.Northern Illinois stunned No. 5 Notre Dame final weekend on a last-second basket to notch college football's first big trouble of 2024. For the Huskies, it is actually a gain they'll be actually celebrating for several years to come. For the Battling Irish, it's a season-crusher. To drop the home opener to a little institution coming from a greatly poor conference was a shame for Notre Dame.Especially due to the fact that they paid for NIU $1.4 million to perform it.This shines a lighting on some of the lengthiest and most costly customs in university soccer: guarantee activities. They are actually also phoned "funds activities," "salary video games," or even, as I just like to contact them, "get weeks." A costly (and risky) traditionFor years, in the initial few weeks of the period, major college football companies have paid much smaller institutions ahead to play all of them in their house.In Full week 1 alone, much more than $35 thousand was invested across a minimum of 55 assurance activities, depending on to Front end Office Sports. Alabama wrote the largest check to its enemy, Western Kentucky, for a monstrous $1.9 thousand. WKU lost that video game 63-- 0, yet they probably struck the count on the bus experience home as well as most likely won't think twice about it.In Full week 2, 3 institutions-- Western Michigan, Middle Tennessee, as well as Utah Condition-- acquired payments much bigger than NIU's $1.4 million. They lost by a mixed credit rating of 156-- 3, however they take away an overall of $4.85 million in the process.It's commonly a good deal for each staffs. The little universities receive a salary, the major institutions acquire an additional home activity to milk gameday income. The small school comes to play on the big phase and also get national direct exposure, the significant one gets a cupcake on the routine to start the year in a sporting activity without any preseason. Thus all's properly and really good till the minimal staff decides to present out and draw the upset.