000,000 | +$1,000,000 |
| 2018-19 | $1,000,000 | $3,000,000 | $4,000,000 | +$1,000,000 |
| 2019-20 | $1,000,000 | $3,000,000 | $4,000,000 | $0 |
| 2020-21 | $1,000,000 | $3,000,000 | $4,000,000 | -$1,000,000 |
| 2021-22 | $1,000,000 | $3,000,000 | $4,000,000 | -$1,000,000 |
UPDATE: Lovie's new deal: Buyout set at $4.