Pat Stewart signs three-year, $2.55 million deal as Nebraska football general manager

The University of Nebraska released the contract details of new football general manager Pat Stewart on Wednesday.
Stewart will be under a three-year $2.55 million agreement through Jan. 31, 2028. He is set to make $800,000 in 2025, $850,000 in 2026 and $900,000 in 2027. His financial terms will reset each February in 2026 and 2027. His deal officially began on Mar. 3, 2025.
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Stewart is eligible for performance-based bonuses, including 5 percent of his base salary if the Huskers reach the Big Ten Championship Game, another 5 percent for qualifying for a bowl game or 10 percent for reaching the College Football Playoff, and 10% for winning a national championship.
Another interesting piece of information in his contract regards his contact with boosters.
The deal states Stewart is “explicitly prohibited from interacting with boosters” unless given written permission by the athletic director.
Stewart joins a growing list of big GM salaries in college football
Stewart’s $2.55 million deal is equal to that of newly named Oklahoma GM Jim Nagy, who signed a three-year agreement with the Sooners this month. Nagy is set to make $750,000, $850,000 and $950,000 over the next three years.
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Stewart’s $800,000 salary in 2025 places him among the top earners in college football’s expanding front office landscape. The newly hired general manager for Nebraska football trails only a handful of peers, including North Carolina’s Michael Lombardi.
Lombardi, a longtime NFL executive, is set to earn $1.5 million in his first year at North Carolina under new head coach Bill Belichick. That figure makes him the highest-paid GM in college football.
At Alabama, Courtney Morgan will earn $775,000 in 2025 as part of a three-year agreement that escalates to $875,000 by 2027.
The trend highlights the increasing value college programs are placing on professional-level roster and operations management as NIL and the transfer portal reshape the sport.
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