.Northern Illinois stunned No. 5 Notre Dame final weekend on a last-second basket to mark university soccer's very first big distress of 2024. For the Huskies, it's a gain they'll be actually celebrating for several years to come. For the Combating Irish, it is actually a season-crusher. To shed the home opener to a tiny school from a significantly substandard event was a humiliation for Notre Dame.Especially given that they paid for NIU $1.4 thousand to perform it.This shines an illumination on among the longest and very most costly practices in university volleyball: assurance games. They are actually likewise phoned "money video games," "income games," or, as I such as to contact all of them, "acquire weeks." A pricey (and unsafe) traditionFor decades, in the 1st couple of full weeks of the season, primary university soccer institutions have actually paid smaller sized universities ahead to play them in their house.In Full week 1 alone, greater than $35 thousand was actually devoted all over at the very least 55 warranty games, according to Front end Workplace Sports. Alabama composed the most significant examination to its opponent, Western Kentucky, for a massive $1.9 thousand. WKU dropped that video game 63-- 0, yet they possibly struck the trust the bus experience home and very likely will not reconsider it.In Full week 2, 3 institutions-- Western Michigan, Middle Tennessee, and Utah State-- acquired payments bigger than NIU's $1.4 million. They dropped by a mixed score of 156-- 3, yet they take away a total of $4.85 thousand in the process.It's generally a good deal for both groups. The tiny colleges receive a payday, the big colleges get yet another home activity to milk gameday income. The tiny school comes to use the big phase as well as acquire nationwide exposure, the huge one obtains a cupcake on the timetable to begin the year in a sporting activity without preseason. Thus all's properly and good until the lesser group chooses to show out and take the trouble.