Nebraska

Kiewit Hall opens, optimized to prepare generations of engineers

Published

2 years ago

January 22, 2024

Kiewit Hall opens, optimized to prepare generations of engineers

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Kiewit Hall is redefining how traditional academic spaces help prepare students for career success.

Opening for the spring semester Jan. 22, the six-story, privately funded, $115 million building is the university’s academic hub for engineering education. It connects five engineering facilities and is home to the construction management program. It offers a mix of multi-purpose classrooms, instructional labs, engineering student services, maker spaces for student organizations and a large outdoor plaza.

Lance C. Pérez, dean of engineering, said everything about the design of the 182,000-square-foot building has been purposeful.

“Make no mistake, Kiewit Hall is very much an academic building — but some of the design elements reflect the fact that engineering is a professional career,” said Lance C. Pérez, dean of the College of Engineering. “We wanted it to reflect what our students will experience when they graduate, and what corporations and engineering firms are expecting of their employees.”

Featuring state-of-the-art technologies, classroom spaces in Kiewit Hall are specially designed for the unique demands of engineering instruction.

“It is well known that the traditional lecture style of teaching is not effective for most engineering courses,” Pérez said. “We wanted to design classrooms that supported evidence- based pedagogies that over the past 20 years have been shown to increase student learning outcomes in engineering classes. That was a very deliberate decision.”

More than 15 classrooms are designed with flexibility in mind. The furniture, including the teacher’s location, can be arranged for custom learning environments and to better facilitate group work and collaboration.

The walls, for the most part, are glass from floor to ceiling. This serves many purposes, including promoting the work of engineers.

“Very few people really know what engineers do, and what they do really is important and cool,” Pérez said. “It impacts every person every day. We should be proud of that and proud to put it on display and celebrate it. This building helps us do that.”

It is also expected to further the college’s recent work to improving teaching and learning practices. That work includes the launch of the college’s Complete Engineer program, which bolsters students’ technical foundation with essential professional and personal skills.

“There are structural changes to the foundation of our teaching that we’re hoping are going to stick,” said Tareq Daher, director of the college’s engineering and computer education core. “Combine that under the umbrella of what we envision the Complete Engineer of the future looking like — that development is possible because of Kiewit Hall.”

The building also offers “The Garage,” an informally named space on the first floor and lower level that will serve as homebase for the college’s registered student organizations. It includes offices; collaboration and study spaces; maker spaces that included equipment for woodworking, machining and welding; a computer numerical control machine; 3D printer; and a crane to hoist heavy items such as the engines built by the college’s SAE Baja and Formula SAE teams.

Pérez envisions a design space where a larger sense of community can be developed by bringing together students from across campus.

“When we talk about ‘The Garage,’ I’m hoping that eventually we will have capstone design projects that include students from business, journalism, architecture and all disciplines at this university,” Pérez said. “What this building is going to facilitate is that kind of interaction that replicates how our engineering students are going to be working when they are out in industry.”

Other key elements of Kiewit Hall include:

15,000 square feet of public event space and a café with healthy menu options on the main floor;
flexible learning spaces, with six classrooms with capacity ranges from 60 to 150 students on the second floor;
new space for the college’s Lincoln-based construction management program on the fourth floor, and Engineering Student Services, the college’s academic and career support unit, on the fifth floor;
a dean’s suite, including the College of Engineering External Advisory Board Room and an exterior terrace, on the sixth floor; and
an exterior quad featuring a greenspace bordered by Abel and Sandoz residence halls.

The support of the corporations and firms who hire Nebraska Engineering graduates is also noticeable throughout Kiewit Hall. That support included a $25 million naming gift from Kiewit Corporation, an Omaha-based construction firm with offices worldwide, among numerous donors.

“The new Kiewit Hall is a perfect example of the University of Nebraska’s vision to compete with the best institutions in the country,” said Chris Kabourek, interim president of the University of Nebraska system. “I’m grateful to Dean Pérez for his leadership and to Kiewit and all our donors for making this remarkable facility a reality. Kiewit Hall will allow us to create even more opportunities for students to start their dreams right here in Nebraska.”

Kiewit Hall is the centerpiece of the college’s $190 million facilities investment, which began in 2019 and continues with ongoing renovations to Scott Engineering Center. In 2022, the college opened the 87,000-square-foot Engineering Research Center, with more than 50 state-of-the-art research labs and graduate student offices.

