• Hi Guest, want to participate in the discussions, keep track of read/unread posts and more? Create your free account and increase the benefits of your WyoNation.com experience today!

Tom Burman's Contract - Performance Incentives Removed in 2022

O

OrediggerPoke

Well-known member

I decided to take a closer look at Tom Burman's contract. As originally drafted in 2020 (and likely from earlier contract versions), his contract had performance incentives for football and basketball performance. A substantial amount of money related to the contract was based on meeting those goals. On July 1, 2022, all of those athletic performance incentives were COMPLETELY REMOVED from the contract and replaced with an additional guaranteed $250,000 per year that is simply guaranteed to be paid to Burman (on top of his base salary). The prior performance incentives were for teams finishing in the top 4 in the MWC, men's and women's basketball receiving postseason invites, volleyball and soccer receiving invites to postseason tournaments, bowl game qualification, basketball RPI rankings, football AP/coaches poll rankings, etc... In addition, the contract (until 2022) had marketing incentives for athletic event ticket sales (largely basketball and football).

Anyone else concerned with why athletic performance and ticket sales provisions were removed in 2022 (when they had presumably been in place the prior 15 or so years at least)? Similarly to Sawvel's contract, there is literally no incentive for Burman to be successful at his job. He gets paid by simply having his name on the door. No expectations or incentives to actually do a good job at all.
 
For those wondering where to look - I refer you to Amendment 2 Dated Effective July 1, 2022:

Specifically:
6) Section 9, "Academic Performance Incentives," is deleted from the Agreement.
7) Section I0, "Athletic Performance Incentives," is deleted from the Agreement.
8) Section 11, "Marketing Incentive," is deleted from the Agreement.

4) Section 7, "Incentive Payments," is deleted and replaced in its entirety as follows:
Additional Guaranteed Annual Compensation
Beginning July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2025, Employee shall receive, in addition to the Base Salary, an annual guaranteed compensation of $250,000. The Guaranteed Annual Compensation will be earned and payable in twelve (12) equal installments on a monthly basis.

Note - Amendment No. 3 increased the guaranteed additional amount to $275,000 and extended the contract until June 30, 2027.
 
OrediggerPoke said:

I decided to take a closer look at Tom Burman's contract. As originally drafted in 2020 (and likely from earlier contract versions), his contract had performance incentives for football and basketball performance. A substantial amount of money related to the contract was based on meeting those goals. On July 1, 2022, all of those athletic performance incentives were COMPLETELY REMOVED from the contract and replaced with an additional guaranteed $250,000 per year that is simply guaranteed to be paid to Burman (on top of his base salary). The prior performance incentives were for teams finishing in the top 4 in the MWC, men's and women's basketball receiving postseason invites, volleyball and soccer receiving invites to postseason tournaments, bowl game qualification, basketball RPI rankings, football AP/coaches poll rankings, etc... In addition, the contract (until 2022) had marketing incentives for athletic event ticket sales (largely basketball and football).

Anyone else concerned with why athletic performance and ticket sales provisions were removed in 2022 (when they had presumably been in place the prior 15 or so years at least)? Similarly to Sawvel's contract, there is literally no incentive for Burman to be successful at his job. He gets paid by simply having his name on the door. No expectations or incentives to actually do a good job at all.
Click to expand...

UNREAL!!!

Who was the responsible party that removed the incentives, and made it guaranteed salary? Has there ever been a fanbase go after a university legally for something similar? Hell, everyone sues everyone these days, maybe it is time to look into this matter a bit further.
 
McPeachy said:
UNREAL!!!

Who was the responsible party that removed the incentives, and made it guaranteed salary? Has there ever been a fanbase go after a university legally for something similar? Hell, everyone sues everyone these days, maybe it is time to look into this matter a bit further.
Click to expand...
If I were President Reeves, I would be asking a lot of hard questions of various individuals to understand why these changes were made and why folks believed them to be appropriate and acceptable. Ultimately, former President Ed Seidel signed the contract amendment and he is gone but I would presume that he didn't solely draft nor negotiate the terms.
 
McPeachy said:
UNREAL!!!

Who was the responsible party that removed the incentives, and made it guaranteed salary? Has there ever been a fanbase go after a university legally for something similar? Hell, everyone sues everyone these days, maybe it is time to look into this matter a bit further.
Click to expand...
google schiano sunday in 2017. tennessee tried hiring greg schiano and the fan base rioted lol
 
Bear Claw said:
The more we dig the more corrupt the athletic department gets. The General, BOT, and state legislature should be all over this.
Click to expand...
My question is why has the ‘media’ entrusted to cover the athletic department never, to my knowledge, even mentioned these changes?

