When UNLV played at Michigan's storied Big House last season, it was a priceless experience for the Rebels players, who will have a tale to tell for the rest of their lives despite the 28-7 defeat.
The game also was a very valuable one to the university, which in addition to receiving national exposure for its football team took home a guaranteed $1 million payday from Michigan.
"Guarantee games," a.k.a. "paycheck games," have long been a part of college football and benefit both schools. The bigger school gets a virtually guaranteed win to move it one step closer to bowl eligibility, makes more money for hosting the matchup than it pays out and doesn't have to reciprocate the game on the road.