It all started with one canceled college football game. It ended with Middle Tennessee being paid a total of $1.5 million from two schools to play James Madison in its opening game Saturday in Harrisonburg, Virginia.
The story began in 2015, and it provides a window on how the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision non-conference scheduling ecosystem has become one through which well over $175 million will flow this season, according to USA TODAY Sports' analysis of nearly 300 game contracts obtained from schools through open-records requests.