FSU Pays $1.2M for Kent State Matchup
Florida State football has drawn a lot of attention today, not just because of the game against Kent State, but also because of how much money was paid to bring the Golden Flashes to Tallahassee. These kinds of arrangements are known as “buy games,” where a bigger program pays a smaller one to come play, often as a tune-up before conference play begins.
For this particular matchup, Florida State agreed to pay Kent State a hefty $1.2 million. That figure was revealed in the game contract obtained by USA TODAY Sports. To put that into perspective, it’s more than double what the University of Florida paid USF earlier this month—$500,000—for their game in Gainesville. Payments like these are not unusual, but $1.2 million is a big number, even by college football standards. In fact, last year, Notre Dame paid Northern Illinois $1.4 million, and that one backfired when Northern Illinois pulled off the upset in South Bend. The money owed to Kent State is due by February 15, 2026.
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This game also carried some historical significance because Florida State and Kent State had never faced each other before. The agreement for today’s matchup was made back in 2023. It’s part of a two-game slate of buy games on the Seminoles’ 2025 schedule, with East Texas A&M having already visited Tallahassee earlier this month. For that game, FSU paid $450,000, and the Seminoles absolutely dominated, racking up 729 yards of offense in a 77–3 rout.
Kent State, on the other hand, comes into this game in a tough spot. The Golden Flashes have struggled badly over the last few seasons, going just 2–25 since 2023, with both of those wins coming against lower-division FCS opponents. That’s quite the fall considering they were playing in the MAC championship game as recently as 2021. This season hasn’t been much kinder, as they entered today at 1–2 under first-year head coach Mark Carney. Last week, they nearly upset Buffalo but gave up the deciding touchdown in the final minute.
The challenge doesn’t get any easier for Kent State, with a trip to No. 12 Oklahoma lined up next week. Meanwhile, Florida State is eyeing much bigger goals. Ranked No. 9 in the country, the Seminoles are using these non-conference games to sharpen up before ACC play begins. They’ll head to Virginia next week for a Friday night game, followed by a highly anticipated clash with No. 6 Miami in Tallahassee.
So, while the scoreboard will tell one story, the bigger picture involves the business side of college football. Kent State was paid handsomely to take the field today, and for Florida State, the investment is seen as part of the path toward the College Football Playoff. It’s another reminder that behind the excitement of the game, big money deals are often at play.
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