LAWRENCE — The new contract Kansas football coach Lance Leipold agreed to showcased how invested KU Athletics is in him and the team’s future.

Leipold received a raise and there’s more money allocated to his assistant coaches and support staff. Considering how much progress the Jayhawks have made in the first three years of his tenure in Lawrence, including back-to-back bowl appearances and a bowl victory, Leipold remaining at Kansas could prove to be one of the most significant decisions made this offseason at the college level.

But delving into the amended contract, is there a reason there wasn’t also a sizable shift in the buyout numbers? Does Travis Goff, KU’s director of athletics, think the deal that was announced in late February will stand for some time? And what does this latest instance of momentum mean for the department as a whole?

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Here are a few more takeaways from Leipold’s new deal:

Travis Goff explains the buyout numbers for Lance Leipold

Goff started out by outlining the amendments made to Leipold’s deal, from their perspective, are in some ways a continuation of the work they did on the contract extension that was announced in Nov. 2022. But Goff also noted he understands the reason someone could ask, “Well, why wouldn’t there be some radical shift in buyout?”

Goff added that when he’s seen a school at the highest levels of collegiate athletics set its sights on a coach, and the coach reciprocates interest, the buyout hasn’t been preventative. So, should Leipold elect to terminate the deal on or before April 30, 2024, there’s still $6 million owed to KU. That number still drops by $1 million each year of the deal until it’s just $1 million after May 1, 2028.

“For us, in the spirit of partnership, in trust, and the big picture of investment, those numbers matter but they’re not a driving force,” Goff said. “And the reality is the market and the industry says they’re really not going to be prohibitive — so to speak — in that move. And for us and for Lance at KU, it is just one of many elements that goes into those contracts.”

Travis Goff outlines his outlook on how this newest version of the deal will hold

Goff said part of the reason KU, the athletic department and Leipold’s team have been successful in recent years is they haven’t put fixed assumptions in place. If they had, Goff said it would create more strain and make it tougher to maintain continuity. So, speaking to this topic, Goff talked about being pliable.

Goff said if you stay in a fixed place for too long, in the rapidly changing state of college athletics, you’ll get left behind. He noted he refuses to let that happen at Kansas, especially with the momentum they have. To him, this new contract resembles the statement of a top-20 football program.

There is added confidence that’s spreading throughout KU Athletics

Goff acknowledged KU’s ability to make the right hire with Leipold has led to increased confidence within the athletic department. Other coaches at Kansas have talked about it. Those who’ve been around Lawrence can see it.

Goff also highlighted something that matters even more. He did so by comparing the hiring process for a coach to recruiting an athlete to campus. He said, in this day and age, it’s also vital to be able to retain the coaches and athletes they sign, and that’s what they are collectively most proud of.

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Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He is the National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas for 2022. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Why is the buyout structure of Lance Leipold's deal the way it is?