.Northern Illinois stunned No. 5 Notre Dame last weekend on a last-second basket to notch university soccer's 1st large distress of 2024. For the Huskies, it's a succeed they'll be commemorating for a long times to come. For the Battling Irish, it is actually a season-crusher. To lose the home opener to a little school coming from a greatly substandard association was actually an awkwardness for Notre Dame.Especially given that they paid for NIU $1.4 thousand to perform it.This radiates a light on one of the longest as well as very most expensive heritages in college soccer: assurance video games. They are actually additionally contacted "amount of money video games," "paycheck video games," or, as I as if to call them, "acquire full weeks." A pricey (and also risky) traditionFor decades, in the 1st couple of weeks of the period, primary college soccer establishments have paid smaller universities ahead to play all of them in their house.In Full week 1 alone, greater than $35 million was actually invested around at least 55 promise games, depending on to Front Office Sports. Alabama created the biggest check to its own enemy, Western side Kentucky, for a tremendous $1.9 million. WKU dropped that game 63-- 0, yet they most likely reached the trust the bus adventure home and also very likely will not think twice about it.In Full week 2, three universities-- Western Michigan, Middle Tennessee, and also Utah Condition-- got payments greater than NIU's $1.4 thousand. They lost through a combined score of 156-- 3, however they took home a total of $4.85 million in the process.It's normally a deal for both teams. The tiny schools get a salary, the huge colleges get yet another home game to dairy gameday earnings. The little college reaches use the large stage as well as obtain national exposure, the significant one acquires a dish on the timetable to start the year in a sport with no preseason. Therefore all's well and good until the minimal crew makes a decision to show out and also pull the upset.