.Northern Illinois stunned No. 5 Notre Dame last weekend break on a last-second field goal to notch university regulation football's very first large trouble of 2024. For the Huskies, it is actually a succeed they'll be actually commemorating for years to come. For the Dealing with Irish, it's a season-crusher. To shed the home opener to a little university coming from a vastly poor association was actually a shame for Notre Dame.Especially due to the fact that they paid out NIU $1.4 million to perform it.This sparkles an illumination on one of the lengthiest as well as very most costly customs in college soccer: warranty activities. They're also called "loan activities," "paycheck video games," or, as I like to call them, "get full weeks." An expensive (and also dangerous) traditionFor years, in the 1st handful of full weeks of the time, major university football organizations have actually paid out smaller schools to find to play all of them in their house.In Full week 1 alone, much more than $35 thousand was invested across at least 55 assurance video games, depending on to Front end Office Sports. Alabama wrote the biggest examination to its rival, Western side Kentucky, for an enormous $1.9 million. WKU dropped that activity 63-- 0, however they perhaps hit the trust the bus trip home and probably won't hesitate about it.In Week 2, three institutions-- Western Michigan, Center Tennessee, as well as Utah Condition-- received payments larger than NIU's $1.4 thousand. They shed through a bundled score of 156-- 3, yet they take away an overall of $4.85 million in the process.It's commonly a good deal for both groups. The little universities receive a paycheck, the huge schools acquire yet another home video game to milk gameday earnings. The small college reaches use the huge stage and also acquire nationwide direct exposure, the large one gets a cupcake on the timetable to start the year in a sporting activity with no preseason. So all's well and also great till the lower group decides to present out and pull the distress.