.Northern Illinois stunned No. 5 Notre Dame final weekend break on a last-second basket to notch university regulation football's first large upset of 2024. For the Huskies, it is actually a gain they'll be celebrating for years ahead. For the Dealing with Irish, it's a season-crusher. To shed the home opener to a little school coming from a significantly substandard event was actually a discomfort for Notre Dame.Especially considering that they paid NIU $1.4 thousand to carry out it.This beams a light on one of the longest and most pricey traditions in university volleyball: promise games. They are actually also called "money games," "paycheck video games," or even, as I like to phone them, "get full weeks." A pricey (and dangerous) traditionFor many years, in the initial few full weeks of the period, primary college football establishments have actually spent smaller colleges to follow to play them in their house.In Week 1 alone, more than $35 million was spent around a minimum of 55 assurance games, according to Front end Workplace Sports. Alabama composed the most significant examination to its rival, Western Kentucky, for an immense $1.9 thousand. WKU shed that game 63-- 0, but they possibly attacked the rely on the bus trip home as well as very likely won't reconsider it.In Full week 2, three universities-- Western Michigan, Middle Tennessee, and also Utah Condition-- acquired payouts much bigger than NIU's $1.4 thousand. They dropped by a bundled rating of 156-- 3, however they take away a total amount of $4.85 million in the process.It's commonly a good deal for each groups. The little colleges acquire an income, the big colleges receive yet another home activity to milk gameday revenue. The little university reaches use the huge phase and also obtain national direct exposure, the large one receives a dish on the routine to begin the year in a sporting activity with no preseason. Therefore all's well and also really good till the minimal team chooses to show out and pull the trouble.