It’s ridiculous that the average fan has to dig into employment contracts to gain any understanding of the internal workings and significant changes within athletics.

Why doesn’t Cody Tucker interview Tom Burman and just ask why these changes were made and why there are no performance incentives in his contract anymore? My guess is this has nearly a zero chance of happening because we all know the ‘media’ doesn’t want to get on the departments bad side and the department probably doesn’t want a light shown on this. .
 
Bear Claw said:
The more we dig the more corrupt the athletic department gets. The General, BOT, and state legislature should be all over this.
Click to expand...
Too bad the spineless media in Wyoming never bothered to report on it.

It’s not only Burman and Sawful that benefited from this, but the legal resources that set this up need to be removed from representing the interests of the public at UW along with any other entity (BOT’s) that knew it and condoned it.

Knowing now that this type of contract was allowed along with the results it has produced further diminishes any desire I have to show financial support for UW athletics.

OrediggerPoke said:
My question is why has the ‘media’ entrusted to cover the athletic department never, to my knowledge, even mentioned these changes?
Click to expand...
Just as I was replying. Agree!
 
That's pretty wild. Especially to have done it under the radar with no discussions or public forum. Not sure I can think of a time where removing incentives is a positive for anyone other than that individual.

I've said before that the days of closed door meetings, lack of transparency and scandal without consequence will no longer exist under the new president. As a specific example (I don't know how to clip), watch 90 seconds of this board meeting at the 1:07:30 mark. A member of the Faculty Senate tells the Pres about a private discussion they had earlier and Reeves snapped at him a little and told him that there are no private conversations and that that is his new thing. So don't just take my word for it....take his. Things are changing.

 
WyomingCoog said:
That's pretty wild. Especially to have done it under the radar with no discussions or public forum. Not sure I can think of a time where removing incentives is a positive for anyone other than that individual.

I've said before that the days of closed door meetings, lack of transparency and scandal without consequence will no longer exist under the new president. As a specific example (I don't know how to clip), watch 90 seconds of this board meeting at the 1:07:30 mark. A member of the Faculty Senate tells the Pres about a private discussion they had earlier and Reeves snapped at him a little and told him that there are no private conversations and that that is his new thing. So don't just take my word for it....take his. Things are changing.

Click to expand...
Cool.

He should call Burman in and ask him why his incentive-laden contract, as is the standard in the industry, was changed to an all guaranteed contract in 2022. And then he should report the answer to the public.

And I don’t want to hear how it isn’t any of Reeves business because the contract was done before he was here. Reeves is here now and Burman is currently still under that guaranteed contract. It is his business now.

Moreover, someone needs to ask why that contract extension was never made public in the first place. As far as I know, the public did not find out about it until May 2025 because his original contract was set to run out in the summer of 2025.
 
TheRealUW said:
Cool.

He should call Burman in and ask him why his incentive-laden contract, as is the standard in the industry, was changed to an all guaranteed contract in 2022. And then he should report the answer to the public.

And I don’t want to hear how it isn’t any of Reeves business because the contract was done before he was here. Reeves is here now and Burman is currently still under that guaranteed contract. It is his business now.

Moreover, someone needs to ask why that contract extension was never made public in the first place. As far as I know, the public did not find out about it until May 2025 because his original contract was set to run out in the summer of 2025.
Click to expand...
Maybe he has and maybe he will......I doubt anyone would argue it wouldn't be any of his business.

He seems to embrace civil discussion and public interactions with anybody that cares about the University of Wyoming, so maybe you or Oredigger (or anyone) could send him an email discussing the findings and expressing your concerns about the handling of the deal/process.
 
Last edited:
OrediggerPoke said:
If I were President Reeves, I would be asking a lot of hard questions of various individuals to understand why these changes were made and why folks believed them to be appropriate and acceptable. Ultimately, former President Ed Seidel signed the contract amendment and he is gone but I would presume that he didn't solely draft nor negotiate the terms.
Click to expand...
The elephant in the room is getting larger every week. Soon it’s unavoidable to miss.
 
TheRealUW said:
Cool.

He should call Burman in and ask him why his incentive-laden contract, as is the standard in the industry, was changed to an all guaranteed contract in 2022. And then he should report the answer to the public.

And I don’t want to hear how it isn’t any of Reeves business because the contract was done before he was here. Reeves is here now and Burman is currently still under that guaranteed contract. It is his business now.

Moreover, someone needs to ask why that contract extension was never made public in the first place. As far as I know, the public did not find out about it until May 2025 because his original contract was set to run out in the summer of 2025.
Click to expand...
Alex Taylor FIOA'd to even find the details that is how the public found out
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top