.Northern Illinois stunned No. 5 Notre Dame final weekend on a last-second basket to scratch university soccer's very first significant upset of 2024. For the Huskies, it's a gain they'll be commemorating for many years to come. For the Combating Irish, it is actually a season-crusher. To shed the home opener to a little university from a vastly substandard association was actually a discomfort for Notre Dame.Especially due to the fact that they paid for NIU $1.4 million to carry out it.This sparkles a lighting on some of the longest as well as most expensive heritages in university soccer: assurance video games. They're also phoned "cash games," "payday activities," or even, as I like to call them, "acquire weeks." A costly (as well as risky) traditionFor decades, in the initial few full weeks of the period, primary university soccer companies have actually paid for smaller sized institutions ahead to play them in their house.In Full week 1 alone, more than $35 million was actually devoted throughout a minimum of 55 assurance games, depending on to Front Office Athletics. Alabama wrote the largest check to its own enemy, Western side Kentucky, for a tremendous $1.9 million. WKU dropped that video game 63-- 0, yet they perhaps hit the bank on the bus ride home and probably will not hesitate about it.In Week 2, 3 institutions-- Western Michigan, Middle Tennessee, as well as Utah State-- obtained payments bigger than NIU's $1.4 thousand. They dropped through a consolidated score of 156-- 3, but they take away an overall of $4.85 million in the process.It's usually a good deal for each crews. The little institutions obtain a payday, the large universities get yet another home game to milk gameday revenue. The tiny college reaches play on the huge stage and also get national direct exposure, the significant one gets a dish on the schedule to begin the year in a sporting activity without preseason. So all's properly and great till the minimal group makes a decision to present out as well as take the upset.