.Northern Illinois stunned No. 5 Notre Dame final weekend on a last-second basket to mark university football's very first significant distress of 2024. For the Huskies, it is actually a succeed they'll be celebrating for several years to come. For the Fighting Irish, it is actually a season-crusher. To lose the home opener to a tiny institution coming from a vastly inferior event was actually a discomfort for Notre Dame.Especially because they paid NIU $1.4 million to carry out it.This radiates a lighting on one of the lengthiest and most pricey customs in university soccer: guarantee games. They're likewise gotten in touch with "amount of money games," "salary video games," or even, as I like to call them, "get weeks." A costly (and high-risk) traditionFor years, in the very first couple of weeks of the period, major college volleyball companies have actually spent smaller sized schools to come to play them in their house.In Full week 1 alone, more than $35 thousand was spent all over at least 55 warranty activities, according to Front Workplace Athletics. Alabama composed the most significant check to its rival, Western Kentucky, for a monstrous $1.9 million. WKU dropped that video game 63-- 0, however they perhaps hit the rely on the bus trip home and also very likely will not think twice about it.In Full week 2, 3 schools-- Western Michigan, Center Tennessee, and also Utah State-- obtained payouts greater than NIU's $1.4 million. They shed through a consolidated credit rating of 156-- 3, but they took home an overall of $4.85 million in the process.It's normally a deal for both groups. The tiny schools receive an income, the major schools obtain one more home activity to milk gameday earnings. The little college gets to use the huge stage and obtain national direct exposure, the huge one acquires a cupcake on the schedule to begin the year in a sport without preseason. So all's effectively and good until the lesser team determines to reveal out and draw the trouble.