Alden's official campus bio is littered with what it calls "history-making landmarks" under his leadership, from improved graduation rates to spearheading more than $265 million in private donations for projects such as the current Memorial Stadium expansion. Alden signed a seven-year contract extension in 2012 that pays a base salary of $301,917, with the possibility of earning up to $777,976 through performance incentives. In a letter to athletic department employees and Mizzou fans released soon after he announced the move at a Thursday afternoon staff meeting, Alden called his time in Columbia "a lifetime for an athletics administrator."