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Sports Illustrated legal expert breaks down Urban Meyer letter, Zach Smith media appearances
By Andrew Olson
Published:
For many fans and members of the media alike, the initial reaction to Urban Meyer’s statement was to debate what impact it would have on his chances to returning to the Ohio State sidelines. One of the more interesting takes on the matter comes from Sports Illustrated legal expert Michael McCann who opines that Friday’s events were coordinated with the goal in mind of getting Meyer the most money in a settlement with OSU.
As soon as the school placed Meyer on administrative leave, many reporters and college football observers shifted their attention to the coach’s contract. The reason Meyer’s status is in limbo is because there is some serious money involved in what happens next. If Ohio State were to fire Meyer for cause, the school would be relieved of its $38.1 million contractual commitment to Meyer.
McCann writes that Meyer’s letter is a very public warning to Ohio State that Meyer would fight being cause and feels he has a strong case. The quick version of McCann’s legal breakdown is that the letter serves to lay out Meyer’s case for “this is why you can’t fire for me cause.” Meyer’s Big Ten Media Days misstep, while undoubtedly embarrassing, does not relate to the terms of his contract. By admitting a mistake there, but still saying he properly reported allegations against in Zach Smith in 2015, Meyer establishes his angle for pursuing the highest percentage possible of the $38.1 million owed on his contract.
As a man of substantial wealth, Meyer can hire the big name attorney or legal dream team of his choosing to potentially fight Ohio State over a termination for cause. When the administrative leave announcement was originally made, ESPN’s Rece Davis was quick to opine that a negotiated separation is coming. If McCann and Davis are right, Meyer’s letter and Smith’s media appearances were all about getting the most out of the deal by making OSU’s case more difficult to present.
McCann’s legal and scholarly breakdown of the letter and Smith’s media appearances, as well as why they appear coordinated, can be read in his article here.
A former Florida beat reporter, Andrew writes for the Saturday Tradition News Desk.