Steve Sarkisian’s job security took a hit in the kind of game that makes people start doing buyout math in real time.
Texas was buried by a dreadful first half against Ohio State, and the 20-3 halftime score had plenty of folks already wondering about Sarkisian’s future and who might be next in line in Austin. But the reality is a lot less simple than a bad night turning into a quick exit.
Sarkisian has stacked up extensions since arriving at Texas, and that has made his buyout a massive number. After another year came off the deal following the 2025 season, the figure fell from roughly $60.3 million to nearly half that amount.
Here’s where it stands now:
Buyout (2026): $36.5 million
Contractual obligation if he resigns: $3 million
Annual salary: $12.3 million
That price tag is still steep enough to keep Texas from making any rash decisions, even with the frustration around Sarkisian’s biggest setbacks. His tenure has included three straight losses to Georgia, two straight losses to Ohio State, and back-to-back misses in reaching the National Championship after playing in the College Football Playoff semifinals.
Those failures have kept Sarkisian under a spotlight almost nonstop, and Week 2 of the 2026 season only turned up the heat. Texas entered the game as the No. 4 team in the country, hosting No.
1 Ohio State with a chance at revenge and redemption. Instead, the Buckeyes took control immediately and turned the matchup into another rough chapter.
The buyout will keep shrinking from here, too. After 2026, Sarkisian’s number is set to keep dropping, and if he’s still in Austin in 2029, it would finally dip below eight figures.
The reduction is about $9.1 million per year, which means Texas will eventually find it easier to move on if it ever chooses to do so. For now, though, the Longhorns are nowhere near paying $36.5 million just because they lost to the No. 1 team in the nation.
It’s only the second game of the season, and there’s a long way to go. Still, after a loss like this, the noise around Sarkisian is only going to get louder.
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