The University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, plans to pay its ousted athletic director through 2022 with private funds from the Razorback Foundation, a university spokesman said Thursday.
Jeff Long was fired Wednesday after support from the Razorback community waned, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette previously reported.
According to his employment agreement, the university is obligated to fulfill the remainder of Long's compensation as set by his contract, which runs through June 30, 2022.
That money is set to come from the Razorback Foundation, a nonprofit that supports the university's athletic program, spokesman Mark Rushing said in an email Thursday.
A UA spokesman confirmed Wednesday night that Long would receive that buyout money in the form of "monthly sums of $83,333.33 up to a maximum of $4.625 million." It is "subject to mitigation if Mr. Long is later employed and/or receives compensation elsewhere," the spokesman noted.
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reporter Aziza Musa contributed to this story.