.Northern Illinois stunned No. 5 Notre Dame final weekend on a last-second field goal to mark university soccer's 1st major upset of 2024. For the Huskies, it is actually a succeed they'll be actually commemorating for several years to follow. For the Battling Irish, it's a season-crusher. To lose the home opener to a tiny school coming from a significantly substandard association was actually an awkwardness for Notre Dame.Especially because they paid NIU $1.4 million to perform it.This beams a lighting on among the longest and very most pricey heritages in college soccer: warranty activities. They are actually likewise called "money video games," "payday games," or even, as I such as to phone them, "buy full weeks." A pricey (as well as high-risk) traditionFor many years, in the initial few weeks of the period, significant university volleyball institutions have actually paid much smaller schools to find to play all of them in their house.In Full week 1 alone, more than $35 thousand was invested across at least 55 guarantee video games, depending on to Face Workplace Athletics. Alabama wrote the largest check to its rival, Western Kentucky, for a monstrous $1.9 million. WKU lost that activity 63-- 0, but they probably attacked the bank on the bus adventure home as well as likely won't think twice about it.In Full week 2, 3 schools-- Western side Michigan, Center Tennessee, and Utah Condition-- obtained payouts larger than NIU's $1.4 million. They shed through a consolidated credit rating of 156-- 3, but they take away an overall of $4.85 thousand in the process.It's usually a deal for each groups. The small schools obtain a salary, the significant colleges obtain one more home game to milk gameday revenue. The tiny university comes to play on the big phase and also obtain nationwide direct exposure, the significant one gets a cupcake on the routine to begin the year in a sporting activity without any preseason. Thus all's well and good till the lesser staff decides to show out and also take the distress.