Texas A&M is paying how much to beat New Mexico State? Cost of Week 12 buy game

No. 15 Texas A&M (7-2) is very much in the hunt for the SEC title this season, tied for first in the conference with Tennessee. After a bye week in Week 11, the Aggies are heading into a very favorable matchup of their own making in Week 12.

They'll welcome in New Mexico State to Kyle Field on Saturday for the final non-conference game of their 2024 schedule.

Now wait a second, why does Texas A&M get such a cushy game this late in the season? Well, they paid for it, that's why.

The Aggies are paying New Mexico State $1.6 million for the privilege of whooping their 2-7 butts and adding a crucial eighth win to their own record.

But there will be the specter of an upset hanging over College Station on Saturday. The same New Mexico State program beat SEC neighbor Auburn in a buy game just last season.

Why is Texas A&M playing a buy game this late in the season?

Since the SEC only plays eight conference games, their members have an extra out of conference game to schedule. By comparison, the Big Ten plays a nine-game schedule

Besides that, teams like Texas A&M often schedule bigger matchups against Power Conference opponents in September. This year, the Aggies took on Notre Dame to start the campaign.

The SEC's scheduling approach allows conference members to schedule an extra non-conference game later in the year. Other conference usually get their buy games in during the first month of the season.

Smaller programs who are called for these games don't mind the massive check for (in all likelihood) adding a loss to their record late in the year. The $1.6 million New Mexico State will receive is probably well worth a fat L. And if they were to pull of an upset? That's a bonus.