Notre Dame faced an unexpected challenge during what was anticipated to be a straightforward game against Northern Illinois after their impressive season opener against then-No. 20 Texas A&M. Despite being heavily favored, the Fighting Irish fell to the Huskies 16-14 at Notre Dame Stadium. Kanon Woodill secured a 35-yard field goal with just 31 seconds left, while Notre Dame’s Mitch Jeter had a potential game-winning 62-yard field goal blocked as time ran out.
Following a promising start to the season, Marcus Freeman’s team now finds itself in a precarious situation regarding their aspirations for the 12-team College Football Playoff.
Adding insult to injury, Notre Dame incurred a significant financial loss from this defeat. The Irish are required to pay Northern Illinois $1.4 million for the game, as stipulated in a contract dated February 2019, which mandates this payment within 60 days of the game’s end.
This isn’t the only such arrangement for Notre Dame this season. They are set to host Miami (Ohio) on September 21, a contest for which they agreed to pay $1.25 million, according to a contract from May 2021. The RedHawks, MAC champions, were favored to continue their success this season.
Notably, this isn’t the first instance where Notre Dame has paid over $1 million for a defeat against a Group of Five team at home; during Freeman’s second game as head coach in 2022, they lost 26-21 to Marshall, whom they compensated $1.25 million for their appearance in South Bend.