.Northern Illinois stunned No. 5 Notre Dame last weekend on a last-second basket to mark university football's first major trouble of 2024. For the Huskies, it's a succeed they'll be actually commemorating for years to follow. For the Battling Irish, it is actually a season-crusher. To lose the home opener to a small university from an extremely poor event was actually a humiliation for Notre Dame.Especially given that they spent NIU $1.4 million to do it.This shines an illumination on one of the longest and very most costly heritages in college football: warranty activities. They are actually likewise gotten in touch with "money video games," "income video games," or even, as I such as to contact all of them, "get full weeks." An expensive (and dangerous) traditionFor many years, in the first few full weeks of the period, significant university football organizations have paid for much smaller universities ahead to play them in their house.In Full week 1 alone, much more than $35 million was actually spent all over a minimum of 55 assurance games, according to Front Workplace Athletics. Alabama wrote the most significant check to its own challenger, Western side Kentucky, for an immense $1.9 million. WKU dropped that video game 63-- 0, but they most likely attacked the count on the bus experience home and most likely won't reconsider it.In Week 2, 3 universities-- Western Michigan, Middle Tennessee, and Utah State-- got payouts larger than NIU's $1.4 million. They shed by a mixed 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 each teams. The little schools receive a paycheck, the big institutions acquire another home activity to milk gameday income. The tiny college gets to use the significant stage and obtain national direct exposure, the big one receives a dish on the routine to begin the year in a sport with no preseason. So all's effectively and excellent till the lesser group determines to show out and also take the distress.