.Northern Illinois stunned No. 5 Notre Dame final weekend on a last-second basket to mark college football's 1st significant distress of 2024. For the Huskies, it's a succeed they'll be actually celebrating for many years ahead. For the Battling Irish, it's a season-crusher. To drop the home opener to a tiny school from a significantly inferior association was actually an awkwardness for Notre Dame.Especially considering that they spent NIU $1.4 thousand to perform it.This beams an illumination on among the longest and also most expensive practices in university football: guarantee games. They're likewise gotten in touch with "funds video games," "salary video games," or, as I just like to phone them, "purchase full weeks." An expensive (and also unsafe) traditionFor many years, in the very first couple of full weeks of the period, significant college volleyball institutions have actually paid smaller schools to find to play all of them in their house.In Week 1 alone, much more than $35 thousand was invested all over at the very least 55 promise video games, according to Face Office Athletics. Alabama wrote the greatest inspection to its own opponent, Western Kentucky, for a massive $1.9 million. WKU shed that activity 63-- 0, however they probably hit the count on the bus trip home as well as probably will not hesitate about it.In Week 2, 3 colleges-- Western Michigan, Middle Tennessee, as well as Utah State-- received payouts larger than NIU's $1.4 thousand. They shed through a combined score of 156-- 3, however they took home an overall of $4.85 million in the process.It's commonly a deal for each staffs. The little colleges get a payday, the big schools get yet another home video game to dairy gameday income. The tiny college gets to play on the significant phase and also receive national direct exposure, the huge one gets a cupcake on the timetable to begin the year in a sporting activity without preseason. Thus all's well and also really good until the smaller crew decides to present out and also draw the distress.