Colorado's Payment to North Dakota State for Week 1 Game Revealed

Week 1 of the college football season kicks off on Thursday with a number of intriguing matchups with North Carolina and Minnesota as one of the key FBS showdowns.

Another one to keep an eye on is the Colorado Buffaloes hosting FCS North Dakota State. After a 4-8 year for the Buffs, questions are swirling regarding how good they will do after making the transition to the Big 12 Conference.

North Dakota State finished 11-4 overall in 2023, so this is not a team that the Buffs can take lightly.

With matchups such as these, it is normal for an FBS school to pay the FCS school to come to play them, and the Bison are earning $700,000 from this showdown, per a report from Daniel Libit of Sportico.

"In May 2016, the athletic directors of Colorado and North Dakota State signed an agreement for a football game between their programs to be played on a Saturday some eight-plus years later," Libit wrote. "Accordingly, CU would pay NDSU $700,000 to come to Folsom Field."

This game was agreed to in 2016, long before Deion Sanders was the head coach for the Buffs.

On the other hand, North Dakota State is no ordinary FCS team. They have nine FCS titles since 2010 and have won five of the last six road games against FBS opponents.

Moreover, North Dakota State would've earned another $700,000 if they were moved to the FBS.

"According to a copy of the contract, obtained through a public records request, NDSU would have had its pay doubled to $1.4 million in the event it had joined the FBS prior to the contest," per Libit.

Fargo, North Dakota is less than 1,000 miles from Boulder, so there should be some Bison fans on hand to see the opener.

The Buffs enter as favorites for this game at Folsom Field, but either way, North Dakota State is getting a nice payday and some national exposure with the game being televised on ESPN.

Related: Paul Finebaum Reveals Prediction For Colorado vs. North Dakota State Week 1 Game