Oregon Public Broadcasting

According to a letter released by the University of Oregon Wednesday night former athletic director Mike Bellotti didn’t have any written or verbal contract.

The Oregon State Board of Higher Education has ordered an audit of Bellotti’s $2.3 million severance package.

The University of Oregon general counsel writes that she searched for a written contract between Bellotti and the U of O but found nothing.

She also says no verbal contract existed.

Bellotti was athletic director for only eight months before he took a position with ESPN. He’d been head football coach at U of O for many years.

University System Chancellor George Pernsteiner says the situation is unusual, “I did speak earlier this week with the presidents of other campuses who assured me that all of their coaches and athletic directors are on contract.”

The State Board of Higher Education has asked for an audit of the severance deal.

They want to know if state or tuition funds are being used to pay the severance package and if rules were broken.

The board has asked to see the results of the audit by the end of the month.