Ohio State AD gets new contract without championship bonuses

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) Ohio State's board of trustees has altered the contract of athletic director Gene Smith to pay him the same amount without incentives of about $18,000 for each Big Ten championship won by Buckeyes teams and individuals.

The university says in a release Friday that the new pact, which runs from Feb. 1, 2015, through June 30, 2020, emphasizes academic performance and career development.

His base salary remains $959,263, with bonuses that still can add up to $130,000 per year for teams meeting cumulative grade-point average goals and athletes winning academic awards. Starting in 2016, he can also get a bonus for the annual percentage of athletes who, after graduation, get jobs in which degrees are required.

Smith became AD in 2005.