.Northern Illinois stunned No. 5 Notre Dame final weekend break on a last-second basket to notch university soccer's first significant distress of 2024. For the Huskies, it's a gain they'll be actually celebrating for a long times to find. For the Fighting Irish, it's a season-crusher. To shed the home opener to a small college coming from a greatly inferior association was an embarrassment for Notre Dame.Especially because they paid out NIU $1.4 thousand to accomplish it.This sparkles a lighting on some of the longest as well as most costly traditions in university football: warranty activities. They are actually likewise gotten in touch with "funds games," "income video games," or, as I like to phone all of them, "acquire weeks." An expensive (as well as unsafe) traditionFor many years, in the very first handful of weeks of the period, significant college soccer establishments have actually paid out much smaller institutions ahead to play them in their house.In Full week 1 alone, much more than $35 thousand was invested around at least 55 warranty activities, depending on to Front Office Athletics. Alabama created the greatest inspection to its challenger, Western Kentucky, for a whopping $1.9 million. WKU dropped that activity 63-- 0, but they perhaps reached the trust the bus flight home and probably will not hesitate about it.In Week 2, three universities-- Western Michigan, Middle Tennessee, as well as Utah Condition-- received payouts larger than NIU's $1.4 thousand. They shed by a combined credit rating of 156-- 3, however they take away a total amount of $4.85 thousand in the process.It's generally a deal for both staffs. The little colleges obtain a paycheck, the big institutions get another home activity to dairy gameday revenue. The tiny institution comes to play on the big stage and get nationwide direct exposure, the significant one receives a dish on the routine to begin the year in a sport without preseason. Thus all's effectively and really good till the lower team decides to reveal out and draw the upset.