Kiewit Hall is also helping the college meet the demands of record undergraduate enrollment — which surpassed 3,400 in fall 2023. College leaders plan to grow enrollment to 5,000 students by 2030.

“Kiewit Hall will benefit generations of UNL students and strengthen the already impressive impacts of Nebraska Engineering,” Chancellor Rodney D. Bennett said. “This world-class facility will allow us to recruit and graduate additional students who are ready to go to work for Nebraska and beyond. I am grateful for the generous donors and partners, as well as Dean Pérez and the team who made this grand vision a reality.

“This project reflects the grand potential and incredible future that exists here at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln when we align on a big idea.”

Ultimately, Perez said, the mission of the College of Engineering and its unique Complete Engineer program is to prepare and train qualified professionals and leaders for Nebraska and the nation.

“Engineering is a team-based sport now. So, the idea of locking yourself in an office behind a closed door, that’s just not how engineering is,” Pérez said. “Corporations have realized that and have changed their workplace. Whether it’s Kiewit or Olsson or Garmin or Boeing or any employer, their environments have been adapted to what the profession demands.

“For Kiewit Hall, we borrowed the sum of those design elements, because we know it’s the start of a cultural change for the college. Combined with the Complete Engineer® program, it is going to facilitate our development of the next generations of leaders who are cognizant of the ways they can impact people and the world.”

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Nebraska

USC vs. Nebraska men’s basketball tickets still available for Saturday, Feb. 28

Published

9 hours ago

February 1, 2026

Press Room

USC vs. Nebraska men’s basketball tickets still available for Saturday, Feb. 28

Saturday’s Big Ten slate includes the USC Trojans (16-6, 5-6 Big Ten) facing the Nebraska Cornhuskers (20-1, 9-1 Big Ten) at 4 p.m. ET on BTN.

Buy tickets for USC vs. Nebraska

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USC vs. Nebraska game information

Date: Saturday, February 28, 2026
Time: 4 p.m. ET
How to watch on TV: Big Ten Network
Location: Los Angeles, California
Venue: Galen Center

Watch college basketball on Fubo!

USC leaders

So far this season, Chad Baker-Mazara puts up 18.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists per contest. At the other end, he posts 0.8 steals and 1.3 blocked shots.
Offensively, Ezra Ausar averages 16.1 points and six rebounds per contest.
Jacob Cofie puts up 9.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists per contest. Defensively, he puts up 1.0 steal and 1.7 blocked shots.
On a per-game basis, Jerry Easter II is posting 5.0 points, 1.4 assists and 3.5 rebounds.
Jordan Marsh is posting 7.3 points, 2.2 assists and 1.8 rebounds per game this season.

Nebraska leaders

On the hardwood, Pryce Sandfort puts up 17.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. At the other end, he averages 1.1 steals and 0.3 blocked shots.
Sam Hoiberg puts up 9.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists per contest. On the defense, he delivers 2.0 steals and 0.1 blocked shots.
Rienk Mast averages 14.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per contest, shooting 46.5% from the floor and 33.7% from beyond the arc with 1.8 made 3-pointers per contest this season.
From an offensive standpoint, Berke Buyuktuncel is averaging 7.4 points, 2.3 assists and 6.1 rebounds per contest.
So far this season, Jamarques Lawrence is averaging 10.8 points, 3.7 assists and 2.5 rebounds per contest.

USC vs. Nebraska stats breakdown

The Trojans shoot 47.1% from the field, 7.7% higher than the Cornhuskers concede defensively.
USC is 11-6 against the spread and 16-2 overall when shooting higher than 39.4% from the field.
The Cornhuskers’ 47.5% shooting percentage from the field is 6.1% higher than the Trojans have given up.
This season Nebraska is 13-6 against the spread and 18-1 overall when shooting better than 41.4% from the field.
The Trojans average 34.1 rebounds, 0.5 more than the Cornhuskers’ average.
The Trojans are the 95th-ranked rebounding team in the country, and the Cornhuskers are 112th.
The Trojans score 16.1 more points than the Cornhuskers give up (65.4).
The Cornhuskers post 5.2 more points per game (80.5) than the Trojans concede (75.3).

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Nebraska

How to Watch No. 5 Nebraska Basketball vs. No. 9 Illinois with Preview, Breakdown, TV Channel

Published

21 hours ago

January 31, 2026

Press Room

How to Watch No. 5 Nebraska Basketball vs. No. 9 Illinois with Preview, Breakdown, TV Channel

Venturing deep into enemy territory for one of the biggest regular-season college basketball games of the year, the No. 5 Nebraska men’s basketball team was rolling, But then No. 3 Michigan came alive — and so did the referee whistles.

