Nevada schedules 2017 contest with Northwestern

The Nevada Wolf Pack are getting paid another seven figure matchup to their future schedule as they are traveling to take on Northwestern on Sept. 19, 2017. The exact amount is a $1.2 million payday which the Reno Gazette-Journal obtained through an open records request.

By adding Northwestern, the Wolf Pack has had/will have at least a $1 million payout game in each of the 2015, 2016 and 2017 seasons.

— Chris Murray (@MurrayRGJ) May 3, 2016

Those other games that are netting the Wolf Pack large deals include the Notre Dame game this upcoming season which is a million dollar pay out and the other was last year where Nevada traveled to Texas A&M for a $1.5 million game.

This additional game for the 2017 year against the Wildcats completes their four-game non-conference slate which features another road game at Washington Sate which also has a large pay out of $925,000. The other games are against Toledo and Idaho, both home games.

These money games are very important for schools like Nevada to be able to keep their football program -- just like many other non-power league schools -- competitive with coaches salaries and facilities to attract the best coaches and players.

Nevada also scheduling Northwestern is a very smart move because unlike Notre Dame and Texas A&M mega bucks games, this is one that the Wolf Pack have a much better chance of winning.

They might head to Illinois and leave with a big paycheck, a win and some credibility for beating a Big Ten team; even if that Power Five team is historically in the middle of the pack of their own conference. To be fair Northwestern was 10-3 last year and finished in the top 15, but also that 10 wins was the combined total for the previous two seasons.

Here is the complete non-conference schedule for Nevada in 2017.

09/02 - Idaho
09/09 - Toledo
09/16 - at Northwestern
09/23 - at Washington State