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Alabama fans celebrate during the fourth quarter of the no. 1 Alabama vs no. 13 LSU NCAA football game, Saturday, November 9, 2013, at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (Vasha Hunt/vhunt@al.com)

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama -- For the second consecutive season, Alabama is doling out million-dollar pay days to two of its non-conference opponents.

This year's tab is significantly smaller than the record one it had in 2013, as Alabama will pay $2.88 million to its three home non-conference opponents, according to contracts provided to AL.com. Last year, Alabama paid a combined $3.15 million.

This sort of cost will be completely canceled out by Alabama's season opener against West Virginia in Atlanta for the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game. According to the contract, Alabama will receive a payout of at least $3.2 million in exchange for selling 31,000 tickets scattered throughout the Georgia Dome.

West Virginia was required to sell 25,000 tickets. Tickets for the game are still available.

Alabama's biggest payout will go to Southern Miss, the last addition to the 2014 schedule. The Golden Eagles will receive $1.4 million for the Sept. 13 matchup, just a shade under the $1.5 million Alabama paid Colorado State for last year's game.

Alabama will pay Florida Atlantic $1 million for the Sept. 6 home opener. It's the same amount the Owls received in 2012.

Western Carolina will take home $480,000 for the pre-Iron Bowl showdown. That's up $5,000 from what the Catamounts received in 2012.

Alabama paid $2.15 million for its non-conference games in 2012.