.Northern Illinois stunned No. 5 Notre Dame final weekend on a last-second field goal to scratch college soccer's 1st major upset of 2024. For the Huskies, it is actually a succeed they'll be actually commemorating for many years ahead. For the Combating Irish, it is actually a season-crusher. To shed the home opener to a tiny school coming from a greatly poor conference was actually an awkwardness for Notre Dame.Especially considering that they paid for NIU $1.4 thousand to do it.This radiates a light on one of the longest and most costly practices in university volleyball: guarantee activities. They are actually likewise phoned "amount of money games," "income games," or even, as I as if to phone them, "acquire full weeks." A pricey (and also unsafe) traditionFor decades, in the first handful of full weeks of the season, significant university football institutions have spent smaller universities to follow to play all of them in their house.In Full week 1 alone, much more than $35 thousand was actually spent across at least 55 assurance activities, according to Front end Office Sports. Alabama created the biggest check to its own opponent, Western Kentucky, for a whopping $1.9 million. WKU dropped that activity 63-- 0, but they perhaps struck the count on the bus ride home and also likely will not reconsider it.In Full week 2, 3 schools-- Western side Michigan, Center Tennessee, and Utah State-- obtained payments greater than NIU's $1.4 thousand. They shed by a combined score of 156-- 3, but they take away an overall of $4.85 thousand in the process.It's usually a bargain for both crews. The little colleges obtain an income, the significant colleges receive one more home video game to dairy gameday revenue. The small institution reaches play on the big stage as well as acquire national direct exposure, the big one gets a dish on the schedule to begin the year in a sporting activity with no preseason. Thus all's properly and excellent till the minimal team determines to show out as well as draw the distress.