.Northern Illinois stunned No. 5 Notre Dame last weekend break on a last-second field goal to scratch university football's very first major trouble of 2024. For the Huskies, it is actually a win they'll be celebrating for many years ahead. For the Fighting Irish, it is actually a season-crusher. To lose the home opener to a little school from a greatly substandard event was a humiliation for Notre Dame.Especially due to the fact that they paid for NIU $1.4 million to accomplish it.This radiates a lighting on among the lengthiest and also most expensive heritages in university volleyball: guarantee games. They're likewise phoned "funds video games," "payday activities," or, as I as if to phone them, "acquire weeks." A costly (and also risky) traditionFor decades, in the very first few weeks of the period, major university football establishments have actually paid out much smaller institutions ahead to play them in their house.In Week 1 alone, much more than $35 million was actually devoted around at least 55 assurance activities, according to Face Workplace Sports. Alabama composed the most significant check to its opponent, Western side Kentucky, for a massive $1.9 thousand. WKU shed that video game 63-- 0, but they probably struck the count on the bus flight home and also very likely will not reconsider it.In Full week 2, three institutions-- Western side Michigan, Middle Tennessee, as well as Utah Condition-- got payments greater than NIU's $1.4 million. They dropped through a bundled score of 156-- 3, however they take away a total of $4.85 million in the process.It's normally a good deal for both teams. The tiny schools receive an income, the huge universities get one more home video game to milk gameday profits. The tiny university comes to play on the large stage and acquire national visibility, the big one obtains a cupcake on the timetable to begin the year in a sporting activity without any preseason. Therefore all's effectively and good until the smaller group chooses to show out and also draw the trouble.