Chris Murray

cmurray@rgj.com

The Wolf Pack football team has added another seven-figure payday to its future schedule.

After getting $1.5 million to play at Texas A&M last season and drawing $1 million to play at Notre Dame this season, Nevada has scheduled a game at Northwestern in 2017 that will pay the Wolf Pack $1.2 million. The contract was obtained by the Reno Gazette-Journal on Monday via a public records request.

That $1.2 million guarantee is the second largest in program history behind the Texas A&M game. It also completes the Wolf Pack's 2017 non-conference schedule, which includes a road game at Washington State and home games against Toledo and Idaho. Nevada will net $925,000 in guarantee money in 2017 as it also gets $300,000 to play at Washington State and pays Toledo ($375,000) and Idaho ($200,000) to come to Mackay Stadium.

Wolf Pack drops Oregon State from 2017 schedule

The Northwestern game will be played Sept. 16 after Nevada opens the season against Idaho (Sept. 2) and Toledo (Sept. 9) at home before capping non-conference play Sept. 23. The slot in Nevada's schedule opened up when the Wolf Pack dropped a road game at Oregon State, a move announced in February when the Wolf Pack said the change was "due to a conflict with another scheduling opportunity." The Northwestern game was finalized in late February, but neither team had announced the game to date.

This will not be the first time Nevada has played the Big Ten school. The Wolf Pack beat Northwestern, 31-21, in 2006 in Reno before losing on the road to the Wildcats, 36-31, in 2007 as part of a two-game series. Northwestern went 10-3 last season and finished 23rd in the final AP Top 25.

The Wolf Pack's 2017 schedule will not include a non-conference game against an FCS team for the first time since 2011, although Idaho is dropping to the FCS in 2018.

Top 9 NFL draft prospects on Wolf Pack's roster

Nevada's 2016 schedule also will turn a nice profit in guaranteed money. The Wolf Pack will net $875,000 in guarantees with games at Notre Dame ($1 million) and Purdue ($400,000) being partially offset with payouts to Cal Poly ($375,000) and Buffalo ($150,000). Having at least one big-money game per season has been a priority for the Wolf Pack over the years as Nevada has the lowest budget among Mountain West schools.

With the addition of the Northwestern game, the Wolf Pack's non-conference schedules for 2016 and 2017 are set, the program needs one more game in 2018 and two more in 2019.

The Wolf Pack plays two Power 5 schools in each of the next four seasons: Notre Dame and Purdue in 2016; Washington State and Northwestern in 2017; Washington and Oregon State in 2018; and Purdue and Oregon in 2019.

WOLF PACK'S NON-CONFERENCE PAYOUTS

Here's a look at Nevada's non-conference payouts for its future-scheduled games.

2016: vs. Cal Poly: -$375,000; at Notre Dame: $1 million; vs. Buffalo: -$150,000; at Purdue: +$400,000. Net: $875,000

2017: at Washington State: +$300,000; vs. Toledo: -$375,000; at Northwestern: $1.2 million; vs. Idaho: -$200,000. Net: $925,000

2018: at Washington: +$500,000; vs. Oregon State: -$250,000; at Toledo: +$375,000. Net: +$625,000 (one more game to be scheduled)

2019: vs. Purdue: -$400,000; at Oregon: +$650,000. Net: +$250,000 (two more games to be schedule)

2020: at USF: +$225,000. Net: +$225,000 (three more games to be scheduled)

2021 or 2022: at Idaho: +$200,000 (likely to be cancelled with Idaho moving to FCS). Net: +$200,000 (three more games to be scheduled)