.Northern Illinois stunned No. 5 Notre Dame last weekend break on a last-second field goal to mark college soccer's initial big upset of 2024. For the Huskies, it's a win they'll be celebrating for many years to find. For the Battling Irish, it's a season-crusher. To drop the home opener to a tiny institution from a vastly inferior event was actually an embarrassment for Notre Dame.Especially since they paid out NIU $1.4 thousand to carry out it.This shines a lighting on one of the lengthiest as well as most costly customs in university volleyball: assurance video games. They're additionally contacted "loan video games," "payday video games," or even, as I like to call them, "get weeks." A pricey (and risky) traditionFor many years, in the initial few full weeks of the time, primary college soccer companies have paid for much smaller colleges ahead to play them in their house.In Full week 1 alone, greater than $35 million was actually spent across at the very least 55 assurance games, depending on to Front end Workplace Athletics. Alabama wrote the most significant check to its rival, Western Kentucky, for a massive $1.9 thousand. WKU shed that game 63-- 0, but they probably struck the trust the bus adventure home and also probably won't hesitate about it.In Week 2, 3 institutions-- Western side Michigan, Center Tennessee, and also Utah Condition-- acquired payments bigger than NIU's $1.4 thousand. They dropped through a bundled rating of 156-- 3, yet they took home a total amount of $4.85 million in the process.It's commonly a good deal for both teams. The tiny schools receive a paycheck, the large schools acquire another home game to dairy gameday profits. The small institution reaches play on the big stage and also obtain national direct exposure, the huge one gets a cupcake on the timetable to begin the year in a sporting activity with no preseason. Thus all's effectively and great till the minimal team decides to reveal out as well as take the upset.