.Northern Illinois stunned No. 5 Notre Dame last weekend break on a last-second field goal to mark college regulation football's first significant distress of 2024. For the Huskies, it is actually a gain they'll be actually commemorating for a long times ahead. For the Combating Irish, it is actually a season-crusher. To shed the home opener to a little institution from a vastly poor conference was an awkwardness for Notre Dame.Especially given that they spent NIU $1.4 million to perform it.This beams a light on one of the longest and also most expensive customs in university football: assurance games. They're also phoned "loan games," "salary activities," or, as I such as to phone them, "buy full weeks." A pricey (as well as high-risk) traditionFor decades, in the initial handful of full weeks of the season, major university volleyball institutions have spent smaller schools to come to play all of them in their house.In Week 1 alone, much more than $35 thousand was actually invested across at least 55 guarantee video games, depending on to Face Workplace Athletics. Alabama composed the greatest inspection to its own enemy, Western Kentucky, for an immense $1.9 thousand. WKU lost that game 63-- 0, however they perhaps reached the rely on the bus experience home as well as very likely will not hesitate about it.In Full week 2, 3 schools-- Western Michigan, Center Tennessee, and also Utah State-- obtained payments bigger than NIU's $1.4 million. They lost by a combined credit rating of 156-- 3, but they took home a total of $4.85 thousand in the process.It's generally a deal for both staffs. The tiny institutions get an income, the large schools acquire one more home video game to dairy gameday income. The small college gets to play on the big phase and also obtain national exposure, the significant one receives a dish on the routine to begin the year in a sport without preseason. So all's properly and really good till the smaller team makes a decision to show out and take the trouble.