How much could have changed in a month?

Ask the Edmonton Oilers. When The Athletic polled its NHL staff for 2024-25 predictions in the preseason, Connor McDavid was the prohibitive favorite for the Hart Trophy, and his team was the front-runner to win the Stanley Cup.

Now? Well, the Oilers are the top pick in another category, but it’s not a good one. A new team takes the top spot for who we think will win it all, and another Western Conference superstar — who didn’t get any votes in the preseason — is our Hart Trophy pick.

What else has changed? This week, we polled staffers on the same set of questions we asked in the preseason. Here’s how our expectations for 2024-25 have already evolved, with expert analysis and critique from senior writers James Mirtle and Sean Gentille, analytics know-it-all Shayna Goldman and NHL betting expert Jesse Granger.

Who will win the Stanley Cup?

Goldman: The Stars are the quietly effective, balanced team of all of our dreams. It’s no surprise to see them at the top here — especially after the Oilers have gotten off to another iffy start. It’s not as dramatic or dire as last year, but they aren’t inspiring a ton of confidence yet.

Granger: I personally chose the Rangers, but it’s hard to argue with any of the top three picks here. The Stars are as complete of a team as there is in the league right now, and the Rangers and Panthers look like they’re in their own tier in the East, at least early.

Gentille: I rarely bail on my preseason Cup picks period, let alone after a month, but I’m concerned enough with Stuart Skinner to deviate from protocol. Hello, Dallas.

Mirtle: I have company with the ‘Canes now! A 10-2-0 start, offensive explosion (more than four goals per game) and Martin Nečas arriving certainly help embiggen their case.

THIS MAN CAN’T BE STOPPED!!! pic.twitter.com/EZW21YE58t

— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) November 6, 2024

Who will be the runners-up?

Goldman: Apparently it’s win or bust for the Hurricanes and Panthers! I went with the Lightning here, who look a lot stronger than the last couple of seasons. With a pair of seconds and fourths in the 2025 draft, management should be able to address their depth — as long as they don’t spend all their picks on a player like, I don’t know, Tanner Jeannot.

Granger: It’s interesting to see how little the faith in Edmonton has wavered after the 6-7-1 start, both in this poll and in the betting odds. The Oilers are still the favorites to win the Cup at +700 despite currently sitting in fifth place in the Pacific Division standings with the third-fewest goals scored per 60 minutes.

Gentille: Yeah, I’m sticking with the Rangers here. They’ve got an elite goaltender in Igor Shesterkin, a Hart candidate in Artemi Panarin and enough five-on-five substance to keep me on the train.

Mirtle: No one be-Leafs anymore, after a tepid eight wins in 15 games start. (I don’t blame them.) I went with the Jets here, as with Connor Hellebuyck this dialed in, they could have a nice run.

Who will finish in last place?

Goldman: The Sharks, even without Macklin Celebrini, have had some interesting games lately … but we all know where their season is going. The big difference between them and the Ducks? Lukáš Dostál.

Granger: I thought the Sharks would be significantly better this season, and so far that’s proven to be very wrong. They obviously don’t have the talent to compete with the best teams, but they also sit back so passively on defense, letting teams pass the puck around the outside almost as if they’re on a power play for the majority of the game.

Gentille: San Jose needs to call up Yaroslav Askarov (.950 save percentage in his first six AHL games) to make this one interesting.

Mirtle: The Habs might make this one interesting if they keep playing this way defensively. Two wins in their last 11 games doesn’t look like a blip.

Who will be the biggest disappointment?

Must be projected at 100-plus points by Dom Luszczyszyn’s model at the start of the season. Projected point total in parentheses.

Granger: The top three teams are all in this spot thanks to subpar goaltending. The difference between the three is that Alexandar Georgiev and Skinner have long enough track records for me to believe they’ll eventually regress back to being league-average goalies. Meanwhile, it’s looking less likely Thatcher Demko is stepping through that door to save the Canucks, so I’m most worried about Vancouver.

Mirtle: No love for Kevin Lankinen! He’s been excellent, and the Canucks’ underlying numbers are solid. Their backup is hurting them (.797 save percentage for Artūrs Šilovs), but with Demko joining the main group at practice this week, they could be fine?

