Football and Finances: What Rutgers is Paying Future Opponents LIU and UConn

TL;DR

Rutgers will not pay UConn for their scheduled games in 2028-2029, as both teams will cover their own costs. However, Rutgers will pay LIU $425,000 and provide 50 hotel rooms for their matchup in 2027.

Key points

Rutgers pays LIU $425,000 for a game in 2027
No payment exchanged for Rutgers vs UConn games in 2028-2029
LIU receives 2,000 tickets for the game against Rutgers
Rutgers provides 50 hotel rooms for LIU
Payment to LIU is consistent with past payments to FCS teams

Rutgers Scarlet KnightsLIUUConn

PISCATAWAY, NEW JERSEY - NOVEMBER 29: Tyler Needham #56, Bryan Felter #65, Gus Zilinskas #59, and Kwabena Asamoah #69 of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights look on against the Penn State Nittany Lions at SHI Stadium on November 29, 2025 in Piscataway, New Jersey. The Penn State Nittany Lions defeated the Rutgers Scarlet Knights 40-36. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images The practice of paying weaker opponents for a tune-up game is well-documented in college football. Most teams in the Power Four schedule at least one of these games per year. Thanks to an Open Public Records Request, we now know just how much Rutgers is paying two of their future opponents, UConn and LIU. To start off, the OPRA request revealed that no money is being exchanged for the home and home that Rutgers has scheduled with UConn in 2028-2029. The official wording from the contract states that neither party is entitled to compensation from the other under this agreement and that both parties are responsible for their own costs under this agreement. It does dive into things like how many tickets are designated for the away team, but nothing in the contract says that either team has to provide the other with any financial assistance for either game. However, that is not the case for the Rutgers home game against LIU in 2027. According to the OPRA request, Rutgers will have to pay LIU $425,000, along with providing them with 50 hotel rooms for the game. While this may seem like a lot, it is pretty consistent with what Rutgers has paid FCS teams in the past. For example, according to an article by Mike Vorkunov of NJ.com, in 2009, when Rutgers played two FCS opponents, both games in total saw Rutgers pay their opponents $725,000, which breaks down to $362,500 each. With the rising costs of everything, it makes sense that it has gone up a bit, but it doesn’t seem like an unjustified overpay either. LIU is allotted 2,000 tickets for the game to sell to its fans.

Q&A

How much is Rutgers paying LIU for their 2027 game?

Rutgers is paying LIU $425,000 for their home game in 2027.

What are the financial terms of the Rutgers vs UConn games in 2028-2029?

There is no financial exchange between Rutgers and UConn for their games in 2028-2029, as both teams will cover their own costs.

How many tickets will LIU receive for their game against Rutgers?

LIU will receive 2,000 tickets to sell to their fans for the game against Rutgers.