.Northern Illinois stunned No. 5 Notre Dame final weekend break on a last-second field goal to mark college soccer's first huge upset of 2024. For the Huskies, it is actually a succeed they'll be celebrating for a long times to follow. For the Fighting Irish, it's a season-crusher. To drop the home opener to a tiny university coming from a vastly substandard association was actually an awkwardness for Notre Dame.Especially considering that they spent NIU $1.4 thousand to perform it.This beams a light on among the longest and very most pricey customs in university soccer: guarantee activities. They're also contacted "money games," "payday games," or, as I such as to phone them, "get full weeks." An expensive (and high-risk) traditionFor many years, in the first couple of full weeks of the season, significant university soccer establishments have actually paid out smaller schools ahead to play all of them in their house.In Full week 1 alone, greater than $35 million was devoted all over a minimum of 55 guarantee video games, according to Face Workplace Athletics. Alabama created the most significant check to its own challenger, Western side Kentucky, for a massive $1.9 million. WKU shed that activity 63-- 0, however they possibly reached the rely on the bus ride home and likely will not hesitate about it.In Full week 2, 3 universities-- Western side Michigan, Middle Tennessee, as well as Utah Condition-- obtained payments much bigger than NIU's $1.4 thousand. They lost by a combined credit rating of 156-- 3, but they took home a total of $4.85 million in the process.It's typically a deal for each groups. The tiny colleges acquire an income, the significant universities get one more home game to milk gameday profits. The small university comes to play on the significant phase and obtain national exposure, the large one gets a dish on the schedule to begin the year in a sport without preseason. Thus all's effectively and excellent until the smaller staff decides to reveal out and also take the distress.