Despite the Huskers leading the national-title-contending Wolverines for more than 36 minutes using a seven-man rotation, Nebraska squandered a five-point lead in the final six minutes, missing eight of its nine shots and not scoring for the final 3:20 to drop its first game of the year 75-72.

NU played like the better team for most of the night, and that was without two of its biggest stars in freshman phenom Braden Frager (injury) and Rienk Mast (illness). Plus, the Huskers fell on the wrong side of the whistles, going 3-for-4 from the charity stripe compared to the 19-for-23 showing from the Wolverines, but if all those factors only resulted in a three-point loss to the No. 3 team in the land, then Nebraska should be just fine.

But there’s no time to dwell on NU’s first setback in nearly 10 months as Nebraska continues its toughest stretch of the season by returning to a White Out-themed Pinnacle Bank Arena for another top-ten showdown against No. 9 Illinois. Here’s all you need to know for Sunday’s clash of Big Ten contenders.

How to Follow Along

Matchup: No. 5 Nebraska (20-1, 9-1 B1G) vs. No. 9 Illinois (18-3, 9-1 B1G)
When: Sunday, February 1
Where: Pinnacle Bank Arena, Lincoln, Neb.
Time: 3 p.m. CST
Watch: FS1
Listen: Huskers Radio Network and Affiliates

Illinois head coach Brad Underwood has the Fighting Illinois in the hunt for the Big Ten regular season crown. | Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

No. 9 Illinois Scout

Head Coach

Brad Underwood | 9th season at Illinois; 13th as Division I HC.
183-104 (.638) at Illinois; 292-131 (.690) Division I Career Record.
9x NCAA Tournament Apps., 1x Elite Eight.
2x B1G Tournament titles, 1x B1G Regular season, 3x Southland Tournament titles, 3x Southland Regular Season.
3x Southland Coach OTY, Joe B. Hall Coach OTY (2014), Coaches vs. Cancer Champion Award (2023.
Previous head coach at Oklahoma State, Stephen F. Austin, Daytona Beach CC and Dodge City CC.
Previous Assistant at South Carolina, Kansas State and Western Illinois.

2024 Record & Awards

22-13 (12-8 B1G, T-7th)
Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year.
All-B1G: 1x Third Team, 1x All-Freshman Team, 1x Honorable Mention.

All-Time Series

Illinois leads 23-10.
Dec. 13, 2025, last matchup, 83-80, NU.

Illinois guard Kylan Boswell (4) is a veteran leader for the Illini and is second on the team with over 13 points per game. | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Key Returners

Tomislav Ivisic | C | Jr. | 7-foot-1 center that’s dropping in 10 points and five rebounds per game after missing the first few games of the season due to injury.
Kylan Boswell | G | Sr. | Illinois’ second-leading scorer at over 14 points per game this season, while adding 61 assists and being one of three players with double-digit steals (13).
Ben Humrichous | F | Gr. | One of four players with double-digit blocks (14) for Illinois and produces 5.8 points as a key reserve.
Jake Davis | F | Jr. | Average playing time has increased from nine to 17 minutes since last season and adds 4.7 points per outing.

Key Departures

Kasparas Jakucionis | G | NBA Draft | Lithuanian guard that was taken No. 20 overall in the first round by the Miami Heat after leading the Illini with 15 points per game.
Will Riley | F | NBA Draft | Joined Jakucionis as a freshman draftee from Illinois who went at No. 21 overall by the Utah Jazz; won Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year in his lone college season.
Tre White | G | Transferred to Kansas after averaging over 10 points and five rebounds per game last season as a 31-game starter for Illinois.
Morez Johnson Jr. | Transfer | Now at in-conference foe Michigan after an impactful freshman season off the bench with nearly seven points and rebounds per game.
Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn | G | Transfer | Played in all 35 games last season for the Illini, but did so off the bench with a 5.9 PPG average; now at UNLV.

Will Riley was drafted by the Washington Wizards after being named the Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year for Illinois last season. | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Impact Transfers/Newcomers

Andrej Stojakovic | G | Jr. | Greece native who is third on the team with 13.6 PPG after transferring from Cal, where he emerged as the Bears’ best player with a team-leading 17.9 PPG (6th in ACC) and 1.2 blocks.
Keaton Wagler | G | Fr. | Top recruit out of Kansas that’s become the Fighting Illini’s best player by scoring a team-high 17.7 PPG with a team-high 88 assists and 52 made three-pointers.
David Mirkovic | F | Fr. | Native of Montenegro who has competed in pro leagues around his country before moving to Champaign; 12.5 PPG and averaging a squad-leading 8.2 PPG.
Zvonimir Ivisic | C | Jr. | 7-for-2 center and Croatian native who transferred from Arkansas, chipping in over seven points and nearly five rebounds per game.

