.Northern Illinois stunned No. 5 Notre Dame final weekend on a last-second field goal to mark university soccer's initial significant trouble of 2024. For the Huskies, it is actually a succeed they'll be celebrating for many years ahead. For the Battling Irish, it's a season-crusher. To shed the home opener to a small university coming from a greatly inferior conference was a discomfort for Notre Dame.Especially given that they paid for NIU $1.4 million to do it.This shines an illumination on among the longest and also most pricey traditions in college volleyball: assurance activities. They're additionally phoned "amount of money activities," "salary activities," or even, as I as if to contact all of them, "purchase full weeks." A pricey (and also dangerous) traditionFor decades, in the initial couple of full weeks of the time, significant university volleyball establishments have actually paid out much smaller institutions ahead to play them in their house.In Week 1 alone, more than $35 thousand was actually spent across a minimum of 55 warranty video games, depending on to Face Office Sports. Alabama created the greatest check to its own challenger, Western side Kentucky, for a monstrous $1.9 million. WKU dropped that game 63-- 0, however they most likely hit the rely on the bus adventure home and also likely won't think twice about it.In Full week 2, three schools-- Western side Michigan, Center Tennessee, and also Utah State-- got payments greater than NIU's $1.4 thousand. They dropped by a consolidated credit rating of 156-- 3, yet they take away an overall of $4.85 million in the process.It's typically a good deal for each staffs. The small colleges receive an income, the major institutions acquire one more home game to dairy gameday revenue. The tiny university reaches use the major phase and also acquire nationwide exposure, the significant one gets a cupcake on the timetable to begin the year in a sport without preseason. So all's effectively and also excellent till the lower staff determines to reveal out and pull the distress.