.Northern Illinois stunned No. 5 Notre Dame last weekend break on a last-second basket to scratch college football's very first large upset of 2024. For the Huskies, it's a gain they'll be actually celebrating for years to follow. For the Battling Irish, it's a season-crusher. To lose the home opener to a small school coming from a vastly inferior event was an embarrassment for Notre Dame.Especially due to the fact that they spent NIU $1.4 million to perform it.This sparkles an illumination on some of the longest and also very most costly heritages in university football: guarantee video games. They are actually additionally phoned "money activities," "income video games," or, as I as if to phone all of them, "acquire weeks." A pricey (as well as high-risk) traditionFor many years, in the first handful of weeks of the season, significant college volleyball establishments have actually paid much smaller colleges to follow to play all of them in their house.In Full week 1 alone, much more than $35 thousand was spent around at the very least 55 promise video games, according to Face Workplace Athletics. Alabama composed the greatest examination to its own opponent, Western Kentucky, for an immense $1.9 thousand. WKU lost that video game 63-- 0, but they probably attacked the trust the bus trip home and also very likely won't reconsider it.In Week 2, 3 universities-- Western side Michigan, Middle Tennessee, as well as Utah State-- acquired payments much bigger than NIU's $1.4 million. They dropped by a mixed credit rating of 156-- 3, yet they take away a total amount of $4.85 million in the process.It's normally a deal for each crews. The small schools obtain a payday, the huge colleges obtain an additional home game to milk gameday profits. The tiny university reaches play on the major phase and also obtain nationwide direct exposure, the major one obtains a cupcake on the schedule to start the year in a sporting activity with no preseason. Thus all's properly and also great until the minimal group makes a decision to present out as well as draw the trouble.