.Northern Illinois stunned No. 5 Notre Dame last weekend break on a last-second field goal to notch college football's very first major distress of 2024. For the Huskies, it is actually a win they'll be actually commemorating for a long times to follow. For the Battling Irish, it's a season-crusher. To drop the home opener to a small school from an extremely poor conference was an awkwardness for Notre Dame.Especially considering that they paid NIU $1.4 thousand to perform it.This beams a light on among the lengthiest as well as very most costly traditions in college soccer: promise activities. They are actually additionally phoned "loan activities," "income video games," or even, as I as if to call all of them, "get full weeks." An expensive (and also unsafe) traditionFor years, in the very first couple of weeks of the time, major university soccer institutions have actually paid smaller institutions to come to play them in their house.In Full week 1 alone, much more than $35 million was actually devoted across at least 55 assurance activities, according to Front end Office Sports. Alabama created the greatest check to its enemy, Western side Kentucky, for a whopping $1.9 thousand. WKU shed that video game 63-- 0, yet they most likely reached the bank on the bus adventure home and also likely won't think twice about it.In Week 2, 3 schools-- Western Michigan, Middle Tennessee, and Utah Condition-- obtained payouts greater than NIU's $1.4 thousand. They shed through a mixed rating of 156-- 3, however they took home an overall of $4.85 thousand in the process.It's typically a bargain for each teams. The tiny schools get a paycheck, the significant universities get one more home video game to dairy gameday income. The tiny school reaches use the large phase as well as receive nationwide visibility, the significant one receives a dish on the routine to start the year in a sport with no preseason. So all's properly and also great until the lesser team decides to present out as well as take the distress.