How much is a butt-whooping worth? For Oregon State, it's $1.7 million. Ohio State is paying the Beavers $1.7 million to make the 2,000-mile trip to Columbus for a Week 1 non-conference game. Its the highest payout of any non-neutral-site guarantee college football game in Week 1, according to USA Today.
Several other FBS programs will earn more than $1.7 million for Week 1 games, though all of those are neutral-site games that come with a guarantee for both teams. For example, Washington and Auburn are guaranteed $4.1 million and $4.2 million, respectively, for playing at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Saturday.
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Thirteen teams are making at least $1 million for road guarantee games this weekend, including Old Dominion, whom Liberty is paying a staggering $1.32 million to make a three-hour bus ride from Norfolk, Va., to Lynchburg, Va., for the Flames' first-ever game as an FBS team. The $1.32 million is by far the most any Group of Five team has ever paid for a road team.
Here's a list of non-neutral-site matchups with the largest guarantee payouts in Week 1, courtesy of USA Today:
| Home Team | Away Team | Payout |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio State | Oregon State | $1.7 million |
| Michigan State | Utah State | $1.4 million |
| Wisconsin | Western Kentucky | $1.35 million |
| Liberty | Old Dominion | $1.32 million |
| USC | UNLV | $1.25 million |
| Penn State | Appalachian State | $1.2 million |
| Rutgers | Texas State | $1.2 million |
| Oklahoma | Florida Atlantic | $1.2 million |
| South Carolina | Coastal Carolina | $1.2 million |
| Nebraska | Akron | $1.17 million |
| Kentucky | Central Michigan | $1.15 million |
| Illinois | Kent State | $1.15 million |
| Iowa | Northern Illinois | $1 million |
| Oregon | Bowling Green | $900,000 |
| Minnesota | New Mexico State | $800,000 |
| Arizona | BYU | $600,000 |
| Utah | Weber State | $550,000 |
| Arkansas | Eastern Illinois | $525,000 |
| Texas A&M | Northwestern State | $515,000 |
| TCU | Southern | $500,000 |
| Georgia | Austin Peay | $500,000 |
