.Northern Illinois stunned No. 5 Notre Dame last weekend break on a last-second field goal to notch university soccer's very first major distress of 2024. For the Huskies, it's a gain they'll be actually commemorating for a long times to find. For the Fighting Irish, it is actually a season-crusher. To shed the home opener to a small institution from a greatly poor event was a humiliation for Notre Dame.Especially given that they paid out NIU $1.4 million to carry out it.This beams a lighting on among the lengthiest as well as most costly practices in university football: guarantee games. They're likewise called "cash video games," "income games," or even, as I like to phone them, "buy weeks." A pricey (and also risky) traditionFor many years, in the very first couple of full weeks of the season, significant college football companies have actually spent smaller sized institutions ahead to play them in their house.In Full week 1 alone, more than $35 thousand was devoted throughout a minimum of 55 warranty games, depending on to Face Workplace Sports. Alabama composed the largest inspection to its own challenger, Western Kentucky, for a monstrous $1.9 million. WKU shed that game 63-- 0, yet they most likely reached the trust the bus ride home as well as likely won't think twice about it.In Week 2, three institutions-- Western side Michigan, Middle Tennessee, as well as Utah State-- acquired payouts greater than NIU's $1.4 million. They dropped through a mixed credit rating of 156-- 3, however they take away an overall of $4.85 thousand in the process.It's commonly a deal for each crews. The tiny universities receive an income, the major institutions get yet another home video game to milk gameday earnings. The small university comes to use the huge phase as well as obtain national direct exposure, the big one gets a dish on the routine to begin the year in a sport with no preseason. Therefore all's properly and good up until the lesser team makes a decision to show out and also draw the upset.