.Northern Illinois stunned No. 5 Notre Dame final weekend on a last-second field goal to scratch college regulation football's very first major trouble of 2024. For the Huskies, it's a win they'll be actually commemorating for years to come. For the Fighting Irish, it's a season-crusher. To lose the home opener to a small school from an extremely poor conference was actually an awkwardness for Notre Dame.Especially because they spent NIU $1.4 million to do it.This shines an illumination on one of the lengthiest as well as most costly traditions in university football: assurance games. They are actually also phoned "funds activities," "income video games," or even, as I like to contact all of them, "get weeks." A costly (and dangerous) traditionFor years, in the 1st couple of weeks of the period, significant university soccer organizations have actually paid smaller sized institutions to follow to play them in their house.In Full week 1 alone, more than $35 thousand was actually invested across a minimum of 55 warranty video games, according to Front Workplace Sports. Alabama created the biggest examination to its own rival, Western side Kentucky, for a tremendous $1.9 million. WKU shed that activity 63-- 0, however they probably reached the bank on the bus ride home and very likely will not think twice about it.In Full week 2, three institutions-- Western Michigan, Center Tennessee, as well as Utah State-- got payouts bigger than NIU's $1.4 million. They dropped through a mixed rating of 156-- 3, however they took home an overall of $4.85 thousand in the process.It's normally a bargain for both staffs. The small schools get an income, the large universities obtain one more home video game to dairy gameday profits. The little college comes to use the huge stage and obtain nationwide exposure, the significant one acquires a cupcake on the schedule to start the year in a sport without preseason. So all's properly and also excellent up until the lower team determines to reveal out and also draw the trouble.