.Northern Illinois stunned No. 5 Notre Dame last weekend break on a last-second basket to mark college soccer's first major distress of 2024. For the Huskies, it is actually a succeed they'll be actually celebrating for a long times to follow. For the Combating Irish, it is actually a season-crusher. To drop the home opener to a small university coming from a vastly substandard event was actually a shame for Notre Dame.Especially since they spent NIU $1.4 million to perform it.This beams an illumination on among the lengthiest and also very most pricey traditions in college soccer: promise games. They're likewise called "money games," "income games," or, as I like to call them, "purchase full weeks." A pricey (and high-risk) traditionFor many years, in the very first few weeks of the period, primary university football institutions have actually spent smaller sized colleges ahead to play them in their house.In Week 1 alone, greater than $35 million was devoted throughout at least 55 promise video games, according to Face Workplace Sports. Alabama wrote the largest examination to its own enemy, Western side Kentucky, for an immense $1.9 thousand. WKU lost that video game 63-- 0, however they probably hit the rely on the bus experience home as well as most likely won't reconsider it.In Week 2, 3 institutions-- Western Michigan, Middle Tennessee, and Utah State-- got payouts bigger than NIU's $1.4 million. They shed through a mixed rating of 156-- 3, however they took home a total amount of $4.85 million in the process.It's usually a bargain for both groups. The tiny universities acquire a salary, the huge institutions obtain another home activity to dairy gameday earnings. The small school reaches play on the big stage and obtain national exposure, the large one receives a cupcake on the schedule to start the year in a sporting activity with no preseason. Therefore all's properly as well as excellent till the smaller group chooses to show out and also draw the distress.