This is fascinating and bizarre. When you throw in the Holy Cross payout, it appears that UConn FB paid out a little over $1.5 million for teams to travel to Storrs, while recouping approximately $1.5 million by playing on the road.
It points out a significant challenge to being a football independent. Not only do you have to scrounge up 12 opponents, but you also have to reasonably balance your payouts against your receipts. When you’re in a conference, you play the same teams every year, alternating home and away, with no payouts involved.