What Will Be Left of the Big XII In A Few Years?

Remember that whole revisionist thinking about the Big XII last month, where all of the Big XII's problems were all Nebraska's fault?  Everything was hunkey-dorey... kind of a PBS-utopian world where a purple dinosaur sings about everybody being a happy family.  A fantasy world that doesn't really exist, of course.  And now, not even three weeks into this new world, it's all unraveling faster than you can say "Dan Beebe is DeLoss Dodds' puppet."

ESPN's plans for the new Longhorn Network have raised the ire of the other schools in the Big XII, and Texas A&M is now seriously reconsidering joining the Southeastern Conference, and thus reopening the whole spectre of conference realignment. 'Ol buddy AJ the Huskerh8er doesn't want to hear anything of it.  If A&M is so fired up, they should just leave. It's not like Oklahoma was planning to leave, right?

That’s why, when Texas A&M calls a meeting to “talk about the Longhorn network”…you’ll have to pardon me if I react with a yawn and a groan.   And why is Texas A&M so whiney anyway?   They play in a really big stadium and have goofy looking male cheerleaders who look like a cross between an army private and a guy who works at Goodrich…where’s the rest of the appeal?  When did they become Florida State?  Are they THAT important to the mix to keep everything going?   Now if we were talking Oklahoma….then I definitely could see the panic…(and lots of it).  But A&M?   Perspective people.  Perspective.  You want to go so bad?  There’s the door.

That's what I like about AJ. He's always ready to fire off a scud missile into any debate.  Like one of Saddam Hussein's missiles, it usually was poorly aimed and lands off target...but it does make a lot of noise and gets some attention. Within minutes of AJ's latest rant, along came the word that Oklahoma was also talking to the SEC, pretty much imploding AJ's latest diatribe.

Now tonight, the word is that the Big XII has stepped in and put a hold on the plans for Texas and ESPN to televise high school games on the Longhorn Network. That diffuses the urgency of the situation for now, but really, the damage is done.  Texas has shown that they'll do what they want to do because they can do it. Everybody (except, of course, those in denial) knows it's not a question of if, but when, another school leaves the Big XII to get out of the shadow of the Borg.

Here's my take.  Oklahoma and Texas A&M will eventually head out to the SEC, which will trigger another round of expansion by the Big Ten and Pac-12.  There's even talk that Texas will eventually go independent, but I don't really believe it.  I can see why the SEC wants A&M: it opens up Texas television markets and opens up Texas recruits to the SEC.  I can see why the SEC wants Oklahoma; like Nebraska, it's a national brand that makes the SEC more compelling.  And as the Big XII and Pac-12's recent television deals have shown, the SEC's television deals might be worth much more if they are renegotiated after expansion.

But Texas as an independent?  I don't see that.  Sure, Texas could build a Notre Dame type of football schedule, but the Longhorns need a conference for all of their other sports.  And frankly, the Big XII (or what will remain of it) is just what Texas needs in those other sports. And if Oklahoma and Texas A&M leave, it does free Texas in football to play two more non-conference games each season, much like a independent.  The new "Big Eight" may still have a BCS automatic bid and with no other powers to oppose Texas' plans, they really have no need to go independent.  They'll be able to call their shots because schools like Iowa State, Kansas State, and Baylor have no ground to stand on in discussions with Texas.

At this point, I don't see Texas jumping to any of the other conferences either. Not with the Longhorn Network deal in place; it means too much to Texas, and no other conference will let Texas have that type of advantage. So Texas is where they are at.  That means that schools like Missouri and Kansas won't be orphaned; they'll have a spot to sit at---next to Texas. But they will always be subservient to Austin.  They may hold out hope that one of the other conferences will offer a lifeline out, but unless the other conferences go to 16 teams, they'll likely be on the sidelines.

And you know what, they don't have any problem with it whatsoever.  It's still better than being in the Mountain West.

Are the UFL and the Omaha Nighthawks Done?

The National Football Post and Hartford Courant are reporting that the Hartford Colonials are experiencing financial difficulties, which is the reason why the UFL pushed back the start of training camp.  The National Football Post says that players are being sent home and that training camp would not be starting. Equipment is being held by a storage company due to unpaid bills, according to the Hartford Courier.

The Courier also is reporting tonight that the UFL is expected to make an announcement about it's future tomorrow. Does this mean the end of the league?  Hard to say. It might be possible to keep the league functioning with four teams by adjusting the schedule; only four teams play each week anyway.  But the league seemed to be pinning their hopes on the NFL not playing this fall, and that's something that's becoming increasingly unlikely.  Now, it would seem the only hope left is some sort of agreement with the NFL to act as a player development channel as well as a broadcast outlet for games.

This isn't a good thing IMHO. I thought the UFL was a better brand of football than some people give it credit for, and long term, I think it could be successful in Omaha. But the league needs to find other cities that would embrace it like Omaha has.  This is really bad news for the Omaha Nighthawks, who are scheduled to start single-game ticket sales this Friday.  They could still try to sell tickets, but might not have a league to play in, when it's time for the games to be played.

Update:  UFL Access is reporting that the season will be delayed 30 days, and the UFL will still play this season.  If that's so, that's still not so bad for the UFL.  It pushes the season back to September, and while it will conflict with the NFL and college seasons, that's something that the Nighthawks successfully dealt with last season.

Bottom line is that it doesn't matter so much how popular the Nighthawks are or how well the Omaha franchise is run... a football team cannot play by itself.  It needs to be part of a stable league, and right now, the UFL is struggling to find stability.

Sunday Night Beer: Kick... Kick... Kick...

Today's Women's World Cup final reminded me a lot of last year's hockey competition at the Vancouver Olympics... a not-so-popular sport getting huge attention because of nationalistic pride. But unlike hockey, I frankly never got all that interested in today's game. It's not an issue of the players talent, skill, or athleticism. It's not because they were women either. It was because, well, it was soccer.

I'm a hockey guy, so naturally, I like hockey when it's played at the elite level. Soccer, not so much. I watched today, kind of, because I was supposed to, not because I was particularly enjoying the game. I still don't particularly understand the timing rules that soccer still uses.  In this day of of scoreboards that track time to the tenth of a second, the idea of a rough approximation of "extra time" seems archaic. In the final seconds of extra time, the US lined up for a free kick, and frankly, you couldn't tell whether there were 10 seconds left or 10 minutes left based on the sense of urgency on the field.

The Omaha Nighthawks announced a 66 player roster for the start of training camp, featuring six former Huskers. Eric Crouch, of course, is a leading candidate to be the quarterback. Jay Moore returns for a second season at defensive end. Some recent Huskers also have signed:  wide receiver Maurice Purify, I-back Marlon Lucky, offensive lineman D.J. Jones, and cornerback Anthony West.

Purify I kind of expect to stick; he's not a deep threat but a consistent receiver. Jones could be interesting, as offensive line was one of the biggest weaknesses I saw in last season's Nighthawks squad.  As for Eric Crouch, he's an intriguing addition to the roster. Is it a ploy to draw fans to Ameritrade Park?  I could see that if I didn't expect the Nighthawks to draw large crowds without him.

Not sure if Omaha will be enough to keep the UFL alive after this season though. With the NFL apparently within days of solving their labor issues, it's looking bleak to get that media deal to make the league viable long term. I still believe that the UFL has a shot if they can get a relationship established with the NFL. But will the NFL be interested when the UFL is scheduling games simultaneously with the NFL?  In Omaha, that's not a problem. But in Sacramento? But for television?  Hard to believe that.

I kind of expect the UFL to soon move their September 18th games away from Sunday once the NFL season resumes.  The Omaha/Sacramento game should move to Friday evening, while the Virginia/Las Vegas game probably will end up on Saturday.

UNO Rethinking Vision for Facilities

Courtesy MECA

Trev Alberts admitted this week that the push for a new hockey arena for UNO took a step back with all of the turmoil this spring. Between the outrage over the end of the football and wrestling programs, the move to division 1 for all other sports, and the formation of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference, it's no surprise to me that UNO is taking a step back.

Something else happened to UNO's vision for a hockey arena.  Over 26,000 fans showed up for a weekend series against Wisconsin. Over 11,000 showed up for a game two weeks later against Denver. Nearly 8,000 showed up for a playoff game. And when the season was over, the average attendance of 7,994 people per game turned out to be larger than the speculated capacity of the new arena.

Here's my thought at this time. UNO likely needs a new arena...but for basketball and volleyball.  Men's basketball is already moving to the Civic. That's a temporary move pending a more permanent solution. But frankly, I think UNO hockey is poised to make all of the talk of a new campus arena irrelevant.

Bottom line:  I think UNO hockey is very likely to remain at the newly renamed CenturyLink Center Omaha (formerly known as the Qwest Center).  I think UNO hockey attendance is poised to continue growing, and nothing short of 10,000 seats a night is going to work for UNO. The cost of building that size of facility is likely prohibitive when the CenturyLink Center is already there. It no longer can be said that the "Qwest Center is too big for UNO."  The Qwest Center has a new name, and UNO hockey has finally grown into the downtown arena.

