Nebraska

Do You Really SUPPORT Nebraska Men’s Basketball?

Published

1 year ago

March 22, 2025

Do You Really SUPPORT Nebraska Men’s Basketball?

I recently sparked a firestorm with a tweet questioning whether Nebraska fans truly support the men’s basketball team. The backlash was immediate and intense, but it revealed some important truths about the future of college sports.

Serious question on a Friday – how many of you really care about this?
I realize Nebraska wants to compete in every sport, but is that reality in the current landscape?
Why would we bother pumping money into this sport when we have so many others that are more successful? pic.twitter.com/V9ahWQuhK1
— Corn Nation (@CornNation) March 21, 2025

What I discovered is that most fans equate “support” with buying tickets and attending games. While Nebraska boasts impressive attendance figures, the reality of modern college athletics is that genuine support now means financial investment through NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) contributions. Nebraska’s NIL figures hover around $2.5 million, near the bottom of the Big Ten. For comparison, Maryland recently received a $10 million donation for their basketball program.

When I pointed this out, not a single person responded that they had personally contributed to NIL funds. Instead, they defended their fandom through attendance and merchandise purchases. But in today’s competitive environment, that’s no longer enough.

The impending House settlement will dramatically reshape college athletics in 2025, allowing universities to pay athletes directly—up to $20 million annually. This fundamental shift will further intensify the financial demands of building competitive programs.

For those who think NIL is unsustainable, I encourage you to look at SMU. They’ve strategically used their financial resources to buy their way into the ACC, make the college football playoff, hire top athletic directors and coaches, and even defeat our revered volleyball team. They’re not waiting for perfect circumstances—they’re aggressively investing to create success.

Meanwhile, some Nebraska fans suggest we should wait for “the right coach” or “better players” before investing more heavily in basketball. This passive approach guarantees continued mediocrity and the persistent embarrassment of never having won an NCAA tournament game.

Tom Peters’ business philosophy from “Thriving on Chaos” applies perfectly here: “You’d better obsolete yourself or someone else will.” College athletics is becoming increasingly proactive and investment-driven. Programs can either adapt to this reality or accept perpetual mediocrity.

I’m not dismissing the importance of in-person support. Our volleyball atmosphere is electric, Memorial Stadium on football Saturdays is spectacular, and baseball fans show remarkable dedication. But financial support for athletes is the new reality we must embrace.

To put my money where my mouth is, I’m donating all proceeds from this month from Youtube to the 1890 Initiative for men’s basketball. Perhaps it’s enough for the “pinky toe of a decent point guard,” but it’s a start.

Whether we like it or not, college athletics is changing forever. The programs that thrive will be those willing to invest aggressively in their athletes.

The question is: will Nebraska basketball fans step up with the financial support needed to finally break through, or will we continue to be dragged nationally for never having won an NCAA tournament game?

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Nebraska

Ex- O’Gorman star Bergen Reilly returns to Sioux Falls with Nebraska volleyball

Published

42 minutes ago

April 11, 2026

Press Room

Ex- O’Gorman star Bergen Reilly returns to Sioux Falls with Nebraska volleyball

Nebraska volleyball will be playing a spring game at 3 p.m. Saturday, April 11, at the Sanford Pentagon in what will be a homecoming for the Cornhuskers’ All-American setter.

Bergen Reilly, a three-time South Dakota Gatorade Player of the Year while at O’Gorman, is a senior on Nebraska’s team. She has become a three-time All-American, three-time Big Ten Setter of the Year, a two-time First Team Academic All-American and the 2025 Big Ten Player of the Year.

Saturday’s spring game will represent her first game in South Dakota donning the red and white, and she isn’t quite sure how she’s going to feel stepping on the Pentagon court again for the first time in years.

“It kind of feels just like a full-circle moment getting to start off my senior year here,” Reilly said. “It’s the first spring game of my senior year, so it’ll be really cool to get to go home and have so many friends and family at the game and get to play at an arena I’ve played at a lot.”