Granger: You might be right. Maybe I’m not giving Lankinen enough credit. He was excellent against the Kings on Thursday, and his numbers are great. I’m still a bit skeptical that will continue for an entire season, but if Demko returns soon it’ll change my mind in a hurry.

Gentille: Carolina is currently playing at a 137-point pace. Whoops!

Goldman: The Oilers bounced back from worse last year, so maybe that’s why I am not super worried there. Maybe the Maple Leafs should be higher. Or we all expect them to disappoint us, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if it happened.

Who’s your dark horse Cup contender?

Must be projected as a middle-of-the-pack team, between 85 and 100 points by Dom’s model at the start of the season. Projected point total in parentheses.

Goldman: The Wild and Capitals have gotten off to better-than-expected starts, which makes them dark-horse playoff teams. But contenders? I don’t think anyone sees them standing in the final four in the spring. That’s what separates them from the Jets, Devils, Lightning and Golden Knights.

Granger: I’m still alone on the Senators bandwagon, but I’m still comfortable despite the middling start. Ottawa is scoring at a good pace, and the goaltending has been better than the numbers suggest. They’re not as good as Tampa Bay or Vegas, but I find it hard to consider them dark horses.

Gentille: The Lightning are a bit of a riser here, which makes sense. They’re getting secondary production from their forwards, and that was a huge issue for them last season.

Mirtle: Sticking with Vegas. They’re riding a shooting percentage bender, sure, but offense sure doesn’t look like it’ll be the issue some thought it was this season. Pavel Dorofeyev has arrived.

Pav got us going!!! 🚪 pic.twitter.com/G1kdbFZagh

— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) November 3, 2024

Who’s your surprise playoff team?

Must be projected below 85 points by Dom’s model at the start of the season. Projected point total in parentheses.

Granger: The Flames are playing some fun, high-event hockey, and both Dustin Wolf and Dan Vladar are off to good starts in net. More than anything, I just think the Pacific Division is the easiest to earn a playoff spot in.

Gentille: Ideally, we could’ve left this one blank, but I can see the Blues making a run once Robert Thomas is back in the lineup.

Mirtle: Yeah, this really feels like none of the above at this point. Good for Columbus, though; finally feels like they’re building something interesting there. They’ve been fun to watch.

Goldman: The door should be open for Detroit here with the Islanders, Penguins and Bruins all going through it, but … nope, the vibes are simply off there as well.

Will Derek Lalonde be the first coach fired this season? (Michael Reaves / Getty Images)

Who will be the first coach fired?

Goldman: There is a good case to make for any of the top three names here. Mike Sullivan would be purely for a change of direction. A team with Derek Lalonde at the helm shouldn’t be this bad defensively. But I personally went with Jim Montgomery. The Bruins look lost in the early goings of the season and are seeing their playoff chances trend down by the day at this point.

Gentille: Gotta say, I did not expect to see Montgomery challenging for the crown here. I still think it’s Lalonde, though. If Detroit’s power play goes cold for a protracted amount of time, things are gonna get ugly in a hurry.

Mirtle: I second Montgomery. It’s not so much Boston’s record, which isn’t great. They’ve been as bad defensively as we’ve seen in … 20 years? And even David Pastrňák looks out of sorts now.

East playoff field

We asked each voter to pick the eight East playoff teams. Here is the percentage of the votes received by each team. 

(*-playoff team in 2023-24)

Granger: There seems to be a pretty clear cutoff after the top eight teams, both in these poll results and the betting odds. Boston is still a -135 favorite to make the playoffs despite the slow start, while the next-closest team (Ottawa) is a slight +110 underdog to make it.

Gentille: Eight-for-eight thus far. End the season immediately.

Mirtle: One vote for Ottawa for me. They’ve looked really good lately and managed to nab some points when Linus Ullmark was out of the lineup. Maybe ease up on those Travis Hamonic minutes a bit, though, Mendes.

Goldman: The East feels somewhat decided besides that eighth seed. Boring!

West playoff field

We asked each voter to pick the eight West playoff teams. Here is the percentage of the votes received by each team. 

(*-playoff team in 2023-24)

Granger: What a fall for Nashville, from 92.9 percent to 32.3 percent in only a month of hockey. The Predators are still favorites to make the playoffs according to the oddsmakers, though.