UNO will probably build a much-needed practice ice facility. Maybe it will be attached to an area for basketball. That arena is unlikely to be practical for UNO hockey.  Basketball probably can make a 4k arena work well.  Hockey needs nearly three times that capacity. And why build a new facility when an NHL-caliber arena already exists.

With Dean Blais in charge of the UNO hockey program, the sky is the limit. There's no sense for UNO to place an unnecessary cap on the program by building a smaller facility.  UNO should mothball their plans for a hockey arena for the time being, and work to make UNO hockey better downtown.

Thursday Night Beer: UNO Goes National

The only real news that emerged from yesterday's announcement of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference was the name. We knew the members, and frankly, they didn't say much else other than make it official. It's still a work in progress as this conference will likely grow to eight. The athletic directors started to call it the "National", and while some fans scoff at the name, I really can't come up with a better alternative.  N-C-H-C?  Nucky-Hockey? I'll stick with the National.

Will the National grow beyond six teams? My guess is yes, and likely it'll be Notre Dame. That's probably the key to getting a deal with Versus.

One little gem that came out of yesterday's announcement was in Denver Post columnist Mike Chambers interview with Dean Blais, where Blais said that he thought he'd retire after his UNO contract expires in four years.

It's the middle of July, and that means that we're about halfway through the summer sports doldrums. Oh sure, it's not like there aren't things to do: vacations, swimming, golf, etc  But for the most part, there simply isn't much going on in sports locally.  The next real sports event locally is the start of the Nighthawks season in one month. Will the Nighthawks have the same buzz as last season?  My guess is that it will be close.  Just look at their Facebook page: on June 5th, they topped the 20k count in fans.  Now they are nearly to 21k. Last season went pretty well at Rosenblatt, and it should be even better at more fan-friendly TD Ameritrade Park. I wouldn't be surprised if they don't sell out games this season.

In the meantime, we're left with leftovers as far as sports goes. Like the idea that former Colorado quarterback Cody Hawkins completed 21 of 35 passes for 267 yards as the US national team defeated Mexico 17-7 on Tuesday to make the gold medal game of the IFAF world championships.  Whatever that means.  I mean, when Cody Hawkins is the national team quarterback... well, that pretty much says it all.

UNO Hockey Conference Change Confirmed... But Why?

On Saturday, the athletic directors of UNO, North Dakota, Minnesota-Duluth, Miami, Denver, and Colorado College issued a brief statement that confirmed that those schools are forming a new conference in 2013-14. To a large extent, I'm still not sure exactly why a new conference is necessary, as at first glance, it would appear that simply inviting Miami and Notre Dame to join the WCHA would provide much of the benefits of this new conference and at less cost.

Or so it would seem to this blogger, who freely admits that, after UNO's one season in the WCHA, he doesn't have enough history or perspective to judge the WCHA. That's where Brad Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald comes in to provide some clarity.

The biggest reason is television, and it's a reason I've previously dismissed. But Schlossman has learned that there is interest from Versus, the cable network that currently carries the NHL on weeknights and is being merged with NBC Sports.  My expectation is that the interest from Versus is based on Notre Dame being a member, thanks to NBC's long standing relationship with Notre Dame for football.  If an arrangement with Versus is possible, it's a huge gain for the schools in this "super conference" as Versus is available in 76 million homes nationwide.  (For comparison, the NFL Network is in 57 million homes and last year, the Big Ten Network was in only 45 million homes.)

The other issues appear to be secondary in nature, though it appears that there is a core disagreement between schools like North Dakota that want hockey to be bigger and bigger and other schools (St. Cloud State, perhaps?) that think it's as big as it gets.  With the exit of Minnesota and Wisconsin, the voting blocks on conference issues have tilted towards the smaller schools, and that's led these other schools to consider breaking away. There's also a serious lack of confidence in WCHA commissioner Bruce McLeod from many of these schools.  (I get the impression that McLeod and Dan Beebe probably find a lot of things in common here...)

We still don't have all the answers yet; those won't come until the formal announcement on Wednesday. But I do think that with schools like North Dakota, Denver, and Miami on board (and Notre Dame lurking nearby), it's better to be on the inside of that group than outside. And for that, you have to thank Trev Alberts, who made UNO hockey nationally relevant with his move to hire Dean Blais two years ago.

Thursday Night Beer: UNO Changing Conferences Again... and More on MooTV

By all accounts, a new hockey conference will be announced next Wednesday, combining the best non-Big Ten hockey programs from the WCHA and CCHA into what's being called the "super conference".  From the WCHA, it'll be North Dakota, Denver, Colorado College, Minnesota-Duluth, and UNO joining CCHA power Miami (Ohio). Notre Dame and Western Michigan from the CCHA are still considering joining the mix as well. How strong will this conference be?

All eight teams were in the NCAA tournament last season.  For a football comparison, think about what would happen if Florida, LSU, Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee, Texas, Oklahoma, and Nebraska were to join up to form a new conference. Imagine the interest from television networks to carry these games!  But that's the problem here; college hockey isn't going to be able to generate much interest from television networks. Frankly, I'm not sure what the reason here is, other than to be able to tell potential recruits that you are playing in the toughest college hockey league in the country, and that NHL teams will see the value in letting their draft picks develop in that environment for free. But that's going to be of small solace to fans of teams who struggle to top the .500 mark and be in contention for an at-large spot in the NCAA tournament thanks to a brutal schedule.

And I agree with those who say that this is bad for college hockey, especially the smaller schools. Jon Brooks of MavPuck calls them the "Island of Misfit Schools": schools that are left behind without the "names".  Schools like Northern Michigan and St. Cloud State, for example. They'll probably come together and scrape together a mid-major conference of the leftovers, and compete for a single automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Some could simply fold, without the revenue and prestige that playing schools like Michigan and Wisconsin bring to their athletic departments.

That being said, in this environment, you are better off being included in this mix than being on the outside... and for that, UNO fans should be absolutely ecstatic that Trev Alberts is the athletic director. Without Alberts, UNO hockey was likely on the outside of this discussion. Football and wrestling boosters might think their programs would still exist if Alberts hadn't come to Omaha, but that's a questionable argument at best when you look at the numbers.

It's easy to chuckle (ok, admit it, it's downright hilarious) at how the lovey-dovey relationship between the remaining Big XII schools couldn't last even one week thanks to ESPN siphoning a Big XII conference football game from ABC to the Longhorn Network (or MooTV, as I prefer to call it). From ESPN's perspective, it's an easy call. ESPN and ABC are committed to paying for carrying these games, and putting a second game on MooTV puts additional pressure on every cable operator in and around Texas to pony up the 40 cents a month per subscriber. That's more than ABC will make selling ads on a Big XII game, especially considering that ABC can still schedule a B1G game (wouldn't that be funny if Big XII country got a Nebraska game instead!) or Pac-12 game in that timeslot.

But that means one less game with visibility nationally for the Big XII. Remember last year when Utah and TCU faced off on CBS Sports Channel, and most of the country couldn't watch the game? Same thing here, especially if MooTV selects Oklahoma State at Texas. Heck, right now, even the folks in Texas might have some difficulty watching the game.  BurntOrangeNation provides the complete list of providers who have agreed to carry MooTV.  (I'll summarize it here:  )  Oh sure, DirecTV will probably sign up, and a few cable companies will give in.  But let's not forget how long it took BTN and the NFL Network just to get to around 50% of the nation.

That's one of the reasons why I wasn't excited by the idea that Nebraska could start their own network. Sure, Nebraska might have some success selling their rights to a single game to a Versus, for example. But finding enough cable outlets who would sacrifice the bandwidth for a 24 hour Nebraska network?  Good luck with that. I'm just pleased that my cable provider has signed on with BTN, and hasn't raised my rates accordingly.

Big Ten Hockey May Force Another Conference Realignment for UNO Hockey

The Grand Forks Herald reported today that North Dakota is thinking about withdrawing from the WCHA and creating a new "power conference", which would pick and choose the best teams remaining in the WCHA and the CCHA. (H/T:  NDGoon) After the Big Ten announced that hockey would become a Big Ten sponsored sport, the WCHA lost Minnesota and Wisconsin while the CCHA lost Michigan, Michigan State, and Ohio State.

The WCHA should still be viable with the ten remaining members, but the CCHA is likely on life support. That may be driving this latest realignment, as Notre Dame and Miami likely are looking for a more solid conference for hockey. But frankly, I have to wonder what will happen to the teams left behind by this second round of realignment.

That doesn't appear to be the concern for Nebraska-Omaha.  UNO was the first team that the Herald reported would be involved in this new conference. Others likely would be Colorado College and possibly Western Michigan.  (UNO athletic director Trev Alberts did not respond to a request for comment by the Grand Forks Herald.)

