Regardless of the outcome on the scoreboard, UMass football has already secured a major victory in its game against Penn State this weekend.
The contract between the two teams dictates that Penn State will pay $1.6 million to UMass for scheduling the game. Such payments are common in the top level of college football as traditional powerhouses look to book winnable games against smaller programs to fill out their schedules.
The contract between UMass and Penn State also dictates a home-and-home series between the schools’ men’s basketball programs.
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UMass certainly enters the game as the underdog. FanDuel Sportsbook has Penn State favored by 42.5 points. Meanwhile, ESPN Analytics gives UMass a 1% chance of winning, which is about as low as its matchup predictor will go.
The Minutemen have a 1-6 record so far this season. After opening the season with a 41-30 win against New Mexico State, UMass has lost its past six games. Its most recent loss was a 41-24 defeat at the hands of Toledo at home.
The Penn State game is the second high-payout game for the Minutemen this season. UMass received $1.95 million from Auburn to travel down to Alabama for that game back in September. The Tigers won that game 59-14.
As an independent, UMass is in an unusual position among college programs, having to individually schedule non-conference opponents for every game — since the team has no conference opponents to play every year. As a result, UMass has ample opportunities to take high-payday games.
From 2023-2027, UMass has six games scheduled where the opposing school is contracted to pay out over $1 million. That number could increase as the Minutemen continue to add opponents to their schedule for future seasons.
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