Gentille: I love what the Kings are doing. They’re a top-10 five-on-five team, and that bodes well for them snagging one of the wild cards, especially given how lost Nashville has looked.

Mirtle: The rise of the Wild could make the West race pretty dull. I have a hard time seeing any of the bottom seven get in at this point. Prove me wrong, Utahns!

Goldman: Time to cancel another trip to Sphere or something to get Nashville back in this race. Utah had a lot of momentum early on and wow, did it fade quickly.

Hart Trophy

Given to the player judged to be the most valuable to his team. Voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association (PHWA).

Gentille: It’s worth noting that we voted while Connor McDavid was on the shelf, and he wound up missing a grand total of three games. At 6.5 percent, he came in a little light.

Mirtle: Kirill Kaprizov is a fine choice, but I think we’re chasing the shiny new toy here a bit. Nikita Kucherov and Nathan MacKinnon have been amazing lately and are going to make this one interesting, I think.

Goldman: No disagreements with Kaprizov and Kucherov leading the way, but goalies (and Shesterkin, specifically) should be in the conversation more often.

Get yourself a glass 🥛 pic.twitter.com/W0QrBuHni4

— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) November 9, 2024

Rocket Richard Trophy

Given to the leading goal scorer at the end of the regular season.

Goldman: Who among us expected Kucherov to score this much with a 40-goal scorer like Jake Guentzel on his wing?

Gentille: “Me,” I say very dishonestly. He didn’t get any votes, but I feel it necessary to point out that Tage Thompson leads the league with nine five-on-five goals. If Buffalo’s power play gets it together, he should have a shot.

Mirtle: The Auston Matthews skepticism also comes with him on the shelf for a few games, but the concern is warranted. His shooting percentage is down by half, the Leafs power play had a rough start but is getting better, and it feels a bit like the off-year he had in 2022-23 so far.

Norris Trophy

Given to the defenseman who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-around ability in the position. Voted on by the PHWA.

Granger: Cale Makar is scoring at an 82-game pace of 135 points …

Gentille: Makar has been undeniably sick, but I went with Quinn Hughes here if only to make a point. His work in his own end has been both incredible and a step up from last season, when he won Norris No. 1. His campaign for a repeat deserves to start now.

Mirtle: I picked Makar, but glad to see Brock Faber here. If the Wild make the playoffs, he’s going to be getting votes for this, no question.

Goldman: Hughes is having such an excellent start that he probably should be getting more hype. No shade to Makar, who rightfully leads the way here. It just feels like it should be a bit tighter.

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Selke Trophy

Given to the forward who demonstrates the most skill in the defensive component of the game. Voted on by the PHWA.

Goldman: Aleksander Barkov is the easy answer here and will probably be a perennial finalist for the rest of his career. But Nico Hischier’s scoring could finally push him to the top of the list this year, since there is so much more emphasis on two-way play in today’s game.

Gentille: That was my logic, too. Barkov missed some time and Hischier is scoring enough (10 goals) to bolster his case.

Mirtle: The 12th (Sidney Crosby) and 13th (Anze Kopitar) oldest skaters are getting reputation votes here, but it’s pretty remarkable that both are still putting up better than a point a game at age 37.

Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin is playing on his own planet and perhaps his own universe. (Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)

Vezina Trophy

Given to the goalkeeper adjudged to be the best at this position. Voted on by the general managers of all 32 NHL clubs.

Granger: Shesterkin is playing on his own planet — perhaps his own universe — at the moment. The 11.97 goals he’s saved above expected this season (even after a rare bad outing on Thursday) rank second in the league. It’s almost unfair when he’s this locked in.

Gentille: I’m Team Shesterkin, too, but shoutout to Jake Oettinger, who’s having the type of regular season (.922 save percentage, fifth in the NHL in goals saved above expected) that plenty of us expected in 2023-24.

Mirtle: Quite a negotiation strategy from Shesterkin right now …

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Jack Adams Award

Given to the coach adjudged to have contributed the most to his team’s success. Voted on by the NHL Broadcasters’ Association.

Goldman: We saw Spencer Carbery do a lot with a little last season. With some roster additions, the Capitals are thriving. He deserves a lot of credit for it. If Washington can stay in the playoff race, he feels like the slam-dunk pick for this award.