I'm still trying to understand the point of creating a new power conference outside of the WCHA. Frankly, it would seem to have all of the negatives that I thought a Big Ten hockey conference would have with few, if none of the benefits. Lump together all of the best hockey programs in the midwest and west, and have them beat each other up. A team that would otherwise be on the bubble for the NCAA tournament might instead find themselves on the outside thanks to a killer schedule. The driving force for B1G hockey is for programming on the Big Ten Network, as conference games will be pushed into January and will be played on weeknights.  (At least, I assume they'll be played in the evenings and not in the afternoons...)

That works for the Big Ten...but I don't see where schools like North Dakota and Miami can find a television platform like BTN.  Even Notre Dame probably doesn't have the pull to make it happen. Heck, most of these schools have local television arrangements, but I don't think there's any way this conference pulls a media deal. So I'm left to wonder why this conference would be created.

But maybe I'm asking the wrong question. Like when Nebraska was considering the realignment question last spring, it's not a question whether UNO belongs in the WCHA today, but rather UNO wants to be part of what the WCHA would be in a few years after North Dakota and other name schools have left. And in that situation, it's almost a no-brainer to suggest following North Dakota if they choose to bolt.

An interesting idea that's been put forth is that the new conference will focus on division 1 schools where hockey is the flagship sport.  (Well, that's not Notre Dame, but let's set that aside for a moment.) Six months ago, that would be a huge issue for UNO, though now that UNO has jumped to division 1 and the Summit League, that shouldn't matter. But that raises an interesting aspect if you look back to UNO's decision to go division 1 and drop football and wrestling: did UNO need to get the entire athletic department into division 1 as soon as possible?

A conspiracy theory, perhaps? Could be, though it's certainly much more viable than the whole "Tom Osborne felt threatened by UNO football (and their 1500 fans at most games)" theory that some people still hold onto.

It's A B1G New World

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.

 "Oh the Places You'll Go!" was the final book that Dr. Seuss published, and while it was published as a children's story, it's also become a very popular graduation gift as people begin a new stage of their life. Today, the Nebraska Cornhuskers begin a new era, leaving their longtime home for a new home in the Big Ten. In many respects, it's applicable here. Husker fans are leaving behind familiar opponents like Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, and Missouri. The longest consecutive streak of football games being played annually will end this fall when Nebraska and Kansas don't face each other.

In return, we open up a new world with new, slightly more distant opponents. Iowa replaces Iowa State. Minnesota and Wisconsin replace Kansas and Kansas State.  Northwestern replaces Missouri. It's going to be exciting initially as we experience new schools and new traditions. Some people argue that we'll miss our former rivals, and there is some truth to that. But ever since the Big XII came into existence, Nebraska really hasn't had a true rival.  ABC tried to force feed Colorado as our "rival", but the Buffaloes have ran hot and cold ever since Bill McCartney retired. Sometimes very good, like in 2001.  Sometimes woefully bad, like under Dan Hawkins. But frequently, simply overrated.  Kansas State was pretty good for eight years, but then Bill Snyder retired. Now he's back, but the Wildcats are still trying to find their way back.  About the time Kansas State fell off, Missouri came on strong...and even took control of the series for a couple of years.

But what Nebraska lacked was that true rival that stoked the passions of fans each and every season. We only saw our former rival on a part-time basis.  And during too much of the Big XII era, one of the two teams was suffering due to incompetence. Names like Schnellenberger, Blake, and Callahan combined with the two years on/two years off schedule to forever alter the matchup and the relationship between the two programs. Where once names like Switzer, Sims, and Holieway raised the hackles, now lay a feeling of respect. When the two teams met last December in Dallas for one last conference championship battle, it wasn't a meeting of rivals, but seemingly of friends.

A lot has been said that Nebraska never felt comfortable in the Big XII. There's a certain amount of truth in that statement. Nebraska lost an awful lot of votes 11-1 when the conference was created. The Nebraska-Oklahoma rivalry was sacrificed, as it just didn't fit as well as the other rivalries in the conference.  So when Texas and Missouri started publicly working on dissolving the Big XII, Nebraska sought out a more stable arrangement rather than take a chance on being left behind. Then something funny happened.  Nobody else wanted to give into the demands of Texas.  And it turns out that instead of Nebraska being left behind, of being on the short end of 11-1 votes, Nebraska was actually valued and desired.

And that's where we find ourselves today.  In a B1G New World. Nebraska is moving on, leaving behind a conference that seemingly wanted to leave us behind back in 1995, and being instead in a conference where it appears that we're actually welcomed. Of course, they're being friendly with us now. We're helping them get more:  more money from TV, more respect nationally, and some more interesting opponents. It won't stay that way long once we actually meet on the playing field.

Calls won't go our ways, games won't turn out the way we want them to. That's ok.  This time, we decided where we'll go.

Oh, the places you’ll go! There is fun to be done! There are points to be scored. There are games to be won. And the magical things you can do with that ball will make you the winning-est winner of all. Fame! You’ll be famous as famous can be, with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.


Except when they don’t. Because, sometimes, they won’t.

Today, a NU era begins in the Big Ten Conference for the Huskers.  Go B1G Red!

Tuesday Night Beer: The Summer Doldrums Begin

Now that South Carolina has won their second straight College World Series, we now enter into the slowest two months of the local sports season. There's pretty much nothing going on, except for the Cox Classic golf tournament in about a month. (And that, even more so than the CWS, seems to be more party than competition.) So what's the final assessment? The new stadium is a rousing success. It looks great on TV, especially with the bleachers filled. The players love it, the fans love it. Even many of the old "Save Rosenblatt" crew realizes it was the right decision.

No doubt about it, TD Ameritrade Park plays bigger than Rosenblatt. That's not an indictment of either park, it's what the character of the ballpark is going to be. And as South Carolina proved in the clutch, defense and small-ball can win games. Those bases-loaded escapes against Virginia on Friday night and Florida on Monday night were amazing. The only change I'd consider is moving the fences in a few feet, and adding two rows of seating in the bleachers.  Fan interference would be possible, but one of the "character" aspects of Rosenblatt was watching fans reaching over the fence. And after the blown home run call, it might make more sense than having a fence to confuse the umpires.

One little aside: I would likely find the whole "Ameritragedy" a heck of a lot funnier if it hadn't been created by bored members of the press who watched the storms blow in (literally) from the safety of the press box on June 20th. It was just so, um, inconvenient.

It'll be interesting to see how Russell Wilson and Wisconsin adapt to each other. Wilson may be experienced, but he only has five weeks to study the playbook before fall camp begins. Wisconsin offensive coordinator Paul Chryst has to figure out how much of the offense to try to force on Wilson. If there's one position on the football field that is difficult to change systems with, it's quarterback. I'm not suggesting Sam Keller is the poster child for quarterback transfers, but I would suggest that it's awfully easy to make Wilson's head swim if Wisconsin tries to do too much. Remember, Chryst can't really work with Wilson until August.

That being said, Wilson probably has far more upside than Jon Budmayr, Joe Brennan, or Joel Stave for this season, so it's probably a chance worth taking for Wisconsin. But let's not forget that Wilson only completed 58% of his passes and threw 14 interceptions in an offense he knew either.

Color me unimpressed with the Big Ten Network's "Welcome to Nebraska" programming extravaganza this weekend. I have no problem with showing the 1995 and 1998 Orange Bowls as part of it; those are great to show. But every day?  Then padding it with the HuskerVision season highlight videos every day? Reruns of reruns?  Really? How about adding in some other great Nebraska performances? How about the 2000 Fiesta Bowl? Where's the 1996 Fiesta Bowl, for crying out loud?  The Game of the Century: 1971 Nebraska/Oklahoma?

Even some classic Nebraska/Big Ten matchups would be good.  1995 Nebraska/Michigan State or 1999 Nebraska/Iowa?  The Big Ten should have the rights to show those games; they were televised under Big Ten contracts.  And more 2010 games would be good as well. I like showing the Missouri game, especially since Missouri's administration pushed so hard for a Big Ten invitation. What about the Washington game in Seattle? Oklahoma State?  BTN has been showing games from last season for much of the last couple of weeks, so this would fit in well.

Not that I don't mind watching Nebraska beat Miami...just that I thought we would see more.

Blaming Nebraska

When somebody leaves a job, it's only natural for the people who remain to scapegoat the person who left for the problems the organization have. Sometimes it has a basis in fact: the person who left did, in fact, leave a mess. Sometimes it's just a sloppy transition, or just people having to adjust to a changed environment.

Or what usually happens, just pass the blame on, since the person who left isn't around to defend against the criticism. That seems to be the take of Berry Tramel of the Daily Oklahoman, who says it must be Nebraska's fault why the Big XII nearly collapsed last summer.

But as soon as Nebraska went out the door, everyone started getting along swimmingly. Even voted in equitable revenue-sharing, which always was a deal-breaker for UT, Oklahoma and Nebraska.

Maybe the Huskers were the problem all along.

