While the Kent State Golden Flashes aren’t typically known for having a difficult college football schedule due to playing in the MAC, they certainly will have that reputation this year. The Golden Flashes have without much doubt the most difficult non-conference schedule in all of college football.
In the first month of the season, Kent State faces road games against some of the best teams in college football: the Washington Huskies, the Oklahoma Sooners, and the defending national champion Georgia Bulldogs. All three of those opponents are Power Five programs that typically compete for conference titles and College Football Playoff appearances with both Oklahoma and Georgia cracking the top 10 in the preseason coaches poll.
However, the likely reason for the ridiculously difficult non-conference schedule is pretty simple: money.
As ESPN reports, Kent State will receive a total of $5.2 million in guaranteed payouts as a result of those three road games against Power Five opponents. These guaranteed payouts will help keep their athletic department afloat as the MAC program does not bring in anywhere near the revenue other Power Five programs do.
The loaded non-conference schedule certainly caught the attention of the college football world, who took to Twitter to express their astonishment.
Hey Kent State, y’all ok? Do you need to post your Venmo or something? We’d be happy to help so you don’t have to spend your September like this. pic.twitter.com/jVj3OsOORt
— 🇸🇲 Sickos Committee 🇸🇲 (@SickosCommittee) August 12, 2022
Freshman year of HS, we had an uncharacteristically high number of kids in the class for our small D6 school.
We had a freshman team, and played the likes of Brother Rice, Dearborn Fordson, Detroit Catholic Central…
That's probably how Kent State feels. https://t.co/HbaJ7SvCmI
— Stephen Osentoski (@StephenToski) August 12, 2022
https://twitter.com/john_rivals/status/1558119119408533505?s=20&t=7ob1OYYWnWzTZ24krPixcQ
Man…… https://t.co/ZShLfvn3up
— I’m Ryne (@TheRHancock19) August 12, 2022
They bout to get paid https://t.co/UVVLcSw8jn
— D (@GunslingerViews) August 12, 2022
Tennyson actually wrote 'The Charge of the Light Brigade' about Kent State football's schedule in September of 2022 https://t.co/pVT7tOUl9L
— Dan Lucero (@danluceroshow) August 12, 2022
https://twitter.com/Jonathan_SD8/status/1558110037586747392
Kent State begins its September gauntlet with a road matchup against Washinton on Sept. 3.
[ESPN]
