.Northern Illinois stunned No. 5 Notre Dame final weekend on a last-second field goal to scratch university football's first significant trouble of 2024. For the Huskies, it's a succeed they'll be celebrating for many years to come. For the Battling Irish, it's a season-crusher. To drop the home opener to a tiny college from an extremely inferior event was an awkwardness for Notre Dame.Especially given that they paid NIU $1.4 thousand to carry out it.This radiates a lighting on among the lengthiest and also very most pricey traditions in university volleyball: promise games. They're additionally gotten in touch with "money activities," "income games," or even, as I like to call all of them, "acquire weeks." A pricey (as well as dangerous) traditionFor many years, in the 1st few full weeks of the time, significant college volleyball establishments have paid out smaller sized schools to follow to play all of them in their house.In Full week 1 alone, greater than $35 thousand was spent around at least 55 warranty games, depending on to Face Workplace Athletics. Alabama wrote the most significant check to its own enemy, Western Kentucky, for a whopping $1.9 thousand. WKU shed that game 63-- 0, yet they probably hit the trust the bus trip home as well as probably will not reconsider it.In Full week 2, three colleges-- Western Michigan, Middle Tennessee, and Utah State-- obtained payments much bigger than NIU's $1.4 thousand. They shed by a bundled score of 156-- 3, however they take away an overall of $4.85 thousand in the process.It's normally a deal for each crews. The tiny schools acquire a salary, the major colleges acquire yet another home game to dairy gameday earnings. The little institution gets to play on the large stage as well as obtain national direct exposure, the significant one gets a cupcake on the schedule to begin the year in a sport with no preseason. Therefore all's properly and also great until the lesser staff makes a decision to reveal out and take the distress.