.Northern Illinois stunned No. 5 Notre Dame final weekend on a last-second field goal to scratch university football's initial huge distress of 2024. For the Huskies, it is actually a win they'll be commemorating for several years to find. For the Fighting Irish, it is actually a season-crusher. To lose the home opener to a tiny university coming from an extremely substandard conference was a shame for Notre Dame.Especially given that they spent NIU $1.4 thousand to do it.This shines an illumination on some of the lengthiest as well as most pricey heritages in college volleyball: promise games. They are actually also called "amount of money video games," "income activities," or, as I such as to call them, "acquire full weeks." A costly (as well as high-risk) traditionFor decades, in the first few weeks of the season, significant college soccer organizations have actually spent much smaller schools ahead to play all of them in their house.In Week 1 alone, much more than $35 million was actually spent all over at least 55 promise games, depending on to Face Office Athletics. Alabama created the greatest inspection to its own challenger, Western side Kentucky, for a tremendous $1.9 thousand. WKU shed that game 63-- 0, however they most likely struck the count on the bus flight home and likely will not hesitate about it.In Full week 2, three institutions-- Western side Michigan, Middle Tennessee, as well as Utah State-- acquired payments much bigger than NIU's $1.4 thousand. They shed through a mixed rating of 156-- 3, but they took home a total amount of $4.85 thousand in the process.It's generally a deal for each staffs. The tiny schools get an income, the huge schools get one more home activity to dairy gameday income. The little school gets to play on the huge stage and also get national direct exposure, the large one acquires a dish on the schedule to begin the year in a sport with no preseason. So all's well as well as excellent up until the lesser group makes a decision to reveal out and also draw the upset.