Some lovely revisionist thinking there; makes about as much sense as the people who say that Nebraska left the Big XII because they couldn't beat Texas. Simple minds search out simple solutions, and disregard any evidence that foils their journey towards the solution they want. Hey, Blame Nebraska!
Of course, that ignores most of the preliminary discussions about conference realignment from early 2010, where Nebraska was an afterthought, at best, in the discussions. Texas was shopping themselves to the Pac-10 and Big Ten.  Missouri Governor Jay Nixon was already on record in 2009, campaigning for the Tigers to jump to the Big Ten. Heck, if you believe Chip Brown, Nebraska was a non-player in all of this.  (Well, that's going a bit too far...)

If anything, Nebraska was reacting to the changing landscape of college football. They saw what their conference partners were doing, and realized that the Big XII was potentially headed for a catastrophic ending. And in the end, they found a more stable foundation.

So what changed between then and now to "save" the Big XII? Was it really Nebraska leaving?  Hardly.
It was the Pac-10 and Big Ten's rejection of Texas, meaning that Texas, in the end, really only had two options:  Big XII or Independent.  Neither the Pac-10 nor the Big Ten were willing to allow Texas to license their own television network, so that eliminated those two options for the Longhorns. So when it was all said and done, Texas knew that the only option they had left was to stay in the Big XII.

So what caused the recent burst of solidarity in the conference? Nebraska leaving?  Hardly.  Try the king sized deal ESPN gave Texas to operate the Longhorn Network. The deal came in so rich, there really wasn't much point in continuing to belabor the past issues involving the Big XII.  Texas could afford to give in on all of those points of concern, because even so, those issues pale in comparison to the pipeline of cash flushing into DeLoss Dodds office from the Worldwide Leader in Sports. And Texas does need the Big XII; they need the BCS conference membership, especially with such close rivals. It's not so much that they control the Big XII, they just know that spiting what remains of the Big XII really hurts Texas in the end. So they remain after spending their time last year feeling their oats, and realizing that they really did have a good deal after all.

Bottom line:  Texas stayed in the Big XII because only the Big XII would let Texas operate their own network and control that revenue.  Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Texas Tech aren't willing to move anywhere away from Texas.  They just cannot escape them. Kansas, Kansas State, Baylor, and Iowa State all are grateful to be in a BCS conference; they'll do whatever Texas asks just to avoid having to admit that they are "Proud Members of the Mountain West Conference."  ("Thank you sir, may I have another?")
Missouri, of course, desperately wants out of the Big XII and into the Big Ten...but was humiliated to find out that the interest was only one way. So for now, they remain a "Proud Member of the Big XII", but keep pining for their escape. They realize that nobody really wants them, so there they remain.

That leaves Texas A&M, who still has yearnings to break free for the SEC, if they'll have them. The Aggies are probably the wild card with the greatest potential to break up the remains of the Big XII. The Aggies want no part of the Pac-12 due to the travel issues, so it all comes down to whether the SEC wants to make inroads in the Texas television market.

And thus, this "marriage of convenience" for the ten remaining "proud members of the Big XII" seems likely to continue as long as the status quo remains. But let's not confuse true solidarity for what the Big XII is today: it's merely a marriage of convenience, and still very much fragile.

Monday Proves Downtown Right Spot for College World Series

Even before the storm sirens blared, I was about ready to declare that downtown had successfully passed the first workday edition of the College World Series. All those concerns about parking and traffic combined with a workday turned out to be unwarranted. Traffic moved smoothly both before both games, and the area parking lots never completely filled up. That was much to the disappointment of businesses who tried to capitalize on the demand by charging Rosenblatt prices for parking downtown. One lot already marked down their parking from $35 to $20, and many lots struggled to find takers at $15 when MECA's lots still had spots open at $10 a car.

Will downtown Omaha have a problem next year when the CWS and the Olympic Swim Trials overlap? Maybe. I saw an awful lot of open spaces around the Civic, so while people will have to hike (or take shuttle busses), there will be a place to park. Even so, it's only a couple of days...and a rare event Omaha could never turn down.

And of course, then the storm hit, sending fans scurrying for cover. As anybody who's ever waited out a rain delay at Rosenblatt can attest, there's far more options to take cover at TD Ameritrade Park when a storm hits. Certainly being able to scurry over to the Qwest Center is a huge improvement over racing a mile to your car in the storm. And the concourses at the Qwest Center can accommodate far more people than the claustrophobic insides of Rosenblatt.

Bottom line: the decision to move the College World Series downtown is quickly being validated as the right decision for Omaha each and every day.

The CWS Opens - And For a Few, Fahey Moved Their Cheese

Last night, I headed down to the "Opening Ceremony" for the College World Series and when you consider that an estimated 23,000 people attended, I think it's nearly time to finally put to rest all those complaints about the move downtown. Sure, some people will still complain, but it's becoming more and more evident that their problem boils down to "somebody moved their cheese."

Parking complaints? Traffic? Puhhh-leeeze.  With thousands more parking spaces nearby, parking and traffic are so much better downtown than at Rosenblatt. Barely an hour before the opening ceremonies began, traffic moved very smoothly around the ballpark...a sharp contrast to the traditional traffic jams that ensnarled traffic from Rosenblatt all the way past I-480 some days.  Afterwards, streets were relatively congested, as you might expect with 23,000 people leaving at one time. But even that moved smoothly, and I was quickly able to get to the Interstate.  I estimate it took less than 15 minutes to find my way into clear sailing to head home. And most of that was because I ended up on Cuming Street, which is probably going to be the biggest bottleneck, though still so much better than 13th Street was.

The concourses at Ameritrade were full of people, but appeared to be able to handle the flow. I didn't visit the concessions, but I didn't see any long lines.  We'll see what happens when people spend a full day at the ballpark in the heat to gauge that.

Even Zesto's is there, now closer than ever, albeit with a temporary tent.  Everywhere you look, there are places to eat, drink, and party, if you so choose. All those concerns about the city and the NCAA taking the "fun" out of the CWS?  Please.

Is it a little sterile? Maybe. The empty seats certainly aren't as colorful as Rosenblatt's red, blue, and yellow seats. But one the place is filled up, you won't notice it.  Yes, we lose the iconic Desert Dome in right field, but gain lots of other stunning visuals: the Bob Kerrey bridge behind left field, and the Omaha skyline just behind the right field corner.

All those concerns about the river?  Everything seems to be holding, and the situation seems to have improved ever-so-slightly, as interstates start to reopen.  The sewer problem at 12th and Nicolas still exists, but frankly, any smell seems transient at worst.  Walking around the ballpark yesterday, the predominant smell was grills and hamburgers.

Have things changed? Yes...and for the better.  The downtown area is simply so much better equipped to handle this event.  Will it be perfect? Nope.  Events like this will never be...and it'll take time to work out the kinks. Some people will look back nostalgically at Rosenblatt and the wonderful memories, pushing the claustrophibic concourses, long lines, and ridiculous traffic/parking problems out of their minds. That's their choice to wallow in their unhappiness.

Vote Against Nebraska, Husker Fans

ESPN's SportsNation is trying to fill that summertime void by conducting an online vote for the best college traditions. Fair enough; it's summer time and we're waiting for football season to begin. The matchup is between Ohio State and Nebraska.  Ohio State's tradition is the "Script Ohio" that the Buckeye Band forms each game, with one lucky individual getting the honor of dotting the "i". Great pagentry, and a great tradition.

So what was Nebraska's entry?  A horseshoe.

Wait... a horseshoe?  That's right, a horseshoe.

OK, let's forgive ESPN a bunch of ignorance. The horseshoe really is a bit part of a larger Nebraska tradition: the Tunnel Walk.  Pretty cool tradition, mind you...but let's put it in perspective.  It's less than 20 years old, and it was created by that rat b**rd Steve Pederson.  Script Ohio is 58 years older and requires precise marching, and culminates with the honor of dotting the "i".

Sorry, but the Tunnel Walk loses that comparison.  It's cool, just not that cool.

And frankly, Nebraska's traditions don't hold up that well against some of the rest of college football. When I heard of the Horseshoe being nominated, I racked my brains for something that could compete with "Script Ohio", and frankly, I couldn't come up with many. The fiftieth year of sellouts?  That comes close, but it's not really an action you can point to. Sea of red? A lot of places dress in their school colors.  Balloons after the first score? Maybe, but that's not very impressive. "Waving the corn" has some potential, but only about a third of the stadium does it, and besides, we stole it from Kansas.  "Husker! Power!" is a good chant, as is "Gooooo Biiiiiiig Reeeeedddd!  GOBIGRED!", but again, those chants aren't there either.

Doesn't make Nebraska football bad, just that we haven't identified that signature tradition that's only Nebraska. The Tunnel Walk might be there some day, but it's too new...and certainly not up to the same level of tradition as Script Ohio.

I'm sure that the word is being passed around once again to "vote for Nebraska" in this vote.  Except we're not voting for Nebraska, but rather a tradition. And in this one, Ohio State's tradition is much better than Nebraska's. We're not voting for Bo Pelini, or for Jim Tressel here. We're not voting for Tommie Frazier or Terrelle Pryor. It's two traditions, and the tradition ESPN picked for Nebraska doesn't hold a candle to the other.

ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit caught his underwear in a huge wedgie when an ESPN discussion as to the best college football team ever came down to a question of 1971 vs. 1995 Nebraska. He accused Husker fans of stuffing the ballot box. When it's an argument like whether 1995 Nebraska was the best team ever (they are), whether 1994 Nebraska was better than 1994 Penn State (probably two touchdowns better), whether Ndamukong Suh was the best player in college football in 2009 (should have won the Heisman), or whether Tommie Frazier got screwed in this year's college football hall of fame vote (he did), Nebraska fans should jump in with their partisan opinion. And do it with confidence that it's the right thing to do.

But for the "horseshoe"?? Sit this one out, or vote for Ohio State. This isn't a vote Nebraska should win.

One Year Later, Remaining Big XII Schools Try to Rewrite History

It's interesting how people perceive things after the fact. This weekend marks the one year anniversary of Nebraska's epic switch to the Big Ten Conference, and with the switch less than three weeks away, everyone seems to be more comfortable with the situation. Certainly Nebraska fans are pleased with it; new rivalries and no pay-per-view broadcasts for football games. But by that same matter, Nebraska fans probably haven't fully realized what they've lost, like close opponents like Iowa State, Kansas, and Kansas State, which made for easy drives for fans. That'll come with time, I guess.  Maybe when in five years or so, when that seven hour drive to the Twin Cities or that nine hour drive to Champaign/Urbana starts getting a little old.

But I get the feeling that in the remains of the Big XII, denial isn't just a river in Egypt. Lots of revisionist thinking going on over there, as those "proud members of the Big XII" keep trying to convince themselves of just that. Take Missouri, for example. Eighteen months ago, they were the first Big XII school to actively shop themselves around...and eventually found that only the Mountain West and the Big East were the only interested parties. So are they "proud members" now? Of course they are now after they didn't even win Miss Congeniality last summer.

Particularly humorous was this interview with Dan Beebe by the normally level-headed Dave Matter of the Columbia Daily-Herald. (I nearly did a spit-take on my laptop when I read the headline about Beebe saving the Big 12.) The chuckles revolve around the Big XII's new TV deal with Fox, with games all over the dial (Fox Sports Net, where it gets pre-empted by baseball, basketball, and hockey in major markets), FX (where nobody looks for sports programming), and Fox College Sports (does anybody get this on cable anyway?)  Yep, the Big XII is going to make more money than they used to...but the SEC is already reexamining their deals with CBS and ESPN, and the Big Ten goes back to the well in a few years as well.

It's still a somewhat fragile relationship, formed in large part on rejections by everybody else. Texas stuck with the Big XII after the Pac-12 refused to budge on a Longhorn television network. Texas A&M keeps hinting about the SEC. It's a marriage of convenience for most of the Big XII South, and a marriage of necessity for Baylor and the remaining Big XII North schools.

So while the Big XII is all talking warm and fuzzy now, don't believe that all is well behind the scenes. The same issues that nearly destroyed the conference last year still remain, and still mostly unresolved.

Thursday Night Beer: Sleep Deprived Out-of-Office Edition

It's been a busy week out-of-town, so here are some belated quick takes.

Darin Erstad. There are two ways to take Erstad's hiring as the new head coach for Husker baseball: (1) Tom Osborne was bold, or (2) Tom Osborne was lazy and gave it to one of his former players.  Which one is correct? It comes down to your perspective, I guess. I lean towards the "bold" label. Erstad is an intense player who should bring instant name recognition when he's out recruiting. Lee Barfknecht calls him a "rock". The lack of experience doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad hire either. Larry Dieker had never coached before becoming manager of the Houston Astros. They won the division four out of five seasons.

TD Ameritrade Park and Flooding. At this point, I'm not terribly concerned; it'll take a lot more flooding to make it there. If anything, I'd be concerned about the Qwest Center. That being said, getting there may be difficult for people who drive in, just based on the flooding on the Iowa side of the river.

Big Ten Network: I'm not quite sure what's going on between the Big Ten Network and local cable companies like Cox in Omaha or Time Warner in Lincoln, but it's definitely a power play. It's a confusing story, as Jim Delaney seems to indicate that the Big Ten Network might not televise any Nebraska games until some of these other cable companies sign an upgraded contract. I'm thinking I don't have an issue, as my cable company added BTN last December to their basic cable package. But if the Big Ten decides to pocket the broadcast rights and refuse to televise the games, who knows what will happen.  My best guess is that Cox and Time Warner are trying to hold the Big Ten to an older "out of area" deal, as BTN charges cable companies outside the Big Ten region less than they charge companies in Big Ten areas.  When the cable companies signed up with BTN, Nebraska was a "proud member of the Big XII" and thus "out of the area".  Now that's changed, and the Big Ten wants the deal upgraded. And the leverage is Nebraska football.

Eric Crouch:  With the word that Eric Crouch was trying out for the Omaha Nighthawks, the almost predictable knee-jerk reaction of "quitter" came back. I've never quite understood the disdain some people have for Crouch around here. Did he quit the NFL? Yes... he decided he didn't want to play wide receiver. After watching him get lit up over the middle in his last preseason game, I kind of see why.  But the whole "quit the Huskers" thing? Let me ask a question: how many practices did he miss?  So he went back to talk to his old high school coach? Big deal. How many players talk to their high school coach after they graduate? Remember, Millard North is less than a one hour drive from Lincoln. And let's remember something else: Eric Crouch was clearly a better quarterback than Bobby Newcombe. Newcombe was an exciting open field runner, but he wasn't half the quarterback Crouch was.

Squeakball:  I may have to turn Twitter off for the evening, as I'm getting way too many confusing tweets from people that are apparently watching the Not Basketball Association.  I guess there was a game tonight. Me, I'm looking forward to game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final tomorrow night. Being on the road, I missed games 3 and 4 which turned out to be blowouts. But the first two games were pretty darn good.

Monday Night Beer: Ohio State Situation Unraveling Faster than a Cheap Imported Sweater

Today was a holiday that college football fans had to occasionally head inside to check the internet for the latest word on Ohio State. It was only inevitable that Jim Tressel was going to be removed as head coach; it was only a question of when. And with Sports Illustrated about ready to drop the bomb on Tressel and the Buckeyes, it was time to fly. And now the NCAA is digging into Terrelle Pryor's car deals as well?  Start queuing up the "Lack of Institutional Control" moniker for The Ohio State University.

And with everything that's going down in Columbus, I'm not terribly worried about Bo Pelini flying the coop and heading back to his alma mater at this point.  If the NCAA comes down hard on the Buckeyes, Pelini (and nearly every elite coach) won't go near a Buckeye program that will be on life support due to NCAA probation. I expect they'll lose so many scholarships that they'll quickly become uncompetitive in the B1G from 2013 through 2016.

And if they don't come down hard, Ohio State will pursue Urban Meyer hard. It sounds like Pelini is down the list a bit, and it sounds like there is  mutual interest between Meyer and the Buckeyes. So at this point, it's not getting worked up about.


Several people have tweaked me about Tom Shatel's column with Omaha Royals or whatever owner Alan Stein over the Trailer Park. One thing is clear, Sarpy County and the Whatchamacallit's did a pretty good job building what they could out in BFE. (Of course, it clocked in at $36 million, a wee bit more than the $25 million that was originally thrown out there...)  I know that Shatel was bedazzeled by all the "family friendly" amenities, though I do take issue with the idea that this is the norm for minor league baseball nowadays. Sure, some of this stuff is the norm, but the Trailer Park takes it to a whole other level. Even baseball park aficionados suggest that BFE's kids area is like no other.

I understand why the Whatchamacallit's did it this way; they sold this as what all parks do, so they did it to the extreme. They know that MECA is likely to bring an independent league team to the more centrally located TD Ameritrade Park downtown, and they needed to make a preemptive strike on that end.  (I reject the idea that some of this wasn't possible at Ameritrade, with it's wide outfield concourses. Carnivals transport carousels and bouncy houses all over the place, and setting one up along the concourse shouldn't be a big deal with an eye towards removing it for the College World Series.  Only the whiffle ball field probably wouldn't work downtown...)

And frankly, I'm not sure how "family friendly" the ballpark is when the carousel costs an additional $5 a person on top of the $11 reserved ticket. Just my observation is that families are trying to spend less money these days, so throwing a hard-to-ignore carousel in the outfield is kind of like the lady who goes around bars each night selling $5 roses, trying to make you feel like a heel for not buying one for your date.  Suddenly, a trip to the ballgame for a family of four starts becoming rather expensive when you are spending $45 on tickets, $5 to park, and $20 for the carousel before you even get to the concession stand.

But hey...I'm cheap...

