2026 College Football Week 1 Guarantee Games Pay As Much As $1.9 Million

Aug 31, 2026 09:30 AM - 3 hours ago 3

Florida State paid New Mexico State $1.4 million to alert to Tallahassee for a Week 0 matchup that the ‘Noles won, 34-17. It was the 2nd gathering betwixt the schools connected the gridiron pinch the first successful 1964, a 36-0 Florida State location victory. It was the first crippled successful the recently expanded (40,000) Doak Campbell Stadium. Certainly, 7 figures did not alteration hands for the occasion.

Seven figures will alteration hands plentifulness of times during the assemblage shot season’s first afloat week of action, a Thursday to Sunday Labor Day play smorgasbord. Here is simply a look astatine immoderate specified payouts.

Thursday, September 3

$1.125 million: UAB astatine Illinois

This day successful Champaign represents a alteration for the Blazers successful that they traveled to play an SEC force successful each of 9 non-pandemic seasons since returning to the gridiron successful 2017. Coach Alex Mortensen, who served arsenic an interim for the last six games of 2025 aft Trent Dilfer was fto go, tin only dream this travel to Big Ten state plays retired otherwise than going 0-9 and outscored 346-123 versus the SEC. This will beryllium the first gathering betwixt the schools. In fact, it will beryllium UAB’s first travel to the Land of Lincoln.

Friday, September 4

$1.5 million: UTEP astatine Oklahoma

This play marks the 2nd clip successful 5 seasons the Sooners unfastened against the Miners, who collected $1 cardinal for their 45-13 nonaccomplishment successful 2022. OU has won each 5 meetings, each played this period and by a mixed 248-41. The largest guarantee UTEP received was $1.65 cardinal for a 40-7 season-opening nonaccomplishment astatine Nebraska successful 2024. The payout for a 500-mile formation eastbound and a 27-10 conclusion successful Austin past twelvemonth was $1.63 million.

$1.3 million: Toledo astatine Michigan State

The Pat Fitzgerald era successful East Lansing gets underway erstwhile the Spartans big Toledo connected Friday night. It is the 4th clip successful the past 5 years Michigan State opens against the MAC. Last year’s play opener versus Western Michigan came pinch a $1.5 cardinal payout, which is the magnitude Eastern Michigan will cod erstwhile visiting Spartan Stadium successful Week 2. Hence, the Spartans are dishing retired $3 cardinal the first 2 weeks of 2026.

Saturday, September 5

$1.9 million: Ball State astatine Ohio State

Almost arsenic ample arsenic the payout is the constituent spread. Kidding, of course, though 51 points is rather the spread. This will beryllium the first gathering betwixt the schools. The Buckeyes person played astir different MAC teams and person compiled a 32-0 people against the conference. One suspects the needle will move to 34-0 aft the Cardinals and Kent State (Week 3) sojourn Columbus. The Golden Flashes will besides return location $1.9 million. The top-ranked Buckeyes’ dates pinch the MAC are sandwiched astir a Week 2 headliner astatine No. 5 Texas.

$1.5 million: Western Michigan astatine Michigan

The payout was $1.4 cardinal erstwhile the teams met astatine the Big House successful 2021, a 31-10 triumph for Jim Harbaugh’s Wolverines. Michigan has won each 8 games pinch the Broncos and is 28-1 against the MAC pinch the nonaccomplishment to Toledo successful 2008. The matchup pinch WMU will not beryllium the largest payout for Michigan this season. That will travel successful Week 3 erstwhile UTEP visits Ann Arbor pinch a guarantee of $1.9 million for a $3.4 cardinal tab owed the 2 non-powers. The full came to $3.3 cardinal past play erstwhile New Mexico ($1.8 million) and Central Michigan ($1.5 million) visited.

$1.5 million: East Carolina astatine Alabama

This matchup is simply a byproduct of the SEC going to 9 convention dates effective this season. A home-and-home statement pinch West Virginia for this twelvemonth and adjacent was canceled arsenic a result. Had the bid remained intact, the Tide would person had 11 of 12 games scheduled against powerfulness conferences arsenic Florida State visits Tuscaloosa to complete a home-and-home that began past season. Alabama and ECU met erstwhile previously, a 23-22 Crimson Tide triumph successful 1998 nether Mike DuBose.

$1.3 million: Kent State astatine South Carolina

The first of 3 seven-figure payouts for the Golden Flashes will beryllium successful Columbia wherever they were routed by the Gamecocks, 77-14, successful 1995. That was the only erstwhile gathering betwixt the teams. Kent State will besides cod handsomely astatine Ohio State (Sept. 19, $1.9 million) and astatine USF ($1.2 million). The Golden Flashes were kept disconnected the scoreboard successful their past 2 games against SEC opponents, 44-0 astatine Oklahoma past play and 71-0 astatine Tennessee successful 2024.

$1.3 million: Boise State astatine Oregon

A two-for-one that had the Ducks visiting Boise successful 2025 became a two-for-none pinch the Broncos walking to Eugene successful 2024 and again this season. The full cookware for the two games successful Eugene is $2.6 million, aliases $1.3 per game. The scheduling alteration was announced successful December 2023 and a consequence of a re-worked Mountain West schedule that included what were the 2 remaining Pac-12 teams, Oregon State and Washington State.

$1.2 million: North Texas astatine Indiana

UNT was scheduled to unfastened this play astatine Wyoming. Instead, it was announced past September that the Mean Green would travel to Bloomington. At that time, it appeared arsenic though it could person been a heck of a matchup. Alas, coach Eric Morris and a bevy of his players near Denton for Stillwater. Neal Brown debuts connected the UNT sideline. On the different side, Josh Hoover takes complete astatine backmost for the No. 6 Hoosiers. This is the 3rd gathering betwixt the programs, which divided the first 2 pinch Indiana winning successful 2014 and UNT successful 2011.

$1.2 million: Missouri State astatine Texas A&M

The Bears made their FBS debut past play and opened astatine USC, a 73-13 shellacking that came pinch a $1.15 cardinal guarantee. They were scheduled to unfastened this play astatine Kansas State, a woody that was canceled successful 2024 arsenic a consequence of the program’s move to the FBS and Conference USA. Ultimately, the day College Station to play the Aggies was added. A&M paid Utah State $1.65 cardinal past Labor Day weekend.