Outlook

Looking back now, Nebraska’s 83-80 win over No. 13 Illinois in Champaign back on December 13, 2025, has proven to be one of the most monumental wins in this history-making season for the Huskers. Mostly unproven at that point due to a subpar schedule, Nebraska announced its presence on the national stage with a thrilling win over the Illini, sparking what would be a 20-0 start to the season and a 9-0 opening record in Big Ten play.

While NU’s season surged from that point forward, Illinois was quietly building momentum just behind them. The Fighting Illini are 10-0 since that game, with the Huskers being the only blemish in Illinois’ 9-1 conference record. Granted, only two of the 10 games were against unranked opponents, but its 75-69 win over No. 19 Iowa and 88-82 victory against No. 4 Purdue have Brad Underwood and the Illini rolling among Big Ten contenders.

Illinois true freshman guard Keaton Wagler (23) leads a potent Illini offense with over 17 points per game in his first college season. | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Ranked second in both scoring and rebounding in the conference, Illinois presents similar challenges to what ended up being the downfall for NU against Michigan. Facing off against another tall pair in 7-foot-1 Tomislav Ivisic and 7-foot-2 Zvonimir Ivisic, plus 6-foot-9 David Mirkovic and 6-foot-7 Andrej Stojakovic, the Huskers will need to rebound better than on Tuesday, which would be greatly helped by the return of Mast and/or Braden Frager. Another big development for Illinois has been the emergence of star freshman Keaton Wagler, who’s now leading his team with over 17 points per game.

Coming off a heartbreaking loss that saw Nebraska in control for most of the game, a return to PBA is exactly what the doctor ordered for the Huskers. However, I think the health of both Frager and Mast will once again play a pivotal role in a game that will be highly contested. Give me Nebraska if one or both return, but I like the Fighting Illini if both star Huskers can’t play.

No. 1 Penn State Wrestling Glides Over No. 6 Nebraska 26-12

Published

1 day ago

January 31, 2026

Press Room

No. 1 Penn State Wrestling Glides Over No. 6 Nebraska 26-12

The top-ranked Nittany Lions defeated the No. 6-ranked Cornhuskers 26-12 on Friday night in the Bryce Jordan Center, picking up their 83rd consecutive dual win. Although the closest dual the Nittany Lions have had thus far, they secured 30 takedowns compared to Nebraska’s four.

Penn State won all but three matchups, picking up four bonus-point victories including, two technical falls and two major decisions.

The match was highlighted by multiple top-10 matchups, five of which were won by Penn State wrestlers.

How It Happened

125 Pounds

To start the event, No. 1 Luke Lilledahl faced off against Alan Koehler. The Nittany Lion struck quickly with a single-leg takedown within the first 20 seconds to take a 3-0 lead. Koehler escaped to get on the board, but Lilledahl got back to his offense and secured a second takedown. The Cornhusker escaped but was once again put to the mat in a third takedown attempt of the period by the Nittany Lion.

To start the second period, Koehler escaped, but was taken down a fourth time as Lilledahl made it 12-3 with 1:30 left in the frame. The Nittany Lion put Koehler in a devastating bow-and-arrow pinning combination but was only awarded two back points before the two landed out of bounds.

Lilledahl elected to start the period in neutral position, taking the Cornhusker down for a fifth and then eventually a sixth time to secure the 21-4 technical fall.

133 Pounds

At 133 pounds, No. 4 Marcus Blaze took on No. 10 Jacob Van Dee. After a slow start to the match, the Nittany Lion drew blood first with a 3-point takedown with 20 seconds remaining.

To start the second, Van Dee escaped quickly to cut the deficit to two. Blaze was awarded a point for his headgear being pulled, but there were no other points scored.

In the third period, Blaze escaped to make it 5-1 which ended up being the difference in the match. The Nittany Lion remains unbeaten after knocking off the former All-American.

141 Pounds

Next, No. 12 Braeden Davis wrestled No. 4 Brock Hardy at 141 pounds. The Nittany Lion came out on fire, taking the Cornhusker down within the first 10 seconds of the match. Hardy escaped but was taken down a second time to make it 6-1. Hardy escaped before the end of the period to make it 6-2.

