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Sources: Travis Ford in OSU hot seat

Men's College Basketball, Oklahoma State Cowboys

The Oklahoma State Cowboys are considering the possibility of firing coach Travis Ford after the team was ousted in the first round of the NCAA tournament for the third straight year, sources confirmed to ESPN.com's Jeff Goodman.

The chance of Ford being fired is "50-50," one source close to the situation said.

The news was first reported by The Oklahoman, which cited multiple unnamed sources.

The move would trigger a buyout worth at least $9.6 million, according to the Oklahoma newspaper, which reported the amount as the remainder of Ford's contract. 

But a push from boosters has athletic director Mike Holder at least examining the possibility, according to the report.

Ford, 45, received a four-year contract extension in 2009 designed to keep him through 2019.

The 10-year contract called for Ford to receive $1.8 million in its first season and then get incremental raises that would push his salary to $2.8 million over the final four years of the contract.

Oklahoma State ended the season with seven losses in its last eight games, finishing 18-14 overall and 8-10 in the Big 12.

The Cowboys lost their first-round game of the NCAA tournament to the Oregon Ducks 79-73.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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