I also noticed that Stein concedes that attendance will be flat out in BFE this season over last season. The Trailer Park might be the only new stadium ever built that didn't result in a significant increase in attendance as fans flock out to see the new ballpark.  Towson  University recently determined that the average new AAA ballpark results in a 25% increase in attendance.  So what happens after the new ballpark smell wears off, and the surrounding development continues to sit idle for another 5-7 years?  Good question.  Ask Council Bluffs Mayor Mike Hanafan about the Mid-America Center and how that's working out.

Oh, and I've neglected to mention that AJ's back to the blogging world. He's just as over-the-top and confused in his conclusions as ever, but he's still an entertaining read. (Now if he could just figure out how to get an RSS feed going...) And don't worry...he may claim the "Huskerh8er" retired victorious (umm, yeah, right...), but there's no way he can keep his dislike of Nebraska football fans in check all the time.  So he'll still fire off an occasional illogical, but highly amusing, rant against Husker fans.

The Impact of Cody Green's Transfer

It became fairly apparent to me during this year's spring game that Cody Green's days at quarterback were numbered at Nebraska. Green had long been passed up by Taylor Martinez, and in that scrimmage, he was outplayed by Brion Carnes and probably walkon Ron Kellogg III as well. And if you believe the rumor mill, Kody Spano as well until a shoulder injury ended his career. So it wasn't a surprise that Green announced he was transferring. If he didn't transfer, I figured he'd find another position on the field.

To be sure, Green improved on his poise in the pocket as a sophomore, but seemed to regress in other areas. He overthrew wide-open receivers in the Holiday Bowl, and was rather fumble-prone. It seems Green's lone highlight of his Husker career was that 49 yard run against Florida Atlantic.

With that in mind, I don't think Green's decision to transfer is a big loss in terms of depth. Yes, it's a loss of experience...but Carnes looks to be ready to play. Kellogg looks like he could be serviceable, and certainly more reliable if we had to go three deep.  If Nebraska has to go beyond that, the season probably is in enough trouble... I don't know of too many teams that have to go to a fourth quarterback in a season.  In that case, Jamal Turner might get a look...and you never know whether Bubba Starling might not be around as well.  Heck, Rex Burkhead is there too... Plenty of options for Nebraska.

Where I think Green's loss is going to be felt is on the sideline. I get the impression that Green is the consummate team player; willing to do whatever it takes to help the team. Even sticking up for his offensive coordinator when many in this state were heating up the vats of tar last December.  He was always a great interview, and in that light, he'll be missed.

Where will Green end up? Hard to say...I've heard Boise State, Louisville (to rejoin Shawn Watson), and many Texas schools. Wherever it is, hopefully it all works out for him and he finds a good situation. I do wonder if this trend of quarterbacks bolting in search of playing time is all for the best, however.

Thursday Night Beer: There's Interest in Husker Baseball

One thing is clear to me this week: while attendance was down at Haymarket Park, Husker fans still care about baseball. I do hear a lot of interest and rumor-mongering about the coaching search, and that's a definite good sign for the long-term.  I'm not going to speculate on coaching candidates, because frankly, every coach that Nebraska is considering at this point is focusing on their current team in the post-season. So this search is something that is likely going to drag out for a while...and that's a good thing.

I was rather disappointed that ABC slotted the Nebraska/Iowa game for an 11 am kickoff on the day after Thanksgiving. Granted, it is late February, so playing in daylight is a good thing, but I'm still of the opinion that I'd rather have lunch before kickoff. I guess the message is this:  while Nebraska is a national brand in football, Iowa isn't.  That's why ABC chose Boston College/Miami for the late game that day.

Well, it's official: Braylon Heard is cleared to play at Nebraska. So while Nebraska doesn't have an established backup behind Rex Burkhead, I think it's safe to say that at least one will emerge from the incoming freshmen of Heard, Aaron Green, and Ameer Abdullah.

Quarterback depth could still be an issue this fall with the official word of Kody Spano's hanging up his pads. That's not a surprise; we've heard the rumors for a month and a half. But it does limit the options for the Huskers at quarterback:  Taylor Martinez, Brion Carnes, Cody Green, then what?  Jamal Turner back to quarterback? Maybe as an emergency. Bubba Starling? Check back on August 16th.

I wandered around TD Ameritrade Park around the lunch hour, and I'm just getting a vision of what this area is going to look like in three weeks when the College World Series rolls downtown... and it's going to be cool.  Lots of construction that still needs to be finished mind you, but things are starting to take shape. Exhibit One: Zesto's is now open just beyond right field. Yes, it's only a trailer and a tent, because the construction trailers were only removed days earlier...but it's there.  Unfortunately, the hot fudge shakes weren't there today, so I walked away empty handed, but I figure that's one of those things that'll work themselves out.

Sunday Night Dessert: No BTN PrimeTime Games for Nebraska?

Color me rather surprised that the Big Ten Network did not select any of Nebraska's games for a prime-time telecast, especially the Tennessee-Chattanooga game on Labor Day weekend. I'm going to profess my ignorance of how the Big Ten deals work, but I don't think timeslots are quite as regimented in the Big Ten as they were in the Big XII. Chattanooga is almost assuredly a BTN game, probably an 11 am kickoff.  (I'm hoping that perhaps the powers that be might push this one back to mid-afternoon, but I'm doubtful.)  That's the game I figured would end up on BTN primetime to welcome Nebraska, but no dice.

The September 10th game against Fresno State looks to be an 11 am ESPN/ESPN2 telecast (insert your favorite Pam Ward comment here).  Michigan/Notre Dame is already announced for prime time, and Penn State/Alabama should get the 2:30 ABC spot. The other candidate for any ESPN morning kickoff is Wisconsin/Oregon State.  The Washington game on September 17th is likely a 2:30 pm ABC game, unless ABC chooses to show Iowa/Pitt.

The next three games are prime-time affairs:  Wyoming (6:30 pm on September 24th) is on Versus, while ESPN or ABC will televise the Wisconsin (October 1st) and Ohio State (October 8th) games at 7 pm.  After that, it all remains to be seen where games end up, though I think Nebraska at Penn State on November 12th is probably a 2:30 pm ABC game.

Heck, at this point, we don't even know when (or who) is going to televise the Nebraska/Iowa game on the day after Thanksgiving.  My guess is it'll be a mid-afternoon ESPN broadcast; ABC has already committed to a 2:30 pm Boston College/Miami game.

Speaking of Thanksgiving weekend, I see one of the never-admit-defeat UNO football boosters suggested that UNO could have played Northern Iowa that same weekend, and draw 15,000 or 20,000 to TD Ameritrade Park. It was an interesting idea initially, as it would be a weekend where UNO could escape the shadow of the Huskers...except for one little problem.  The division 1-AA playoffs start that weekend, so Northern Iowa wouldn't be interested in that game in all likelihood.  I have to admit that the "Save UNO Football and Wrestling" Facebook is rather humorous; at times, it's just about as ridiculous as yesterday's Rapture non-event.

Husker baseball ended the 2011 season on a semi-high note by sweeping a doubleheader from Missouri yesterday. Now the waiting begins, and I think Tom Osborne is going to need to do something.  Mike Anderson has only one year left on his contract, so letting him finish it out is unlikely at best. Very few players will commit to play for an obvious lame-duck coach, so Osborne needs to either extend Anderson's contract or replace him with somebody else.

If I had to make a gut call, I think Osborne will choose to go another direction.  Missing the Big XII tournament three seasons in a row is something that's difficult to explain away. I don't know who would replace Anderson, though I seriously doubt it would be  Virginia's Brian O'Connor. Only if the draw of being closer to family were a huge factor would O'Connor be interested in jumping to a Big Ten school. Let's put the two conferences in perspective:  Jack Dahm resigned at Creighton as boosters were becoming unhappy, and went to Iowa. That speaks volumes to me about the relative strength of Big Ten baseball.

UPDATE: Almost immediately after submitting this blog entry, my Twitter feed exploded. The Omaha World-Herald and Lincoln Journal-Star now are reporting that the players were assembled at 1 pm to inform them that the coaching staff had been terminated. Not a surprise in my mind. I knew Tom Osborne wouldn't act during the season, so all the kvetching and bemoaning about the situation wasn't going to change things.

Now the question, who will be the next head coach?

Frazier Snub Diminishes Glory for Will Shields

In between meetings this morning, I caught the word that Will Shields was in the college football hall of fame via Twitter, and thought great. So I went on for a while thinking that two Huskers would be inducted into the Hall of Fame this year.  I just assumed that Tommie Frazier would be in. I mean, how could he not? He routinely shows up on the list of the greatest players of all time (Sports Illustrated's "All Century" team, for example), so he has to get in. I was so sure that I wrote an article for CornNation to be ready to go as soon as the Frazier announcement was made.

Except that Frazier didn't get in. My article got revised and posted as "Frazier Snubbed"...and that's the really awful thing about this...because it takes away the limelight that Will Shields earned. Great player, great career. He deserves the glory.  But for some bizarre reason, Husker fans are left wondering "WTF?"

