AUBURN, Alabama — Former Auburn athletics director Jay Jacobs received nearly $3 million in a severance payout following his retirement in 2018.

Auburn paid Jacobs $2,932,576 near the end of the 2017-18 fiscal year, an Auburn spokesperson confirmed Tuesday to Auburn Undercover. The severance appeared on Auburn's NCAA Financial Report provided Tuesday to Auburn Undercover, but Jacobs was not identified on the document.

Jacobs was Auburn's athletics director for 13 years and spent most of his adult life at Auburn in various positions, from the football strength staff to the fundraising arm of the athletics department. He announced his retirement in November 2017 and stepped aside in February 2018 following the hiring of Allen Greene.

Jacobs was also paid a salary of $1.29 million in the fiscal year ending in June 30, 2017 at Auburn. 

"The last several months have been a particularly difficult time," Jacobs said in a letter written to Auburn fans Nov. 3, 2017. "Across several sports, a series of controversies have arisen. They have begun to take their toll and have raised questions about why Auburn must endure such problems. As I have always done, I have worked my hardest and best to do what is right for Auburn.

"I believe in Auburn and will fight for Auburn. But as I consider the future and what is best for Auburn, I have prayerfully decided the time has come for me to step aside. Sometimes a new direction and new leadership are helpful in moving beyond current problems."

Jacobs later resurfaced in the summer of 2018 as an executive associate athletics director at Florida. Months of rumors concerning Jacobs' potential ouster from Auburn had come to a boil in the fall of 2017. The athletics program was marred in controversy, which included a lawsuit and two scandals: an FBI investigation into men’s basketball assistant Chuck Person and a Title IX investigation into softball that led to head coach Clint Myers' staff leaving the program.

Jacobs oversees the communications, marketing, ticketing and GatorVision departments at Florida.

"Florida athletics is fortunate to have someone of Jay's caliber joining the UAA," Florida athletics director Scott Stricklin said in a statement at the time. "His character, vision, experience and ability to connect with people will be tremendous assets to our department. Additionally, having served in a leadership role in the SEC, Jay understands the great privilege and responsibility we have as a member of this wonderful conference. It's exciting to have Jay joining the Gators."

Stricklin worked at Auburn in the 1990s within the athletics department as a sports information director.

"Some people are fortunate to say they are coming home once in their careers, now I am lucky enough to say it twice," Jacobs said in a statement. "Having attended high school in Jacksonville, I'm honored and privileged to join the UAA and continue to work in the nation's best conference in the SEC. I am looking forward to working with Scott Stricklin and the rest of the staff to help serve the Gator student-athletes, coaches and fans of the Gator nation."

Jacobs was elevated to athletics director at Auburn in 2004 after working with the department in some capacity since his playing days as a walk-on football player in the early 1980s.

Auburn won 11 national titles, including a football title in 2010, and 24 SEC titles during his time as athletics director.

The Auburn athletics director, thanks to 30-plus years in the state retirement system, is also expected to be paid $540,000 per year in state retirement money, according to the Florence Times Daily.