The Iowa football team did not even win the West Division title of the Big Ten Conference, but coach Kirk Ferentz added $ 500,000 to his campaign advantage on Friday when the Hawkeyes were defeated Nebraska for their eighth win of the season.

Under Ferentz's contract, reaching this total in any season triggers $ 500,000, one of the largest lump sum bonuses available to a public school coach for anything other than winning a championship.

The base salary for Ferentz at school this season is $ 4.7 million. Iowa (8-4 overall, 5-4 at the Big Ten) will finish at least two games behind Northwestern in the Big Ten West; The Wildcats (7-1 Big Ten) will face Illinois on Saturday, then head to the Big Ten Championship game.

Ferentz has now achieved the eight-win bonus in each of the first three seasons of the 10-year deal that will end on January 31, 2026. The Hawkeyes were 8-5 in 2016 and 2017.

As in these two seasons, Ferentz has reached other targets this season:

►It will get $ 100,000 for the appearance of the team in a bowling game that is not part of the six clubs affiliated with the university football play-offs.

►The seventh victory of the team meant that another year of the main elements of the Ferentz contract would be guaranteed at 50% if his dismissal was made without cause, to a 100% guarantee. This could be worth $ 2.275 million.

This year, Ferentz will receive an additional $ 100,000, as the NCAA graduation success rate recently released by the team was 80%.

In addition, the Ferentz agreement provides incentives for its staff members who are also affected.

The combination of Iowa's seven wins, the appearance of the cup and the GSR of at least 67.5% means next year's average wage increases of at least 8% for the 10 assistants on the field, the head coach and two other staff members. That will be more than $ 405,000 in increments.

The seven wins and the appearance of the cup will result in a separate $ 125,000 pool, which will be distributed to various members of the football administrative staff.