.Northern Illinois stunned No. 5 Notre Dame final weekend break on a last-second field goal to mark university soccer's 1st huge trouble of 2024. For the Huskies, it's a gain they'll be commemorating for several years to come. For the Combating Irish, it's a season-crusher. To shed the home opener to a small university coming from an extremely poor association was an embarrassment for Notre Dame.Especially given that they paid NIU $1.4 million to accomplish it.This shines a lighting on one of the longest and also very most expensive practices in university soccer: warranty activities. They are actually likewise contacted "funds video games," "paycheck video games," or, as I such as to phone all of them, "buy full weeks." A costly (and high-risk) traditionFor decades, in the very first couple of full weeks of the time, primary university soccer companies have paid for smaller sized institutions to find to play them in their house.In Full week 1 alone, much more than $35 thousand was actually spent all over at least 55 assurance video games, according to Face Office Sports. Alabama created the greatest check to its own rival, Western Kentucky, for a whopping $1.9 million. WKU shed that activity 63-- 0, yet they possibly attacked the count on the bus adventure home and also most likely will not hesitate about it.In Full week 2, three universities-- Western Michigan, Center Tennessee, as well as Utah Condition-- obtained payments much bigger than NIU's $1.4 thousand. They dropped through a mixed score of 156-- 3, however they take away a total amount of $4.85 million in the process.It's generally a deal for both teams. The little colleges receive a paycheck, the huge schools obtain another home activity to milk gameday income. The small university reaches play on the big stage and also obtain national exposure, the large one acquires a cupcake on the timetable to start the year in a sporting activity without any preseason. Thus all's effectively and excellent until the minimal crew decides to reveal out and also pull the upset.