I'm not going to criticize most of the selections. I had a ballot this year, and I voted for some of them.  Deion Sanders was a no-brainer to me.  Russell Maryland got my nod, and I thought that Minnesota's Sandy Stephens deserved to get in for historical reasons.  But how do guys like Frazier, Willie Roaf, or Jonathan Ogden not get in ahead of some of these guys?

Some would say it was "only one player per team"? OK, then take Frazier.  Some would say that you have to be extraordinary to get in on the first ballot.  OK, then explain Arizona's Rob Waldrop. I'm not saying that Waldrop doesn't belong in the hall...but does he deserve it before Frazier?

Hard to explain these things. I was prepared for Shields to get overlooked this year, so his induction is a really big deal and great news. Only problem is that his quarterback from his senior season was even more deserving, and didn't get in.

Sunday Night Dessert: Yet Another Study for the Civic

It seems that every couple of years, the city of Omaha does a survey to evaluate the Civic Auditorium. Problem with the place is while it's structurally sound, it's functionally obsolete and in dire need of maintenance work. Some people pooh-pooh the "functional obsolescence" declaration, but frankly, the Civic has been the destination of last resort for events in the Omaha area.  Lancers need to escape Council Bluffs?  Hello Civic.  UNO needs a place to play division 1 basketball?  Hello Civic.  Those are stop-gap, interim solutions for both organizations. Last week, Ralston voters approved a bond issue to build a new 3500 seat ice rink for the Lancers, and UNO still likely is going to build their own arena for hockey and basketball.  So that raises the question: just what good is the Civic anymore, and what should Omaha do with it?

And once again, some UNO fans are once again suggesting that UNO hockey move back to the Civic. Never mind that the Civic can't hold an average UNO hockey crowd, especially after last season's surge under Dean Blais. Some people remember the sight lines, and the crowd for that "Tuesday Night" play-in game against Bowling Green back in 2000, and jump head over heels for a return to the Civic. Ah, who cares if the plumbing doesn't work, adding in modern amenities means the capacity drops even further. Who cares if the Civic property has already been identified for redevelopment in the next 20 years. First drop of the hat, they're ready to jump back in the old hole.

Problem is, nobody's discussing whether it makes sense to renovate and upgrade the Civic. This survey seems to be intent on deciding whether it makes sense to make any repairs or start mothballing the place. That's not where UNO should play hockey; not if UNO considers themselves an up and coming national power. The only reason UNO should play at the Auditorium is if a natural disaster (Missouri River flood or tornado, for example) closes the Qwest Center.  Here's hoping that the city can find a way to keep the place open for a couple more years.  After that... time to start boarding the place up.

Today's World-Herald featured more interviews with UNO athletic director Trev Alberts and chancellor John Christensen, pretty much confirming my thoughts about ESPN's hatchet job the week prior. Problem is, Alberts and Christensen still aren't putting everything on the table. Just go ahead and release the numbers for football:  tell us what UNO's football revenues were:  tickets, concessions, advertising, etc.  Tell us what UNO's football expenses are:  salaries, scholarships, travel, etc.  And let us draw our own conclusions.  I don't think Alberts has anything to fear here; the story isn't going away quietly on it's own.

Speaking of "going away", Nebraska baseball got swept this weekend by Texas A&M. The World-Herald's Jon Nyatawa had a great interview with Tom Osborne over baseball, unless you are one of those people who want Mike Anderson drawn and quartered tomorrow. Osborne isn't going to throw any coach under the bus during the season, so why anybody expects him to do so now isn't clear. Mike Anderson isn't going anywhere until after the season, then after that, all bets are off. Right now, I think it's less likely that Anderson returns next season...but that's a decision that won't likely be made until June.

I do know one thing; Osborne doesn't look at coaches the same way fans do. Take Doc Sadler, who was rumored to be somewhere on Texas A&M's list of candidates for a new basketball coach. Smarter basketball people than me respect Doc Sadler and the job he's done at Nebraska, and while the results aren't what we want, I'm not sure anybody else could do any better. Unfortunately, that type of talk is pretty depressing. One thing is clear about Sadler: his teams have been getting better. This year, they were approaching the bubble of the NCAA tournament at one point. .. so fans have no choice at this point but to muddle through.

Tuesday Night Beer: TD Ameritrade Park Passes the Parking Test

I didn't get a chance to attend tonight's Nebraska/Creighton game down at TD Ameritrade Park tonight, but I was downtown driving past the new stadium about an hour before the first pitch, and frankly, the concerns about having two big crowds downtown turned out, at least for this night, much to do about nothing. Parking lots were filling up, and pedestrians were filling sidewalks, but traffic was moving smoothly. That's the report from the World-Herald as well.  I was struck by this because normally during a big event at Rosenblatt, I'd leave downtown and see the lines and lines of cars backed up for miles on I-80.  Not even remotely the same situation downtown.  Now, the College World Series will be a different beast. Some parking will be lost for events, and many people will be coming downtown just to tailgate and party...but based on tonight's results, downtown is going to handle the College World Series just fine. It may feel the strain when the CWS and the Olympic Swim Trials are going on next June, but frankly, it's worth it to have both ESPN and NBC broadcasting big events from Omaha, just two blocks apart.

I've been reviewing the response to ESPN's "Outside the Lines" report on UNO, and I've seen three distinct opinions.  People who believe that Trev Alberts and UNO is trying to do the right thing (like myself), saw the ESPN report as a waste of airtime and a hatchet job. People who believe that Alberts is a lying sack of manure, doing Tom Osborne's dirty work, are convinced more than ever.  (My favorite is the wrestling blogger who thinks that a grand jury should put people at UNO in jail.  Um, yeah.  Right.)  And a lot of people in the middle are confused, don't know what to think.

And for good reason: UNO's football and wrestlers got the rug pulled out from under them. There's three time all-American Esai Dominguez, who won't have a chance to go for a fourth, choosing to get his degree rather than transfer to another school and likely have to find a new major and have to backup. But there's also the obfuscation of the numbers that both sides claim the other side is performing.  Did UNO football lose $1.3 million ... or just $50,500, like ESPN claims.

Frankly, from my perspective, the $50,500 figure is completely ludicrous. No way that you can fund 6 coaches (probably around $400k total, if I had to guess) and 36 scholarships (at an average of, say $20k each is about $700k), and fund that with average attendance of 3800 a game. Not when most tickets are $10-$15 a game, and students get in free.

But the call from unhappy football and wrestling supporters is for transparency.  And you know what, the only way UNO moves on is to publish all the details about how UNO came up with the $1.3 million figure. Show us the salaries. Show us the ticket revenue.  Show us the scholarship costs.  Quiet all the debate about fudging the numbers.

Because in the end, the argument is likely going to come down to trying to show the impact of the football and wrestling on the entire UNO campus in terms of tuition and fees, as ESPN apparently did. So then you can call out ESPN to give us the costs associated with providing an education to football students.  Of course, they don't have those numbers, but there are some general campus-wide costs you can provide.

Yes, if you take this far enough, the numbers will change as you slice, dice, and puree the numbers beyond any resemblance of what's been reported thus far. But if UNO is really telling the truth, this will expose the claims of deception as unsubstantiated.

Why do this?  Well, some might argue that the students affected by this deserve it. But maybe the best analogy is to compare it to Barack Obama convincing the State of Hawai'i to release his long-form birth certificate to pretty much disprove all the ridiculous claims of the "birthers."  Producing that version of the birth certificate finally resolved that argument, though truth be told, bringing Osama bin Laden to justice probably had more to do with it.

Bottom line, is that while football and wrestling supporters should have known of UNO's financial problems, if only because of the Nancy Belck/Jim Buck scandal five years ago, the only way to stop the debate is to open the books and let them see for themselves. They've had five years to steer the football program in a different direction, and failed to do so.

It's especially ironic to hear former UNO athletic director Bob Danenhauer leading the charge against Trev Alberts this week. Many of UNO's problems with finances with athletics seemed to originate under his watch, especially his (mis)management of UNO hockey in the transition from the Civic to the Qwest Center, which turned hockey from a cash cow into a money loser.  Trev Alberts finally steered hockey out of the ditch, and seems to be poised to bring most of the rest of the athletic department as well.

But football and wrestling are going to be the long-term casualties of what Alberts' predecessors (i.e. Danenhauer) did to Maverick athletics. That's a bitter pill for supporters of those programs to accept, and it'll take special treatment to quiet the clamor. It starts with transparency.

ESPN Tries to "Wrestle With The Truth" at UNO

The story of UNO's decision to drop football and wrestling went national this morning, as ESPN broadcast a 10 minute story about the wrestlers and how they've been devastated by the decision to discontinue UNO's wrestling program. It's was a story high on emotion, and woefully short on details. Details that explain why UNO was making the change, for example, and how the events of March came to be. It also adds it's own set of muddled, self-contradicting details in a companion story posted online that casts even more doubt on the case against Trev Alberts and UNO.

