.Northern Illinois stunned No. 5 Notre Dame last weekend on a last-second field goal to notch university football's initial major trouble of 2024. For the Huskies, it's a succeed they'll be actually celebrating for many years to follow. For the Battling Irish, it is actually a season-crusher. To drop the home opener to a little institution coming from a significantly substandard event was a shame for Notre Dame.Especially because they paid NIU $1.4 million to carry out it.This beams an illumination on among the longest and most expensive customs in university soccer: assurance games. They're likewise called "amount of money games," "salary games," or, as I just like to phone all of them, "acquire full weeks." A costly (as well as risky) traditionFor years, in the 1st couple of weeks of the period, significant college volleyball institutions have actually spent smaller sized universities to come to play them in their house.In Full week 1 alone, greater than $35 thousand was actually devoted throughout at the very least 55 guarantee games, depending on to Front end Workplace Athletics. Alabama composed the most significant check to its enemy, Western side Kentucky, for a monstrous $1.9 million. WKU dropped that activity 63-- 0, but they most likely hit the trust the bus ride home and also very likely won't hesitate about it.In Week 2, three colleges-- Western Michigan, Center Tennessee, and Utah State-- obtained payments larger than NIU's $1.4 million. They shed through a mixed score of 156-- 3, but they took home an overall of $4.85 million in the process.It's normally a bargain for both staffs. The little institutions get an income, the significant schools obtain yet another home game to dairy gameday profits. The tiny university reaches use the major phase and obtain nationwide direct exposure, the huge one obtains a cupcake on the routine to begin the year in a sporting activity without any preseason. Therefore all's well as well as good till the minimal crew makes a decision to reveal out and also pull the upset.