Chris Murray/RGJ
The Wolf Pack’s non-conference schedule will cost the team nearly $200,000 in guaranteed payouts, but that’s the cost of business for a mid-major school trying to put together a competitive slate of games.
Nevada has a pair of exhibition games – one Sunday and one next Friday – before kicking off the regular season Nov. 10 against Idaho, a game that cost Nevada $85,000, plus about $2,500 in lodging for the Vandals.
While every coach of a good team’s goal is to set up a non-conference schedule that can put it in contention for an NCAA Tournament at-large spot, there also is the often overlooked financial element of putting together such a schedule.