.Northern Illinois stunned No. 5 Notre Dame final weekend break on a last-second basket to scratch college soccer's 1st big distress of 2024. For the Huskies, it's a win they'll be actually celebrating for many years to find. For the Combating Irish, it's a season-crusher. To lose the home opener to a small university from a greatly substandard event was a shame for Notre Dame.Especially due to the fact that they paid NIU $1.4 million to perform it.This beams an illumination on among the longest as well as most expensive practices in college football: promise games. They're likewise called "loan video games," "paycheck activities," or, as I as if to contact them, "get weeks." An expensive (and dangerous) traditionFor decades, in the initial couple of weeks of the period, primary college soccer organizations have paid for smaller sized schools to find to play them in their house.In Full week 1 alone, greater than $35 thousand was actually devoted throughout at the very least 55 warranty games, according to Front Office Athletics. Alabama wrote the most significant check to its opponent, Western side Kentucky, for a massive $1.9 thousand. WKU shed that game 63-- 0, however they probably reached the count on the bus trip home and also most likely will not reconsider it.In Week 2, 3 schools-- Western side Michigan, Middle Tennessee, and also Utah Condition-- acquired payments greater than NIU's $1.4 thousand. They lost by a consolidated score of 156-- 3, but they take away a total of $4.85 million in the process.It's typically a bargain for each staffs. The tiny schools receive an income, the significant universities obtain an additional home activity to dairy gameday revenue. The tiny college reaches play on the significant phase and also acquire national visibility, the large one receives a cupcake on the routine to start the year in a sporting activity without any preseason. Therefore all's properly as well as really good until the smaller team makes a decision to present out and take the distress.