Tate: Illinois looks to avoid the payout game

Wouldn’t it be fun to be the fly on the wall overhearing attorney Dave Sholem’s efforts to cement the details of Bill Cubit’s two-year Illini football contract?

Recent history tells us the negotiations could be a tug-of-war.

In the near corner, flexing his muscles and pounding his gloves, you have the coach. He is moving from interim status to a $1.2 million deal for each of the next two years.

But Cubit’s previous pact as the Illini offensive coordinator was also a two-year deal, and it did not call for a full payout if he was fired after one season.

Reducing buyouts was a staple of the Mike Thomas program after the now-departed athletic director was obliged to provide juicy payouts to Ron…