.Northern Illinois stunned No. 5 Notre Dame final weekend break on a last-second field goal to mark college regulation football's first huge trouble of 2024. For the Huskies, it's a gain they'll be commemorating for many years ahead. For the Fighting Irish, it's a season-crusher. To shed the home opener to a little college coming from a vastly substandard event was an embarrassment for Notre Dame.Especially considering that they paid for NIU $1.4 thousand to accomplish it.This radiates a lighting on some of the lengthiest and very most pricey practices in college volleyball: assurance activities. They're likewise gotten in touch with "funds games," "salary video games," or even, as I just like to call them, "purchase weeks." A costly (and also dangerous) traditionFor years, in the 1st few weeks of the period, primary university soccer organizations have actually spent much smaller schools to come to play all of them in their house.In Week 1 alone, much more than $35 thousand was devoted all over at least 55 promise games, depending on to Face Workplace Athletics. Alabama wrote the biggest check to its own challenger, Western Kentucky, for a whopping $1.9 million. WKU shed that activity 63-- 0, but they probably attacked the trust the bus ride home and also very likely will not reconsider it.In Week 2, 3 universities-- Western Michigan, Middle Tennessee, and also Utah State-- got payments much bigger than NIU's $1.4 thousand. They shed through a combined rating of 156-- 3, yet they take away a total of $4.85 million in the process.It's generally a bargain for each staffs. The little universities get a paycheck, the major colleges receive an additional home game to dairy gameday profits. The tiny college gets to use the major phase and receive nationwide exposure, the large one gets a cupcake on the timetable to begin the year in a sporting activity without preseason. Therefore all's effectively and excellent up until the lesser team decides to reveal out as well as take the upset.