Tickets for the event were sold out within minutes, meaning some of Reilly’s friends were unable to get them initially. The Sioux Falls native said she took all the extra tickets on the pass list, her parents have a 50-person suite and over 100 people have contacted her saying they’re going.

Nebraska volleyball is one of the biggest brands in the sport, and big crowds tend to follow. Bringing that fanfare to South Dakota is a point of pride for the former O’Gorman star.

“Everywhere we go, it’s always such a great atmosphere and most of the time the crowd’s cheering for us regardless of how far we are from Nebraska,” Reilly said. “It feels like Nebraska fans just spawn out of nowhere, but it’s been really cool to just see. Whether it’s Washington and Oregon or Rutgers, there’s people waiting outside of our bus after the game and getting to see that environment in South Dakota is going to be really special.”

That pomp and circumstance comes as volleyball has boomed as a spectator sport. The 2025 Nebraska-Texas A&M regional final averaged 1.2 million viewers on TV and peaked at 1.6 million, according to ESPN. Both are NCAA regional records.

That rise has been evident in South Dakota, with Harrisburg’s program rising to a nationally-relevant level after finishing the 2025 season at No. 8 in the AVCA/USA TODAY Super 15 poll.

“I could never imagine that volleyball would be where it is when I started volleyball and even just in middle school, like no one would have ever imagined that we sold out a football stadium and are traveling coast to coast and selling out, so it’s really cool that I could be a little part of that and I’m really happy that it’s it’s definitely getting there in South Dakota too,” Reilly said.

Reilly has become a star both in Sioux Falls and Lincoln due to her success on the court. Lots of young players look up to her, and that has led to some major buzz for her return to the Sioux Empire.

“I don’t even know if I necessarily have to handle it because for me it still feels not real that people are excited to see me or want to take a picture or want my autograph,” Reilly said. “It just feels like I’m still a high school girl that’s playing volleyball just because she loves it, so it’s really awesome that volleyball has given me these opportunities because it really is just me playing the sport that I love with some of my best friends.”

Adding to the nostalgia of the homecoming is the location. Reilly has won many tournaments, in both volleyball and basketball, on the courts at the Sanford Pentagon. She hasn’t really considered what the emotions will be like on the court early on in the game, even though it doesn’t officially count.

“I don’t know what’s going to be going through my head,” Reilly said. “I don’t know if it really feels real that I’m playing in Sioux Falls so I think that’ll take a second to sink in and I’m sure some memories will come flooding back from playing on the Pentagon floor for club tournaments and for high school volleyball and high school basketball, so I’m sure there’ll be a lot going on in my head.”

Reilly and the Cornhuskers will venture back to South Dakota for a regular-season game at South Dakota State on Wednesday, Sept. 2, in Brookings.

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Nebraska

Pinwheels, proclamation: Central Nebraska communities mark Child Abuse Prevention Month

Published

13 hours ago

April 10, 2026

Press Room

Pinwheels, proclamation: Central Nebraska communities mark Child Abuse Prevention Month

GRAND ISLAND, KEARNEY, Neb. (KSNB) – Signs and pinwheels appeared around parts of Grand Island as part of Wear Blue Day, an effort to bring attention to child abuse prevention.

The Association for Child Abuse Prevention, along with Bikers Against Child Abuse and other volunteers, painted the town blue on Thursday.

In a Facebook post, the group said each pinwheel represents something bigger than all of them — a reminder of the children in the community who deserve safety, support and a voice.

The group said awareness matters, conversations matter and together they will continue to stand up for children and families impacted by abuse and neglect.

In Kearney, Mayor Jonathan Nikkila read a proclamation honoring the Family Advocacy Network (FAN) for Child Abuse Prevention Month.

Nikkila said FAN is the type of organization that is on the front lines in Kearney that most of us don’t see as much or don’t like to think can happen here.

He said FAN serves adults and children who suffer all kinds of abuse, advocating for and supporting abuse victims as they go through the law enforcement process.

Nikkila said they have an amazing heart for the people who need it the most.

Click HERE for information on child abuse and how to spot abuse or neglect by Nebraska DHHS.

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