Notre Dame, ranked 10 in the AP poll but was excluded since it's a private schools that don’t disclose employment contracts.

Hugh Freeze, University of Mississippi

AP Poll rank: 11
Potential payout: $4.7 million (excluding incentives)

Freeze’s take-home pay if the Ole Miss Rebels win the BCS would likely put him past almost all public company chief executives in the state. Joe Sanderson, chief executive of poultry business Sanderson Farms Inc., which produced more than 450 million chickens in 2015, received a bigger reported pay package last year at $6 million.

Mark Dantonio, Michigan State University

AP Poll rank: 12
Potential payout: $4.3 million (excludes incentives)

A second consecutive Big Ten title and first national crown for the Spartans under Dantonio would put his pay at the level of Kurt Darrow, CEO of La-Z-Boy Inc. The Monroe-based company manufactures recliners -- a product essential to countless football fans. Regardless of the team’s results, Dantonio gets $50,000 in guaranteed performance incentives and $100,000 from an agreement with Nike.

Top football coaches typically receive most of their pay for off-the-field duties such as talking to news media, representing the university at events and wearing apparel from sponsors. They also receive bonuses for post-season achievements and perks including cars and country club memberships. Public company top executives are usually compensated primarily with equity awards that vest over several years and are often contingent on performance. Reported pay includes the value of such awards on the grant date.

This story was provided by Bloomberg News.

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