USC-Oregon back to Nov. 22 -- for now

Save the date, at least until USC and the Coliseum Commission work out their differences or go their separate ways.

Less than a week after announcing that next season’s home football game against Oregon had been moved from Nov. 22 to Oct. 4, USC officials said Monday that pending approval from Pacific 10 Conference athletic directors, the game would be returned to its original date.

The first change was made to spread out open dates in USC’s schedule and to facilitate television, but the move to Oct. 4 sets up a potential conflict if USC cannot come to terms with the Coliseum Commission on a lease agreement.

USC is exploring the possibility of playing at the Rose Bowl next season, and UCLA is scheduled to play a home game against Washington State on Oct. 4.

If USC and the Coliseum Commission end their impasse, a USC source said it was probable that the game would once again be moved to Oct. 4.

-- Gary Klein

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Florida State must pay offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher $2.5 million if he isn’t hired to succeed Bobby Bowden as head coach in three years, but Fisher would have to pay an equal amount to leave before then.

Florida State released Fisher’s contract after the West Virginia native was mentioned in published reports as a potential candidate to take over for Rich Rodriguez as Mountaineers coach. The buyout clause would make Fisher an expensive choice.

Rodriguez left West Virginia to take over at Michigan.

Florida State also released Bowden’s one-year contract, which has a nearly $2.2-million base salary, including a $200,000 signing bonus, a series of incentives that could add at least $600,000 and a $1-million “lifetime achievement” bonus upon retirement.

Bowden’s contract, though, does not set a retirement date and it can be renegotiated annually.

School officials on Dec. 10 announced Fisher had agreed to become Florida State’s “head coach in waiting,” but the contracts were not signed until Friday.

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Cincinnati Coach Brian Kelly agreed to terms on a new five-year contract with the No. 20 Bearcats. He’ll receive a guaranteed salary between $1.2 million and $1.35 million over the next five years as well as performance-based incentives, the school said.

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Washington Coach Tyrone Willingham let two members of his staff go, including defensive coordinator Kent Baer.

Baer had been an assistant with Willingham for 13 years, dating to their days at Stanford and Notre Dame. Special teams and tight ends coach Bob Simmons will also not be back.

Washington’s defense was the worst in school history, giving up 446.4 yards per game, and was responsible for many of the team’s second-half collapses. The Huskies finished 4-9.