The original story broke at the worst possible time: as the wrestling team was celebrating their third straight national championship. I don't believe that was intentional; the timing of the announcement was forced by the Omaha World-Herald. Not that there is ever a good time to announce this sort of thing... but some times are worse than others. And it's a sad story, to be sure. The wrestlers did nothing wrong. They got caught up in a numbers game outside of their control. It's unfortunate, but whether we like it or not, budgets are under pressure on college campuses across the nation. Look at Nebraska-Lincoln, where chancellor Harvey Perlman is cutting programs and raising tuition. At UNO, the athletic department receives nearly $6 million a year in funds from the school itself; money that probably should be spent on academic programs, some could argue.

ESPN's online version of the story tries to make the case that Alberts is using questionable accounting, but the expert in question, economist Andy Schwarz, is the one with the questionable accounting:

"UNO had 36 football scholarships divided among 77 of the 121 football players from this past season, and players such as Davis were paying the more expensive out-of-state tuition. The university counts the cost of athletic scholarships as an expense against the football department, but it doesn't count the tuition that student-athletes pay as revenue. If it did, Schwarz said the football program could count at least an additional $700,000 in revenue, and for wrestling it would be at least $200,000."

Counting the tuition and fees that athletes pay to the school is certainly revenue to the school, but not the athletic department. If you include that revenue, then you absolutely have to include the expenses the school incurs while educating these athletes...a figure that's nowhere to be seen in the ESPN report. I don't have that number either, but considering that the University of Nebraska is a state-sponsored school and receives support from state government, that's likely pretty close to (and more likely higher) than the tuition revenue athletes pay. If that's the "smoking gun" that UNO wrestling and football supporters have been counting on, well, that backfired.

The story also rehashed the David Sokol allegation that UNO's football program was sacrificed so that it was no longer a threat to the Husker football program. Of course, ESPN's report didn't attribute that statement, knowing that since making that statement, Sokol has become part of a bigger controversy after resigning from Berkshire Hathaway due to ethical concerns with his stock purchases of a company Warren Buffett was purchasing.  Frankly, it's a silly argument.

Could UNO football become a "powerhouse", as Van Deeb argued? Hardly, I believe. UNO football averaged around 3800 fans a game last season. For comparison, UNO drew nearly as many fans for two hockey games against Wisconsin as the football team drew all season. Some fans point to the success of the Omaha Nighthawks, but fail to realize the difference between professional football (granted, not NFL, but with players that were stars in college) and division 1-AA football (teams like Northern Iowa and Tennessee-Chattanooga). Oh, and the Nighthawks wisely scheduled their games away from Husker games, playing on two Friday nights, a Thursday night, and a Saturday when the Huskers had a bye-week.  UNO can't do that, and thanks to the way television contracts manipulate kickoff times, it's nearly impossible to schedule around Nebraska football.

In the past, we've come to expect sloppy reporting from ESPN when it came to coverage of Nebraska football, so I wasn't surprised to find a bunch of errors ("hockey attendance has dropped in recent years") in the details. But I tried to keep an open mind that ESPN might find something, anything, to call UNO's decision into question.

But they didn't. In the end, the only impact of the story was the pain the wrestlers faced in seeing their program end moments after reaching the pinnacle of success.

Will ESPN Reveal New Information about UNO - Or Just Fling Mud

ESPN's "Outside the Lines" series (hosted by one of my favorite sportscasters at ESPN, Bob Ley) will be airing a report on the changes at UNO this Sunday morning at 8 am, apparently focusing on the end of the wrestling program.


While the preview focuses on the athletes involved, the synopsis of the story says this:

  An "OTL" investigation has uncovered discrepancies between financial data that UNO provided to the NCAA and official statements made to the public.

The supporters of UNO's wrestling and football programs have been eagerly awaiting this report as some sort of expose of UNO athletic director Trev Alberts. Call this a hunch, but while I don't expect anything ESPN to produce anything that reflects positively on the analyst they fired six years ago, I'm skeptical that ESPN has found anything that dramatically changes the situation from what we know. A "discrepancy" could reflect different accounting methodologies that take money earned one way and credit it elsewhere.  For example, I was surprised to learn a year or two ago that Nebraska-Lincoln has reported losses on men's basketball.  Turns out that is because the media revenues for television and radio are commingled with media revenues for other sports like football...and thus, are not credited to the basketball program directly.  (But anybody making budget decisions in Lincoln knows that if men's basketball were to disappear, that revenue would disappear from the athletic department as well.)

Frankly, with the corporate titans of Omaha overseeing, if not outright leading, the entire review of UNO's athletic department, the suggestion that Alberts was playing fast and loose with the facts is pretty hard to believe. Certainly the World-Herald dug into the story, and didn't find anything. I imagine other media outlets did the same.

I do expect this story to take the perspective of the wrestlers, who are 100% entitled to feel disappointed, or better yet, abandoned, by their university. The timing of it was about as bad as it possibly could be. Win a national championship, then find out hours later that the program is over.  They have every right to be upset and angry; they did nothing wrong.  That being said, everything I've heard and read about UNO's decision convinces me that UNO made the painful, but correct, decision to drop wrestling and football back in March.

And frankly, I think I'll likely feel the same way at 8:30 am Sunday morning after ESPN's broadcast.  We'll see.

Wednesday Afternoon Soft Drink: Pac-12 TV Deal Tops Big XII

A lot of our friends in the Big XII tried to waive the Big XII's recent big deal with Fox Sports as something that means that Nebraska acted rashly in jumping to the Big Ten. And they were right that the Fox deal is a big deal...but it didn't change the dynamics of the situation.  Proof #1? Yesterday's even bigger deal between the Pac-12 and ESPN and Fox.  The Pac-12 gets $250 million a year, and gain national coverage of their biggest games on Fox broadcast. That means no regional coverage anymore...and since it's in the Pacific time zone, they'll probably be prime time broadcasts in the eastern two-thirds of the U.S.  Mo' money, guys.

And while guys like David Ubben of ESPN point out that the Big XII will get to go back to the well in a few years when the ABC deal expires, I'll point out something else.  The Big Ten will also be jumping back into the fray at that time as well.  Is Fox going to continue to be a big player? I think so.  I also think NBC might also be ready to jump in as well.

For years, the biggest problem with the ABC contracts were regional coverage, meaning that fans had to subscribe to GamePlan and pay extra for games outside their region. The SEC had the national deal with CBS and didn't have to play that game. Now the Pac-12 abandons regional ABC for a national Fox deal. And in a few years, ABC and NBC will likely fight it out over a national deal for the Big Ten. Yes, that means that the Big XII will be the consolation prize in that fight.

That is, unless Texas decides to bail on the Big XII television deal and deal one-on-one with ESPN themselves.  In which case, the Big XII might struggle to get a deal with the CW or some other niche network.  (Would PBS be interested?)


The addition of Sam McKeown to the World-Herald's staff has been a bonanza for fans...but today's article on the Pistol formation is a little off. The pistol is nothing new at Nebraska; they previewed it in the monsoon at Missouri in 2009, and ran it a lot last season...including most of last season's spring game. So let's not read it as something new, but rather something that's going to be retained. More importantly, is it going to work better down the stretch this season?

Creighton announced via Twitter this morning that more than 15,000 tickets have been sold for next Tuesday's Nebraska/Creighton baseball game at TD Ameritrade Park. Sounds like it might be three-times warmer for this game; should be another huge crowd.  And will this be Mike Anderson's last game in Omaha? I don't normally like to call for people's heads (Steve Pederson being the exception), but at some point in time, Nebraska baseball has to start winning some conference series...

Speaking of ballparks, I had to chuckle about the World-Herald's story on the attendance out at the Trailer Park. Yes, the weather in April was not conducive to watching baseball, so the crowds each day have been impressive. Offsetting the weather is that "new ballpark smell"...which usually is good for a 40% or more bump in attendance as people want to see the new digs. UNO hockey knows about this; their best year attendance wise was that first season in the Qwest Center. So I'm sure the whatchamacallits would be even more ahead of last year for their first ten games if the weather would have been normal.

But wait...they've played games on 11 days in Omaha, right? Yep...and if you read down to the eighth paragraph, you get my point. At this point, the average crowd this season is actually down from last year..because last year, that eleventh game was one of those big crowds that was possible at Rosenblatt...and not at BFE. There are many more of those ahead as the weather warms. Originally, I thought it might be year 3 or 4 (after the "new ballpark smell" fades) before the loss of those big crowds would result in a drop in averae attendance in the much-too-small Trailer Park. Now I'm not so sure...it might be this season. It's not a fair comparison to say that "BFE draws more people ... except on nights when people came to Rosenblatt..."

Oh, and in case you think I'm being unfair to Sarpy County and the Whachamacallits... What's the deal with MECA announcing the acts for the Red Sky Music Festival one per week?  At this rate, we won't know the full lineup until the CWS starts, and that's making this take way too long.  Quit dragging things out, and get it finalized.

God Bless America

Thank you President Obama, and thank you to our brave military for finally bringing the man responsible to justice.