In an FBS oddity, the University of Nevada will get a game guarantee when it hosts Southern Methodist University to open the season Aug. 24 at Mackay Stadium.
As reported by Nevada Sports Net, home teams traditionally pay a game guarantee for non-conference games to help cover travel and other expenses for the visitor. For example, Nevada will pay non-league foes Eastern Washington $400,000 and Georgia Southern $100,000 for games at Mackay Stadium in 2024.
SMU, however, will pay Nevada $450,000, due by Dec. 15, marking the first time Nevada has been paid to host a game in recent history.
Comparatively, the Wolf Pack signed a home-and-home contract with the Big 12's Kansas that began last season with Nevada paying the Jayhawks $300,000 to play at Mackay Stadium in 2023, Nevada Sports Net's Chris Murray reported.
SMU is joining the Atlantic Coast Conference this summer, and the visit to Reno in August will mark Nevada's first home game against an ACC opponent. "The Wolf Pack will return a game to SMU during the 2028 season and get a payment of $150,000, well below the going rate for a road game at a power-conference opponent," Murray wrote. "So, the initial payment of $450,000 for the first game is an exchange for a lower back-end payment five seasons from now."
The Nevada-SMU game contract was obtained last week by Nevada Sports Net via a public records request. Here are some other details from the contract, as reported by Murray.
Officials for the game will be assigned and paid for by the visiting team (this is usually the home team's responsibility)
- Officials for the game will be assigned and paid for by the visiting team (this is usually the home team's responsibility)
- The visiting team will get 400 complimentary tickets and has the first option to purchase another 1,000 tickets
- The visiting team can bring its band, cheerleaders and mascots but those count against the 400 complimentary ticket allotment
- The host must provide the visiting team an enclosed viewing area (i.e. suite) for the road team's athletic director and traveling party
- The host team retains the television rights
- The cancelation fee is $500,000 due by Dec. 15 of the year the game was scheduled to be played unless it is a result of a conference realignment change
