ESPN: Former Cal Athletic Director Sandy Barbour To Penn State As AD

I guess we'll never find out what that uncreated academic support position was:

Former Cal AD Sandy Barbour will be Penn State's new AD, sources told @ESPN

— Brett McMurphy (@McMurphyESPN) July 26, 2014

You know what this means!  More discussion of buyouts! YAY!!!!!!!!!

Regarding termination, Cal can fire Sandy without cause at any time. However, if they do, they still have to pay her the base salary for the rest of the contract. She does have a duty to mitigate her damages, which means that she has to work to find another job and, then, if she does, any money she makes at that new job lowers the amount of money Cal has to pay her

Her base salary for 2014-2014 is $429,439.00.  Now, that language is only relevant if she is terminated without cause and her it appears she "stepped down" for an uncreated academic support position (coughcough) and has now taken another job.  I suspect that she was essentially terminated without cause, because the admin did not want her as a lame duck for her last year of her contract, but given an opportunity to save face by "stepping down."  That is just conjecture, so I could be wrong.

If she essentially quit, then I do not think Cal would owe her anything.  If she was terminated without cause, then this would lower (potentially to zero) how much was owed to her thanks to the duty to mitigate damages clause.  It's very complicated legally here, because I'm not sure how Cal and Sandy termed her "stepping down" and how that affects their contractual rights.

Either way, good luck to Sandy in Happy Valley.  GO BEARS!