Desireé Reed-Francois and the University of Missouri have reached a settlement for the ex-Missouri athletic director’s buyout worth $2 million, according to reporting from ABC 17 News’ Lucas Geisler and that has been confirmed by the Columbia Daily Tribune. The settlement agreement signed by both Reed- Francois and UM System Board of Curators chair Robin Wenneker indicates Reed-Francois must pay Missouri by March 2031.
The amount is about $1 million lower than her original expected buyout. After leaving the Tigers for the open athletic director position at Arizona in February, her contract with Missouri showed that she owed approximately $3 million.
“The University of Missouri today announced that it has reached an agreement with its former athletic director, Desireé Reed-Francois to compensate the university for her departure,” UM spokesperson Christopher Ave wrote in response to an email to the Tribune. … “We wish her all the best in her new role. We couldn’t be more thrilled to have our new leader (Laird Veatch) in place, building a top athletic program in the SEC and capitalizing on the momentum our Tigers are achieving.”