.Northern Illinois stunned No. 5 Notre Dame last weekend on a last-second field goal to mark college football's very first huge trouble of 2024. For the Huskies, it is actually a win they'll be actually celebrating for several years to follow. For the Dealing with Irish, it is actually a season-crusher. To lose the home opener to a small institution coming from a greatly substandard event was actually an awkwardness for Notre Dame.Especially given that they paid out NIU $1.4 thousand to accomplish it.This radiates a light on some of the longest and most expensive customs in university football: warranty video games. They are actually additionally gotten in touch with "loan games," "paycheck games," or even, as I like to phone all of them, "buy weeks." A costly (as well as risky) traditionFor years, in the first few full weeks of the season, primary college soccer establishments have actually paid smaller sized institutions to come to play all of them in their house.In Full week 1 alone, more than $35 million was invested across at the very least 55 assurance games, according to Front Office Sports. Alabama wrote the most significant inspection to its own challenger, Western side Kentucky, for a tremendous $1.9 million. WKU shed that activity 63-- 0, but they possibly hit the trust the bus ride home and also probably won't hesitate about it.In Full week 2, 3 universities-- Western Michigan, Center Tennessee, and also Utah Condition-- acquired payments larger than NIU's $1.4 thousand. They shed through a combined rating of 156-- 3, but they take away a total amount of $4.85 million in the process.It's usually a good deal for both teams. The tiny institutions acquire an income, the major schools obtain another home video game to milk gameday earnings. The small institution gets to use the major stage as well as receive nationwide visibility, the large one gets a cupcake on the schedule to start the year in a sport with no preseason. Thus all's properly as well as great until the lesser staff determines to present out and draw the distress.