Gentille: I’d love to see Carbery stay in the discussion here. Too many Jack Adams candidates are propped up by overachieving goalies, and that hasn’t been the case in D.C. They’re across-the-board good.

Mirtle: Carbery was pegged by a lot of organizations as a rising star after what he did as an assistant in Toronto, and that’s definitely playing out right now. Few saw this kind of a rise from the Capitals, who suddenly look very legit. Great hire by Brian MacLellan.

Granger: The Senators aren’t quite playing well enough for Travis Green to fly up this list, but I like what he’s doing with that young team.

Calder Trophy

Given to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the NHL. Voted on by the PHWA.

Gentille: As I type this, Matvei Michkov has been healthy-scratched. It was bound to happen at some point, I suppose.

Goldman: The Sharks scored more than expected without Macklin Celebrini, so if they can build on it with him back in the fold (he scored two goals on Thursday), he could emerge as the favorite.

MACKLIN’S GOT ANOTHER ONE ✌️ pic.twitter.com/zX4UW1hZlq

— NHL (@NHL) November 8, 2024

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Mirtle: I’m heavily biased here because I’ve watched him with my hometown team for years, but folks are sleeping on Logan Stankoven. His line has been great defensively, and his point-per-game pace isn’t percentage-driven. He’s going to have a great career.

Granger: Stankoven was so good in the playoffs last year and has rolled it right into this season. The guy is everywhere when he’s on the ice, a great forechecker and has plenty of skill with the puck once he gets it.

(Illustration: Meech Robinson / The Athletic. Photos: Bruce Kluckhohn, Andre Ringuette / NHLI; Joel Auerbach / Getty Images)

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Bronny James made his much-anticipated G League debut for the South Bay Lakers on Saturday night, posting six points, three rebounds, four assists, two steals, one block and five turnovers in 31 minutes in the Lakers’ 110-96 blowout win over the Salt Lake City Stars at the UCLA Health Training Facility.

James made two of his nine shot attempts, missing all four of his 3-point looks. He went 1-for-1 at the free throw line. The Lakers were outscored by one point with James on the floor.

“It felt pretty good to go out there and just play my game,” James said. “Not much difference. I was just playing basketball. It felt good.”

James looked more comfortable with the ball in his hands than he did in Summer League or earlier in the season, with both of his baskets coming from off-the-dribble jumpers. He still has a ways to go as a shooter, but he’s increasingly become more assertive. Defensively, he pressured ballhandlers, was active in passing lanes and seamlessly switched screens on and off the ball.

1⃣st bucket of the season pic.twitter.com/mnuEnQ7oip

— South Bay Lakers (@SouthBayLakers) November 10, 2024

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“I think he did a great job dictating on the ball,” South Bay Lakers coach Zach Guthrie said. “He got the first bucket of the game. I drew up the first play for him, but we didn’t get to run it because they won the tip. … He played great, he played unselfishly, he played within the flow of the game.”

The hype entering the game was unlike most — if any — G League games. The game sold out more than 48 hours in advance, with resale tickets starting at $200 and the arena filled to capacity with 676 attendees. The reason was obvious: The lone jersey being sold in the concourse was Bronny’s golden No. 9 Lakers jersey. The arena’s eyes were on his every move.

The courtside crowd included most of Bronny’s immediate family — his father, LeBron, his mother, Savannah, his younger sister, Zhuri and his grandmother, Gloria — along with teammates Anthony Davis and D’Angelo Russell, Lakers coach JJ Redick and Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka.

“I mean, this doesn’t normally happen after a G League game,” said Salt Lake City Stars coach Steve Wojciechowski. “Obviously, with Bronny there’s a boatload of excitement and there should be. It’s one of the great stories in basketball. He and his family, I know them incredibly well. … His story is bringing attention not just to South Bay, but the league in general and for the guys who play in the league.”

James was introduced last during the starting lineup introductions — often the spot reserved for the biggest star or best player — and drew the loudest ovation of the evening. The 20-year-old guard started at small forward as the Lakers opened with a three-guard lineup.

“To have Bronny out there looking like how we did, I was just happy to see him get out there and show the world that he can play,” Lakers two-way guard Quincy Olivari said. “I think I’m a big advocate on pushing that he’s a great basketball player and that the criticism he gets is unfair. But to see him go out there, have fun … it was just great to see.”

