.Northern Illinois stunned No. 5 Notre Dame final weekend on a last-second field goal to notch college regulation football's initial large trouble of 2024. For the Huskies, it is actually a win they'll be actually celebrating for several years to find. For the Fighting Irish, it's a season-crusher. To shed the home opener to a tiny institution coming from a significantly inferior association was actually an awkwardness for Notre Dame.Especially considering that they paid NIU $1.4 million to accomplish it.This radiates an illumination on some of the lengthiest and most costly practices in university football: assurance video games. They are actually additionally gotten in touch with "money games," "salary games," or, as I such as to call all of them, "purchase full weeks." An expensive (as well as dangerous) traditionFor decades, in the very first handful of weeks of the season, primary college football companies have actually paid out smaller sized institutions to come to play them in their house.In Week 1 alone, greater than $35 thousand was spent around at least 55 assurance games, depending on to Front end Office Athletics. Alabama composed the biggest inspection to its own enemy, Western side Kentucky, for a whopping $1.9 million. WKU lost that activity 63-- 0, but they possibly struck the bank on the bus ride home and also most likely won't reconsider it.In Full week 2, 3 schools-- Western Michigan, Middle Tennessee, as well as Utah State-- acquired payments greater than NIU's $1.4 million. They lost by a mixed credit rating of 156-- 3, however they took home a total amount of $4.85 million in the process.It's commonly a good deal for each crews. The small institutions get an income, the large schools receive another home video game to milk gameday earnings. The tiny school gets to play on the huge stage and receive nationwide exposure, the large one acquires a dish on the timetable to start the year in a sporting activity without any preseason. Thus all's properly and also good till the lower crew makes a decision to present out and also draw the upset.