.Northern Illinois stunned No. 5 Notre Dame final weekend break on a last-second basket to notch university football's initial big distress of 2024. For the Huskies, it is actually a win they'll be celebrating for many years ahead. For the Battling Irish, it is actually a season-crusher. To drop the home opener to a small university from a significantly substandard association was actually a discomfort for Notre Dame.Especially because they paid out NIU $1.4 thousand to do it.This beams a light on some of the lengthiest as well as very most expensive heritages in college football: promise games. They are actually also contacted "loan games," "salary activities," or, as I like to call all of them, "acquire weeks." A pricey (and risky) traditionFor decades, in the initial handful of full weeks of the season, primary university volleyball organizations have actually paid for smaller sized universities to find to play them in their house.In Full week 1 alone, much more than $35 thousand was spent all over at the very least 55 assurance games, according to Front Workplace Sports. Alabama wrote the greatest examination to its challenger, Western side Kentucky, for a tremendous $1.9 million. WKU lost that activity 63-- 0, however they possibly hit the bank on the bus trip home and likely won't think twice about it.In Week 2, 3 colleges-- Western side Michigan, Middle Tennessee, and Utah Condition-- got payouts bigger than NIU's $1.4 million. They lost by a combined score of 156-- 3, however they took home a total of $4.85 thousand in the process.It's usually a deal for each crews. The little universities get a payday, the significant institutions get yet another home activity to milk gameday profits. The small institution gets to play on the big phase and acquire national visibility, the large one gets a cupcake on the routine to begin the year in a sport without any preseason. Therefore all's properly and really good up until the lower staff makes a decision to reveal out as well as pull the distress.