Bronny ➡️ Kylor pic.twitter.com/dVgBsidOY6

— South Bay Lakers (@SouthBayLakers) November 10, 2024

Bronny James wins G League debut as South Bay Lakers dominate Salt Lake City Stars: Live updates and reaction

James, the No. 55 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, has appeared in five of the Lakers’ nine games, averaging 0.8 points (on 16.7-0.0-100.0 shooting splits), 0.2 rebounds, 0.4 assists and 0.2 steals in 2.8 minutes per game.

He has frequently drawn “We want Bronny!” chants this season, both at Crypto.com Arena and at road games. James’ first NBA appearance came during opening night on Oct. 22 in Los Angeles, where he and LeBron shared the court for a stint that lasted less than three minutes but made them the first father-son duo in NBA history to play together. In James’ second appearance, on Oct. 30 in Cleveland, he scored his first basket after the hometown crowd chanted his name and erupted in celebration when he entered the game.

Redick has referred to James as “test case No. 1” for the organization’s new player development program. The Lakers’ plan is for James to shuffle between the official Lakers’ roster and the South Bay roster during the season.

“Our plans are always fluid based in real-time,” Redick said. “You base things in real-time. And the plan for Bronny to move between the Lakers roster and the South Bay roster, that’s always been the plan since Day 1. Rob and I have talked about that. LeBron’s talked about that.”

The South Bay Lakers play again on Nov. 15 against the Santa Cruz Warriors.

Required reading

(Photo: Adam Pantozzi / NBAE via Getty Images)

There was no made-for-television moment last spring as the Big Ten’s television draft unfolded. With a flurry of emails between CBS, NBC and Fox executives — plus a few follow-up phone calls to the conference to ensure contractual agreements were being met — each network consulted with its big board and planned how to best position its broadcast packages with its picks.

A network television draft for college football is every bit as sterile as it sounds.

“It’s just emails flying back and forth,” said Kerry Kenny, chief operating officer for the Big Ten Conference. “We benefit from all these partners working to make the Big Ten the best it can be, but at the end of the day, they’re all competitors. What’s good for Fox, what’s good for NBC, what’s good for CBS isn’t always good for the other network partners in that moment.”

The Big Ten is in the midst of a seven-year media rights agreement with Fox, CBS and NBC which began in July 2023. Penn State’s place in this agreement has been an interesting one in that so much of what fans have been accustomed to — like start times known for the White Out months in advance and the hope of playing Ohio State or Michigan in prime time for that White Out game — all look different now. Trying to protect Penn State’s annual White Out game and place it in a prime-time slot is harder than ever before.

This year, Penn State’s 16th full-stadium White Out will be played Saturday at 8 p.m. against Washington. The game comes on the heels of an emotional letdown after Penn State’s loss to No. 2 Ohio State. It feels strange that the annual spectacle with an envious atmosphere is being held this late in the season. It’s also odd that it won’t be found on traditional TV and instead will be streamed on Peacock.

How Penn State ended up here is the byproduct of trying to ensure the game is held at night like Penn State fans desired and athletic director Pat Kraft lobbied for, while making sure the network partners get what they desire. No, Penn State wasn’t necessarily relegated to Peacock but instead was slotted into a window that met the night game request.

When the television partners met in the spring to draft who picks which games first, second and third this week, Penn State had already made it clear that it hoped to have a White Out game in prime time.

Thanks to an 18-team conference that spans three time zones and has more network partners than previous media rights agreements, fans must continue adapting. Only once before, in 2015, has the White Out been held in November. The 8 p.m. start time wasn’t announced until last Saturday.

Even the raucous, White Out environment that’s become the calling card for the Penn State fan base, a bucket-list item for sports fans and a made-for-TV spectacle, will be a little harder for fans to find Saturday with Peacock being a subscription-based streaming service. It’s the second time Penn State football has appeared on the platform, joining last year’s game against Delaware.

Still, in some ways, it might feel like a relegation, which comes just one week after State College was the epicenter of the sport, hosting ESPN’s “College GameDay” and Fox’s “Big Noon Kickoff.” But, part of the reason why the game ended up on Peacock is thanks to NBC’s long-standing relationship with Notre Dame. Part of that deal allows up to two games per year to be played in prime time on NBC. Florida State-Notre Dame was designated for the NBC prime-time slot well in advance of the Big Ten’s draft, Kenny said. However, NBC’s slot wasn’t the only option. Had Penn State beat Ohio State last week, this weekend’s game could’ve been at 3:30 p.m. on CBS or in prime time on Fox.

