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Did Florida Gators fans really start a Go Fund Me to send HC Billy Napier to retirement?

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Tyler Forness | Last updated Sep 5, 2024 2:25 PM ET

Things have not been going well for the Florida Gators in recent years. Three years ago, they fired head coach Dan Mullen despite having made three consecutive New Year's Six bowl games and hired Billy Napier out of Louisiana.

The hire was widely praised at the time due to the vision Napier had to build an Alabama-type infrastructure. It was all so promising but it hasn't worked and culminated with a season-opening 41-17 blowout loss to Miami FL in The Swamp.

Did fans set up a GoFundMe for Billy Napier?

Not only was it a bad loss for the Gators, it was a historic one. The Gators had never allowed that many points in a home opener before. It also agitated an already frustrated fanbase to a new level with some on Twitter claiming that they started a GoFundMe to raise money for his near $26 million buyout.

Our fanbase has set up a gofundme to help fire Billy Napier pic.twitter.com/W6sRuZKXAd
— Florida Gators (@gatorsszn) September 4, 2024

After doing some digging, the GoFundMe is real. There is actually three of them currently on their website. Two of them don't have a single donation while the one listed above currently has $570 in donations.

That isn't going to affect Napier's buyout, which is 85% of his remaining salary. Jon Leuzzi of The Gainesville Sun has the details about Napier's buyout.

As of Sept. 1, 2024, Florida would owe Napier $28.3 million should the university decide to fire him without cause. This is calculated by the 85% of the total remaining compensation on Napier's deal, which runs through Jan. 31, 2029.

It is also worth noting that Florida made an amendment to Napier's contract in February, where it agreed to pay him an annual supplemental equipment payment of $100,000 to "offset the reduction in payments" from his contract with Nike that started on July 1. This $100,000 payment from Florida is broken up into two payments of $50,000 on July 1 and Feb. 1 of each year of his contract.

The Gators may not be in position to fully pay his buyout and the fanbase is trying to well. Well, six people are so far.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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