.Northern Illinois stunned No. 5 Notre Dame last weekend break on a last-second basket to mark college regulation football's first large upset of 2024. For the Huskies, it's a win they'll be actually commemorating for years to come. For the Combating Irish, it is actually a season-crusher. To lose the home opener to a tiny university coming from a significantly substandard conference was actually an awkwardness for Notre Dame.Especially considering that they paid out NIU $1.4 million to do it.This beams a light on one of the longest as well as very most pricey traditions in university volleyball: assurance video games. They're likewise called "money activities," "payday games," or even, as I such as to phone all of them, "acquire weeks." A costly (and dangerous) traditionFor many years, in the very first few weeks of the season, primary university soccer organizations have paid out smaller institutions to find to play them in their house.In Full week 1 alone, more than $35 million was devoted all over a minimum of 55 warranty activities, according to Front Office Athletics. Alabama composed the largest examination to its own enemy, Western Kentucky, for a massive $1.9 million. WKU shed that activity 63-- 0, but they perhaps attacked the bank on the bus trip home as well as very likely will not think twice about it.In Full week 2, three colleges-- Western Michigan, Center Tennessee, and also Utah Condition-- got payments larger than NIU's $1.4 million. They lost through a combined credit rating of 156-- 3, yet they took home an overall of $4.85 million in the process.It's typically a deal for each staffs. The tiny schools receive a paycheck, the major institutions receive yet another home video game to milk gameday profits. The little university reaches play on the big phase and receive national direct exposure, the huge one acquires a dish on the routine to begin the year in a sporting activity without preseason. Therefore all's effectively and really good up until the lower staff decides to present out as well as take the distress.