How Much Money Will LA Tech and the Ragin Cajuns Earn to Be Lopsided Underdogs This Weekend?

(KMDL-FM) The recent chaos connected to LSU and the Southeastern Conference has made one thing clear. NCAA football is pro football. And the money that is generated by the sport is massive. Now LSU is a premier program, but most of the other NCAA schools in Louisiana that field a football team are not thought of as "premier".

That is not meant to cast aspersions on some great college football programs, but if you were offended that the rest of the country doesn't count the University of Louisiana, Louisiana Tech, McNeese, Southern, and even Tulane, then you don't live in what the rest of us call "The World of Reasonable People".

What Is the Purpose of a Guarantee Game in College Football?

College football is truly a case of the "haves" versus the "have-nots". In fact, a larger program can use its leverage with the NCAA and its associated conference to steal wins from smaller schools. Look, Wolverine fans, you lost that game, and the way you sucked up to finagle a win is "Pure Michigan".

The "Guarantee Game" has long been the disdain of real college football fans. But now and then, one of the "rent-a-win" games goes the wrong way for the team providing the payday. I guess that's what keeps us fans of non-powerhouse schools locked in to watch what usually turns out to be a highlight reel for the larger schools.

And while the thought of "getting paid to get your ass handed to you on the football field" is not what we want to see, it is a necessary evil. These smaller schools need the money. Without the "guaranteed game" payout, a lot of schools would be shuttering athletic programs, or facilities would suffer mightily.

Which Louisiana School Will Earn The Most To Be A Big Underdog This Season?

The big winner in the pay-for-play whipping-boy sweepstakes this season is Louisiana Tech. The Bulldogs have two of the bigger payout games of the top five this season. Louisiana Tech will get paid $1.6 million by LSU for the game scheduled for Saturday Night in Baton Rouge.

LSU is a five-touchdown favorite in that game, but the Ruston Rowdies had a great season-opening game themselves. Oh, wait, they played Northwestern State, the team that lost to NAIA Louisiana Christian a week prior.

The final score in the Tech/Northwestern game was 80 to 6. So, it wasn't that much of a test, was it? And LA Tech forked over $400,000 to the Demons program for the pleasure of eviscerating that team.

Louisiana Tech v Rice — Bob Levey/Getty Images

In addition to the $ 1.6 million payout from LSU, the Bulldogs will also earn an additional $600,000 for the program on September 19th when they visit Baylor in Waco, Texas. If we do the math, Tech paid out $400,000 and earned $2.2 million, for a bottom-line number in the black of $1.8 million. I think I did the math right. I went to school in Mississippi; we aren't known for our math skills.

How Much Will Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns Earn in the Game Versus Southern Cal?

Louisiana's Ragin Cajuns have a payday game this weekend too. They are in Los Angeles for a Saturday night tussle with the Trojans. The Cajuns are 31.5-point underdogs. Not quite as big of a "road dog" as Louisiana Tech is at LSU, but most pundits do not predict the game will go the Cajuns' way. I hope it does, but I am not sure if I can stay up for a 10 PM kickoff.

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl — Chris Graythen, Getty Images

The Cajuns ' guarantee from USC is listed at $1.3 million. The USC game is the only game the Cajuns will play against a Power 4 opponent during the 2026 regular season. I think the Cajuns will have something for the Trojans on Saturday. I don't think they will have enough, but it will be interesting to compare scores between this game and the LSU vs LA Tech game.

McNeese To Earn Highest Guaranteed Payout in School History This Season

McNeese is going to get paid by LSU this year too. The Tigers will host the Cowboys on October 3rd. The McNeese payday is reported to be $750,000. We should note that McNeese was also given 600 complimentary tickets to the game under the agreement that governs the payout.

The $750,000 payout is the most McNeese has earned as "an underdog" to a much larger school in history. That record will be broken in 2029 when "The Pokes" once again travel to Baton Rouge to face LSU; the payout for that game is $775,000.

Southern University, Nicholls State Also Getting Guaranteed Game Money

Southern v Georgia — (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)

Southern University will earn $400,000 for a game against the University of Houston this Saturday. The Jags will also get 400 complimentary tickets to the game. The Jaguars are slated to earn $750,000 on September 9th of, 2028, when they travel across town to face LSU on that date.

Other notable Louisiana gridiron guarantees include Nicholls earning $500,000 to get whipped by Kansas State 71 to 3 on this past Saturday, September 5th. And Southeastern earned $380,000 from South Alabama, also on September 5th. The final score in that game was 39 to 14 in favor of South Alabama.