.Northern Illinois stunned No. 5 Notre Dame last weekend break on a last-second field goal to scratch college regulation football's 1st big trouble of 2024. For the Huskies, it is actually a gain they'll be actually commemorating for several years to find. For the Battling Irish, it's a season-crusher. To lose the home opener to a tiny school coming from a vastly inferior event was an awkwardness for Notre Dame.Especially given that they spent NIU $1.4 million to carry out it.This beams an illumination on some of the lengthiest as well as very most expensive practices in college football: guarantee video games. They're additionally contacted "money games," "salary video games," or, as I like to phone them, "buy weeks." A costly (and risky) traditionFor many years, in the very first handful of full weeks of the time, significant college volleyball establishments have actually spent smaller schools ahead to play all of them in their house.In Week 1 alone, much more than $35 thousand was actually spent throughout at least 55 assurance video games, according to Front end Office Sports. Alabama wrote the most significant check to its own challenger, Western side Kentucky, for a tremendous $1.9 thousand. WKU dropped that game 63-- 0, however they most likely attacked the count on the bus ride home and also very likely will not reconsider it.In Week 2, three institutions-- Western side Michigan, Center Tennessee, as well as Utah Condition-- acquired payouts greater than NIU's $1.4 million. They lost through a bundled rating of 156-- 3, however they take away an overall of $4.85 thousand in the process.It's normally a good deal for each staffs. The small colleges receive a salary, the big colleges acquire another home video game to dairy gameday earnings. The tiny school reaches play on the big phase as well as acquire nationwide visibility, the large one acquires a dish on the schedule to begin the year in a sporting activity without preseason. So all's properly and good up until the lesser crew decides to present out as well as draw the trouble.