.Northern Illinois stunned No. 5 Notre Dame last weekend break on a last-second basket to scratch university football's 1st significant distress of 2024. For the Huskies, it's a succeed they'll be actually commemorating for a long times to follow. For the Combating Irish, it is actually a season-crusher. To drop the home opener to a small university coming from a vastly substandard event was an awkwardness for Notre Dame.Especially due to the fact that they paid for NIU $1.4 thousand to perform it.This shines an illumination on some of the longest as well as most pricey practices in university football: promise activities. They're likewise gotten in touch with "funds games," "salary games," or even, as I such as to contact them, "buy weeks." A costly (and also unsafe) traditionFor many years, in the 1st handful of full weeks of the period, primary university football establishments have paid smaller sized colleges to follow to play them in their house.In Full week 1 alone, greater than $35 thousand was actually devoted around at least 55 assurance activities, according to Front end Workplace Sports. Alabama created the most significant examination to its own opponent, Western side Kentucky, for a tremendous $1.9 thousand. WKU dropped that activity 63-- 0, yet they perhaps struck the bank on the bus adventure home as well as most likely won't think twice about it.In Week 2, 3 schools-- Western Michigan, Center Tennessee, as well as Utah Condition-- received payouts larger than NIU's $1.4 thousand. They shed by a combined score of 156-- 3, but they take away a total of $4.85 million in the process.It's generally a bargain for both groups. The little colleges acquire a payday, the big institutions get one more home game to milk gameday income. The small school reaches use the large phase and also acquire nationwide exposure, the major one receives a cupcake on the routine to start the year in a sporting activity without any preseason. So all's effectively and great till the lower team chooses to show out as well as draw the upset.