In the second frame, Davis escaped after 30 seconds to add to his lead. The Nittany Lion was given a stall warning before a stoppage for an injury. The two wrestlers went back forth before Hardy hit a takedown to make it 7-5 as time expired in the period.

To start the third, Hardy escaped to cut the deficit to one. The Cornhusker would takedown Davis and eventually cradle him into a pin. The two would scuffle afterwards, leading to a Penn State team point being docked from the total.

149 Pounds

At 149 pounds, No. 1 Shayne Van Ness faced off against No. 18 Chance Lamer. The Cornhusker took down Van Ness to start the match; however, the Nittany Lion escaped after 20 seconds to get on the board. The two wrestlers would hand fight for the remaining time in the period.

Although Lamer escaped to start the period, Van Ness countered with a takedown to even the score.

In the third period, Van Ness escaped and hit a massive takedown to go up 8-4 with a minute remaining. Lamer escaped but was taken down a third time. The Nittany Lion won with a 12-5 decision to extend Penn State’s lead.

157 Pounds

In the final match before the intermission, No. 3 PJ Duke faced off against No. 5 Antrell Taylor. The Nittany Lion narrowly missed out on a takedown, but no points were scored for the first period.

In the second, Taylor escaped instantly to take the lead. The match went to the third period with just a one-point difference.

In the third, Duke escaped to tie the match, but no other points were scored as it went to sudden victory.

After no points were scored in sudden victory, the two wrestlers went to the rideout periods. Taylor escaped in the first to go up 2-1. Duke was unable to return the favor in the second overtime as the Nittany Lion dropped the 2-1 decision.

165 Pounds

After the break, No. 1 Mitchell Mesenbrink took on No. 7 LJ Araujo. Mesenbrink got to a leg instantly, finishing the takedown just a few seconds later. Araujo escaped but was taken down a second time shortly thereafter. The Nittany Lion would connect on one more takedown before the end of the first period to go up 9-3 after the first.

The two started in neutral, where Mesenbrink would capitalize with another takedown to go up 13-4.

In the third period, Mesenbrink was awarded a point for Araujo’s stalling before reversing the Cornhusker from bottom position to go up 16-4. After an escape, Mesenbrink took his opponent down once more to collect the 20-5 technical fall.

174 Pounds

Next, No. 1 Levi Haines faced off against No. 4 Christopher Minto. The Cornhusker was awarded a point after Haines pushed his opponent off the mat. The Nittany Lion was close to a takedown but was unsuccessful as the buzzer sounded.

Haines escaped to start the second but was taken down to go down 4-2. The Nittany Lion answered with a takedown of his own to take the lead 5-4 before the third period.

Minto escaped to tie the match in the third, but Haines rolled back for a second takedown, enough for an 8-6 decision victory.

184 Pounds

At 184 pounds, No. 1 Rocco Welsh wrestled No. 6 Silas Allred. The Nittany Lion got to his offense quickly with two takedowns midway through the first period.

In the second, Welsh got to a third takedown, making the match 9-3 after a minute in the second period. The Cornhusker was able to escape to cut the deficit to five before the third period.

Welsh escaped and took Allred down for the fourth time to stretch the lead to a 14-5 major decision.

197 Pounds

Next, No. 1 Josh Barr faced off against No. 9 Camden McDanel. Barr started strong with a takedown within the first minute. The Nittany Lion hit three more takedowns before the end of the first frame to take a commanding lead heading into the second.

Barr escaped and took the Cornhusker down for the fifth time in the second period.

In the third, McDanel escaped but was taken down for a sixth time along the edge of the mat. McDanel was allowed up and then took Barr down for his first takedown. Barr responded with a takedown of his own to take home the 21-9 major decision.

Heavyweight

In the final matchup of the night, No. 12 Cole Mirasola took on No. 4 AJ Ferrari. There was only hand fighting in the first period as the two wrestlers headed into the second period tied 0-0.

Ferrari escaped to take the lead after just eight seconds. Mirasola was close to a takedown but was unable to reach Ferrari’s second ankle.

In the third, Ferrari kept the Nittany Lion down for nearly the entire period, winning the match 2-1.

Whats Next?

Penn State wrestling will be back on the mat when the Nittany Lions travel to face No. 10 Michigan in Ann Arbor on Friday, February 6, at 6 p.m. The dual will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.

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