$288M Big Ten Program Pays Out 7-Figure Sum Only to Escape Embarrassing Near Upset to College Football Opponent

In college football, they call them ‘cupcake games.’ Power 4 teams pay smaller programs a fat check to show up, take a beating, and go home with a story for the grandkids. But sometimes, the cupcakes bite back. If you think that can’t happen, just ask Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame. Last year, Northern Illinois walked into South Bend, cashed a $1.4 million check, and walked out with a 16-14 upset after blocking the Irish’s last-second field goal. It was one of the biggest shocks in program history that serves as a painful reminder that money doesn’t always buy wins. And this season, NIU came close to executing that rare feat again. 

For Mike Locksley and Maryland, history nearly repeated itself. On September 5, USA Today Sports’ reporter Steve Berkowitz tweeted, “Maryland pays Northern Illinois a $1.4 million guarantee,  gets 20-9 victory after leading by just 13-9 during early part of fourth quarter.” The Terrapins forked over seven figures and nearly found themselves in Notre Dame’s shoes. 

It’s the cruel irony of college football economics. Maryland is valued at $288 million per The Athletic’s program rankings, with a healthy $57.6 million in annual football revenue. Northern Illinois is scraping together MAC money. Yet for most of the night, the Huskies played like an equal. That’s the risk with guarantee games. Nothing is guaranteed except the check. More often than not, the powerhouse programs sleepwalk to wins. But occasionally, the smaller schools turn the tables and cash both the payout and the scoreboard. 

This season is loaded with big-money matchups that could flip the script. Michigan is paying Central Michigan $1.5 million. Georgia is cutting Marshall a $1.7 million check. Ole Miss is dropping $1.6 million on Georgia State. Wisconsin is doing the same with Miami (Ohio), and Penn State is shelling out $1.45 million to Nevada. The financial stakes are high and as Maryland just learned, so is the risk. On Friday, they flirted with becoming the next cautionary tale. And for a program that prides itself on stability, nearly joining that list was far too close for comfort. And while most of those payouts will likely buy easy Saturdays, the Terps scare showed just how quickly the math can crumble. 

Maryland writes a check and nearly bounces it

Freshman QB Malik Washington saved Mike Locksley and Maryland’s skin. On fourth-and-5 in the fourth quarter, he delivered a 42-yard touchdown strike to Shaleak Knotts, finally creating separation in a game that felt uncomfortably tight all night. Washington finished with 254 yards and two touchdown passes in just his second career start, extending the Terps’ nonconference winning streak to 17 games. The nation’s longest active run. But the stat sheet doesn’t tell the whole story. 

Maryland squandered opportunities, fumbling inside the NIU 10-yard line and failing to capitalize on a punt that pinned the Huskies at their own 1. Instead of flexing their Big Ten muscle, the Terps found themselves trading punts and praying their freshman QB could bail them out. Northern Illinois, meanwhile, showed the same punch that stunned Notre Dame a year ago. Telly Johnson’s 74-yard touchdown sprint and Chavon Wright’s 90 rushing yards kept the Huskies in striking distance. Northern Illinois didn’t leave with another historic upset, but they did leave $1.4 million richer and with Maryland fans sweating.