Florida State paid New Mexico State $1.4 million to fly to Tallahassee for a Week 0 matchup that the ‘Noles won, 34-17. It was the second meeting between the schools on the gridiron with the first in 1964, a 36-0 Florida State home victory. It was the first game in the newly expanded (40,000) Doak Campbell Stadium. Certainly, seven figures did not change hands for the occasion.
Seven figures will change hands plenty of times during the college football season’s first full week of action, a Thursday to Sunday Labor Day weekend smorgasbord. Here is a look at some such payouts.
Thursday, September 3
$1.125 million: UAB at Illinois
This date in Champaign represents a change for the Blazers in that they traveled to play an SEC opponent in each of nine non-pandemic seasons since returning to the gridiron in 2017. Coach Alex Mortensen, who served as an interim for the final six games of 2025 after Trent Dilfer was let go, can only hope this trip to Big Ten country plays out differently than going 0-9 and outscored 346-123 versus the SEC. This will be the first meeting between the schools. In fact, it will be UAB’s first trip to the Land of Lincoln.
Friday, September 4
$1.5 million: UTEP at Oklahoma
This season marks the second time in five seasons the Sooners open against the Miners, who collected $1 million for their 45-13 loss in 2022. OU has won all five meetings, each played this century and by a combined 248-41. The largest guarantee UTEP received was $1.65 million for a 40-7 season-opening loss at Nebraska in 2024. The payout for a 500-mile flight east and a 27-10 defeat in Austin last year was $1.63 million.
$1.3 million: Toledo at Michigan State
The Pat Fitzgerald era in East Lansing gets underway when the Spartans host Toledo on Friday night. It is the fourth time in the last five years Michigan State opens against the MAC. Last year’s season opener versus Western Michigan came with a $1.5 million payout, which is the amount Eastern Michigan will collect when visiting Spartan Stadium in Week 2. Hence, the Spartans are dishing out $3 million the first two weeks of 2026.
Saturday, September 5
$1.9 million: Ball State at Ohio State
Almost as large as the payout is the point spread. Kidding, of course, though 51 points is quite the spread. This will be the first meeting between the schools. The Buckeyes have played most other MAC teams and have compiled a 32-0 mark against the conference. One suspects the needle will move to 34-0 after the Cardinals and Kent State (Week 3) visit Columbus. The Golden Flashes will also take home $1.9 million. The top-ranked Buckeyes’ dates with the MAC are sandwiched around a Week 2 headliner at No. 5 Texas.
$1.5 million: Western Michigan at Michigan
The payout was $1.4 million when the teams met at the Big House in 2021, a 31-10 victory for Jim Harbaugh’s Wolverines. Michigan has won all eight games with the Broncos and is 28-1 against the MAC with the loss to Toledo in 2008. The matchup with WMU will not be the largest payout for Michigan this season. That will come in Week 3 when UTEP visits Ann Arbor with a guarantee of $1.9 million for a $3.4 million tab due the two non-powers. The total came to $3.3 million last season when New Mexico ($1.8 million) and Central Michigan ($1.5 million) visited.
$1.5 million: East Carolina at Alabama
This matchup is a byproduct of the SEC going to nine conference dates effective this season. A home-and-home agreement with West Virginia for this year and next was canceled as a result. Had the series remained intact, the Tide would have had 11 of 12 games scheduled against power conferences as Florida State visits Tuscaloosa to complete a home-and-home that began last season. Alabama and ECU met once previously, a 23-22 Crimson Tide win in 1998 under Mike DuBose.
$1.3 million: Kent State at South Carolina
The first of three seven-figure payouts for the Golden Flashes will be in Columbia where they were routed by the Gamecocks, 77-14, in 1995. That was the only previous meeting between the teams. Kent State will also collect handsomely at Ohio State (Sept. 19, $1.9 million) and at USF ($1.2 million). The Golden Flashes were kept off the scoreboard in their last two games against SEC opponents, 44-0 at Oklahoma last season and 71-0 at Tennessee in 2024.
$1.3 million: Boise State at Oregon
A two-for-one that had the Ducks visiting Boise in 2025 became a two-for-none with the Broncos traveling to Eugene in 2024 and again this season. The total pot for the two games in Eugene is $2.6 million, or $1.3 per game. The scheduling change was announced in December 2023 and a result of a re-worked Mountain West schedule that included what were the two remaining Pac-12 teams, Oregon State and Washington State.
$1.2 million: North Texas at Indiana
UNT was scheduled to open this season at Wyoming. Instead, it was announced last September that the Mean Green would travel to Bloomington. At that time, it appeared as though it could have been a heck of a matchup. Alas, coach Eric Morris and a bevy of his players left Denton for Stillwater. Neal Brown debuts on the UNT sideline. On the other side, Josh Hoover takes over at quarterback for the No. 6 Hoosiers. This is the third meeting between the programs, which split the first two with Indiana winning in 2014 and UNT in 2011.
$1.2 million: Missouri State at Texas A&M
The Bears made their FBS debut last season and opened at USC, a 73-13 shellacking that came with a $1.15 million guarantee. They were scheduled to open this season at Kansas State, a deal that was canceled in 2024 as a result of the program’s move to the FBS and Conference USA. Ultimately, the date College Station to play the Aggies was added. A&M paid Utah State $1.65 million last Labor Day weekend.