COLLEGE STATION, Texas _ Texas A&M isn't afraid of commitment.
That was apparent long before the Aggies used a 10-year, $75 million guaranteed contract to reel in Jimbo Fisher, the richest contract ever given to a college football coach.
Whether it's joining the SEC or spending $483 million to rebuild Kyle Field, A&M has made bold investments into its athletic program. One could argue those moves are the reasons the Aggies made the move for Fisher and handed him an unprecedented, guaranteed contract.
But the latest expenditure leaves no gray area for the Aggies to decide if Fisher's contract is worth the money, according to University of Miami associate professor Windy Dees.
"With this deal, it's championship or bust," said Dees, an A&M graduate who specializes in sports marketing and sponsorship.
Dees said the risk involved comes with the length of the term and the guaranteed money attached with it, especially given the market. A&M was recently one of a few schools to pay a coach eight figures to get out of a bad contract. The Aggies gave Kevin Sumlin $10.4 million, an amount due within 60 days of when A&M fired him, according to an agreement between the two schools.
The reason the Aggies are able to afford these spending habits is they have a rabid fan base in a state that loves football.
"No state takes football and winning in football more seriously than Texas," Dees said. "That's their bread-and-butter."
