.Northern Illinois stunned No. 5 Notre Dame final weekend on a last-second field goal to scratch university football's very first big distress of 2024. For the Huskies, it's a succeed they'll be actually commemorating for several years to follow. For the Battling Irish, it's a season-crusher. To lose the home opener to a tiny college coming from a greatly substandard conference was a discomfort for Notre Dame.Especially because they paid NIU $1.4 thousand to perform it.This radiates an illumination on one of the longest and most pricey traditions in university volleyball: promise activities. They are actually also contacted "funds games," "salary video games," or even, as I such as to contact them, "acquire weeks." An expensive (and also high-risk) traditionFor decades, in the very first handful of full weeks of the time, primary university volleyball organizations have paid out smaller institutions to come to play them in their house.In Full week 1 alone, greater than $35 thousand was devoted around at least 55 assurance activities, according to Front end Workplace Sports. Alabama created the biggest examination to its own challenger, Western side Kentucky, for an enormous $1.9 million. WKU dropped that activity 63-- 0, however they possibly struck the bank on the bus ride home and also most likely will not think twice about it.In Full week 2, three colleges-- Western side Michigan, Center Tennessee, and also Utah Condition-- received payouts greater than NIU's $1.4 million. They lost through a bundled score of 156-- 3, yet they take away an overall of $4.85 million in the process.It's typically a bargain for both crews. The little colleges receive a paycheck, the huge schools receive another home video game to milk gameday revenue. The little university gets to use the significant phase and also acquire national exposure, the huge one obtains a cupcake on the routine to begin the year in a sporting activity with no preseason. So all's properly and excellent up until the lesser crew determines to reveal out and take the distress.