Report: Clemson agrees to contract extension for AD Graham Neff through 2031

Clemson has agreed to contract extension for their athletic director Graham Neff through 2031, according to Chapel Fowler of The State Newspaper. The deal will see his salary eventually rise from $900,000 to $1.75 million.

“Clemson is giving its athletic director a raise and contract extension,” Fowler wrote. “On Friday morning, the university’s board of trustees compensation committee unanimously approved a new deal for Graham Neff, who’s served in the Clemson athletics department’s top role since December 2021.

“Under terms of his new deal, Neff’s total salary will rise from $900,000 to $1.25 million in 2025-26 and eventually rise to $1.75 million. The deal keeps Neff, whose previous contract expired in 2027, under contract through 2031.”

Fowler noted that the 42-year-old Neff is the 14th athletic director in Clemson history. He previously served as the school’s deputy athletic director, which is the No. 2 role in the department. He was tapped to replace Dan Radakovich when he left for Miami.

Over the course of his tenure, “He’s been tasked with navigating the introduction of name, image and likeness (NIL) payments, unlimited transfers, significant conference realignment and directly sharing money with athletes in the NCAA’s new revenue sharing era,” Fowler added.

“Clemson has sued its own conference, the ACC, under Neff’s leadership. A move that ultimately resulted in a settlement most viewed as a win for the Tigers.”

Moreover, Neff has also executed a number of key coaching hires and extensions, per Fowler. He got Dabo Swinney’s latest deal done in 2022, as well as two contract extensions for men’s basketball coach Brad Brownell.

Additionally, Neff has overseen multiple coaching transitions. Fowler pointed out Clemson went from Monte Lee to Erik Bakich in baseball, and Amanda Butler to Shawn Poppie in women’s basketball.

Moreover, Clemson president Jim Clements presented Neff’s contract for approval to the committee on Friday. There, he said Neff — who joined Clemson in 2013 — has “served Clemson incredibly well for the past 12 years.”

“He’s doing a wonderful job as our AD and represents us very well on the national scale,” Clements told the board, via Fowler. “We’d like to lock him in long term and make sure that he remains at Clemson for the remainder of his career.”

All told, it’s a moment to celebrate for Neff and Clemson as a whole, as the Tigers look to remain among the top programs in all of college sports. Where they go from here remains to be seen, but the stage is set for immense success.