.Northern Illinois stunned No. 5 Notre Dame final weekend break on a last-second field goal to notch college soccer's 1st large distress of 2024. For the Huskies, it's a win they'll be actually commemorating for years to come. For the Battling Irish, it is actually a season-crusher. To drop the home opener to a tiny university from a significantly substandard association was actually a discomfort for Notre Dame.Especially given that they paid for NIU $1.4 million to accomplish it.This radiates an illumination on some of the lengthiest and most costly traditions in university football: warranty activities. They are actually additionally gotten in touch with "cash video games," "paycheck activities," or even, as I just like to call them, "purchase weeks." An expensive (and dangerous) traditionFor decades, in the first couple of full weeks of the season, significant university football organizations have actually paid for smaller sized universities to find to play all of them in their house.In Week 1 alone, much more than $35 million was spent all over a minimum of 55 guarantee games, depending on to Front end Office Athletics. Alabama wrote the biggest inspection to its own rival, Western side Kentucky, for an enormous $1.9 million. WKU shed that video game 63-- 0, however they perhaps reached the bank on the bus experience home and also most likely won't hesitate about it.In Week 2, three colleges-- Western Michigan, Center Tennessee, as well as Utah Condition-- got payouts greater than NIU's $1.4 million. They lost through a bundled rating of 156-- 3, however they took home an overall of $4.85 million in the process.It's typically a bargain for both crews. The little universities acquire a paycheck, the big institutions acquire another home video game to milk gameday earnings. The tiny institution gets to use the major stage and also obtain nationwide direct exposure, the big one obtains a cupcake on the timetable to start the year in a sport with no preseason. So all's properly as well as really good till the lesser crew decides to present out and also draw the distress.