“We always knew that with NBC’s first selection that week, November 9, the Big Ten selection, whether it was the number one pick that week, the number two pick, or the number three pick among the three broadcast partners that was going to always end up on Peacock,” Kenny said.

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Another new twist this season is that the White Out will also be available in 23 different IMAX theaters, primarily catering to audiences in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland and Washington — inconveniently, the closest IMAX to Happy Valley is more than 90 minutes away in York, Pa. Still, it’ll be the first college football game presented live in select IMAX theaters, perhaps shedding light on what this next frontier of out-of-venue sports viewing could look like.

NBC tried a similar approach with the Olympic opening ceremonies this year in IMAX and also found success showing the 2024 NBA Finals in non-mainland China and the League of Legends championship in China and Korea. Depending on each theater’s food and beverage offerings this weekend, fans could drink beer, order dinner and experience the game in a different way — all without having to navigate Beaver Stadium postgame traffic.

“It’s the whole communal experience first of all and then we’ve specifically designed each of our theaters for the most immersive experience possible both from a visual and an audio standpoint,” said Mark Welton, global president of IMAX Theatres. “It really feels like you’re at the game. The crowd, the noise. … People are up cheering. It’s like kind of being in the stadium.”

Admittedly, the timing of the White Out, it being on Peacock and the possibility of watching it in IMAX all feels a little odd because Penn State’s biggest home game of the season — and one of the most important in Beaver Stadium history — was played last week at noon as part of Fox’s “Big Noon Kickoff.” For all the fan criticism of a noon kick — and there was plenty — the Big Noon exposure machine did its job. Penn State-Ohio State drew 9.94 million viewers, an uptick from the 7.3 million viewers who typically watch when the game has aired in prime time.

Last 25 Years of Ohio State-Penn State Games:

FOX Big Noon Games – 9.4 million viewers

All Other OSU-PSU Games – 7.3 million

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Look forward to running it back next year. https://t.co/TvxPAMl84S

— Michael Mulvihill (@mulvihill79) November 6, 2024

Fans will still show up in droves Saturday for the White Out, but this season Penn State has rolled out so many variations of a White Out theme — a “White Out energy” game against Illinois, a helmet stripe game, and a stripe out — that the lead up to Saturday feels different. Even head coach James Franklin, who usually wears white to his Monday media session the week of the White Out, didn’t do so this week. The whole tenor of the week coming off a loss to Ohio State doesn’t have the usual hype that comes in the lead-up to the annual stadium spectacle.

Part of the challenge moving forward will be how willing the Big Ten is to help Penn State with the White Out while recognizing that the TV partners hold the cards.

Kraft connected with the Big Ten last spring around draft time to state his case about what the White Out means to Penn State fans, the sport and the local community. It’s often used as a marquee recruiting weekend for other Penn State sports beyond football. Fans prefer the game to be held at night so the visual spectacle of 100,000-plus fans wearing white shirts and shaking white pompoms pops against the night sky. Hotels are booked months in advance.

Penn State knew Fox was making the Ohio State game Big Noon. It also knew the September home game against Illinois for homecoming would be at night. It could’ve either doubled up on homecoming and the White Out or done a noon White Out for Ohio State. Instead, it opted for Washington knowing that the start time would at the earliest be at 3:30 p.m. Penn State wanted time to make fans aware of the game theme — which it did in July — and wanted ample time to put all the usual marketing efforts behind it.

“Washington was unique because it’s a time of year where after daylight savings where a 3:30 game it gets dark pretty quick,” Kenny said. “We looked at that date and commissioner (Tony) Petitti and I spoke extensively with Pat about that.”

It’s never too early to peek ahead to Penn State’s 2025 home slate which includes games in Beaver Stadium against Oregon and Nebraska, among others. While a prime-time White Out against Oregon would seem like a shoo-in a few TV contracts ago, that’s far from a given now.

“We’re committed to making sure that this continues to find a way even in this new changing environment of college football that the White Out is a tradition that has some legs to survive and really thrive in the future,” Kenny said.

(Photo: Dan Rainville / USA Today)