.Northern Illinois stunned No. 5 Notre Dame last weekend break on a last-second basket to notch university football's first significant trouble of 2024. For the Huskies, it is actually a gain they'll be commemorating for many years ahead. For the Dealing with Irish, it is actually a season-crusher. To lose the home opener to a small university coming from a vastly substandard conference was actually an embarrassment for Notre Dame.Especially because they paid NIU $1.4 thousand to carry out it.This radiates a lighting on among the lengthiest and also most pricey heritages in university football: warranty activities. They are actually likewise phoned "loan video games," "payday games," or even, as I like to call all of them, "acquire weeks." An expensive (and risky) traditionFor decades, in the first handful of full weeks of the period, primary college soccer establishments have actually paid out smaller colleges ahead to play them in their house.In Full week 1 alone, more than $35 million was actually invested all over a minimum of 55 guarantee games, depending on to Front end Office Athletics. Alabama created the greatest check to its enemy, Western Kentucky, for a tremendous $1.9 million. WKU lost that video game 63-- 0, but they perhaps hit the bank on the bus ride home as well as likely will not think twice about it.In Week 2, 3 universities-- Western side Michigan, Middle Tennessee, and also Utah State-- got payments greater than NIU's $1.4 million. They dropped by a combined credit rating of 156-- 3, but they take away a total of $4.85 thousand in the process.It's typically a good deal for each groups. The small institutions receive a salary, the big institutions get one more home activity to dairy gameday income. The tiny college comes to use the significant stage and also get nationwide exposure, the significant one gets a dish on the routine to begin the year in a sporting activity with no preseason. So all's well and excellent until the lesser group determines to show out and also pull the upset.