Hugh Freeze might be on the hot seat as the Auburn football head coach.

Whether Freeze survives this season and is still head coach next season is unknown, but the cost to Auburn if it should make a change isn't. It's spelled out in Freeze's contract.

If Freeze is let go on Dec. 1, 2024, Auburn would owe him $20,312,500. The buyout at any time is 75% of his remaining base salary alongside supplemental pay for endorsements and appearances. The buyout does not include any potential annual retention payments that are also part of his contract.

If Freeze was to be fired before Dec. 1, he would also be paid for the remaining time in this season up to that date. As of Oct. 1, he was due for the remaining four months of the year – the remainder would have been $21.125M on that date. He makes about $541,667 per month.

Does Hugh Freeze buyout have mitigation clause?

Freeze's contract has no mitigation clause, which means he would be due the full buyout from Auburn if fired without any future compensation lessening what the school would have to pay. If he got another coaching job (or any employment), his compensation from his next employer would not reduce what Auburn would owe him.

Auburn and Freeze agreed to a deal through January 2029 when he was hired in November 2022. His contract is a seven-year deal at $6.5 million a season. He received the first annual retention payment of $225,000 on Feb. 1. His contact has $3.3 million worth of potential bonuses per year, which wouldn't be part of any buyout if he is fired.

Hugh Freeze record as Auburn football coach

Through his first 18 games at Auburn, ahead Saturday's matchup with Georgia, Freeze held an 8-10 record while going 3-7 in SEC play, including two straight conference losses to begin the 2024 season. The Freeze tenure started hot with three straight wins in 2023 before a four-game losing streak started.

The Tigers went on a three-game skid to end the season with a home loss to New Mexico State before allowing a late Alabama comeback at home in the Iron Bowl. The Tigers ended the season at 6-7 with a loss to Maryland in the Music City Bowl.

Freeze came to Auburn with a highly-touted record, mostly from his time at Ole Miss, where he led the Rebels to 37 wins over five seasons, although 27 of those have been vacated by the NCAA for rules violations. The highlights included a 2015 Sugar Bowl win and two upsets of Nick Saban's Alabama. In July of 2017, Freeze resigned from Ole Miss after allegations of recruiting infractions and personal improprieties.

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Freeze has one of the worse winning percentages of the last six non-interim Auburn football coaches: Only Bryan Harsin is lower at a 42% winning percentage. Gus Malzahn, Gene Chizik and Tommy Tuberville had winning percentages better than 60%, a far ways from Freeze's 46% entering the weekend. Through 18 games, Freeze has just eight wins compared to Harsin's nine.

Auburn has had a recent history of large buyouts, including paying Harsin more than $15 million and Malzahn more than $21 million after he was fire in 2020 after eight winning seasons.

USA TODAY Sports Project Reporter Steve Berkowitz contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: What will it cost Auburn football to fire Hugh Freeze? Here's his buyout