.Northern Illinois stunned No. 5 Notre Dame final weekend break on a last-second field goal to notch college regulation football's 1st big distress of 2024. For the Huskies, it's a gain they'll be celebrating for a long times to find. For the Battling Irish, it's a season-crusher. To drop the home opener to a tiny institution from a vastly inferior association was actually a shame for Notre Dame.Especially since they spent NIU $1.4 million to accomplish it.This beams a light on one of the lengthiest and also most pricey customs in college football: warranty video games. They are actually additionally called "money games," "payday games," or even, as I like to call all of them, "acquire full weeks." A costly (and also high-risk) traditionFor decades, in the initial couple of full weeks of the season, significant college football institutions have spent smaller schools to find to play them in their house.In Week 1 alone, greater than $35 million was actually spent all over at least 55 guarantee games, depending on to Face Office Sports. Alabama wrote the biggest examination to its rival, Western Kentucky, for an immense $1.9 million. WKU lost that video game 63-- 0, yet they perhaps hit the trust the bus flight home and also most likely will not think twice about it.In Week 2, 3 schools-- Western side Michigan, Middle Tennessee, and Utah State-- obtained payments bigger than NIU's $1.4 thousand. They dropped by a combined credit rating of 156-- 3, yet they take away a total of $4.85 thousand in the process.It's commonly a deal for both crews. The tiny universities receive a salary, the major universities get another home video game to dairy gameday income. The little school comes to use the major stage and obtain nationwide visibility, the big one obtains a cupcake on the routine to begin the year in a sporting activity without preseason. So all's effectively as well as really good until the minimal crew makes a decision to show out and pull the upset.