.Northern Illinois stunned No. 5 Notre Dame final weekend on a last-second field goal to mark university football's first large trouble of 2024. For the Huskies, it is actually a gain they'll be actually commemorating for a long times ahead. For the Fighting Irish, it's a season-crusher. To lose the home opener to a tiny college from a greatly poor event was actually a discomfort for Notre Dame.Especially since they spent NIU $1.4 million to accomplish it.This radiates a light on one of the longest and very most costly heritages in university volleyball: promise activities. They're additionally phoned "cash activities," "paycheck video games," or even, as I just like to contact them, "buy full weeks." An expensive (as well as dangerous) traditionFor years, in the very first handful of weeks of the season, primary university volleyball organizations have paid out much smaller institutions to follow to play them in their house.In Full week 1 alone, greater than $35 million was actually invested all over a minimum of 55 promise activities, according to Front Office Sports. Alabama created the largest check to its own rival, Western side Kentucky, for a massive $1.9 thousand. WKU dropped that video game 63-- 0, however they probably attacked the rely on the bus experience home and most likely won't hesitate about it.In Full week 2, three schools-- Western Michigan, Middle Tennessee, and Utah Condition-- got payments larger than NIU's $1.4 thousand. They shed through a combined score of 156-- 3, yet they took home a total of $4.85 million in the process.It's normally a good deal for both crews. The tiny colleges acquire an income, the large universities acquire one more home game to dairy gameday revenue. The little university gets to play on the large stage and obtain national exposure, the significant one acquires a dish on the routine to start the year in a sporting activity without preseason. Thus all's properly as well as great till the lesser team chooses to reveal out and also take the upset.