.Northern Illinois stunned No. 5 Notre Dame final weekend break on a last-second basket to mark university football's first big distress of 2024. For the Huskies, it's a win they'll be actually celebrating for years to follow. For the Battling Irish, it's a season-crusher. To drop the home opener to a tiny institution from a significantly substandard association was a shame for Notre Dame.Especially because they paid for NIU $1.4 thousand to carry out it.This shines an illumination on one of the longest and also very most costly customs in university football: promise activities. They're also phoned "funds video games," "paycheck games," or, as I just like to phone them, "get weeks." A pricey (and dangerous) traditionFor decades, in the very first couple of weeks of the period, major university football institutions have actually spent much smaller colleges to follow to play them in their house.In Week 1 alone, more than $35 million was devoted throughout a minimum of 55 warranty activities, depending on to Front Workplace Sports. Alabama composed the biggest examination to its own challenger, Western side Kentucky, for an immense $1.9 million. WKU shed that video game 63-- 0, but they possibly hit the count on the bus trip home and very likely won't think twice about it.In Full week 2, three institutions-- Western Michigan, Center Tennessee, as well as Utah Condition-- acquired payouts larger than NIU's $1.4 million. They lost through a combined rating of 156-- 3, however they take away a total of $4.85 thousand in the process.It's generally a bargain for each staffs. The little institutions acquire an income, the significant colleges get yet another home video game to milk gameday profits. The tiny college comes to use the large phase and receive national visibility, the major one gets a cupcake on the schedule to start the year in a sport with no preseason. Thus all's properly and also great till the lesser staff determines to present out and also pull the distress.