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.

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?

The run came up short in the final minute.

Ten-seed Nebraska fell Friday to 7-seed Louisville in the first round of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament in Fort Worth, 63-58. The Huskers close their season at 21-12, while the Cardinals improve to 22-10 and advance to the second round against TCU on Sunday.

The game stayed close for most of the first half, with Nebraska using a 6-0 run to lead by five points with 2:45 to play. Louisville would close the half on a 9-0 run and hold the Huskers without a made field goal until the 3:36 mark of the third quarter.

By then, the Cardinals had built a nine-point lead, the largest for either team.

Trailing 50-44 heading into the fourth quarter, Nebraska began the final frame with a 10-0 run. Unfortunatley for the Big Red, the Huskers would make just two more shots the rest of the game.

Louisville used a 6-0 run to take a short-lived 58-56 lead with 1:16 to play. A backdoor cut by Britt Prince on the other end tied the game with just a minute left.

An offensive rebound turned into a shooting foul for the Cardinals, where 1-of-2 were converted. That left Nebraska with the ball, down by one, and 30 seconds to play.

A brilliantly drawn up sideline play had Prince wide open on the wing. Instead of taking the midrange shot, something that had aided her team-high scoring of 14 points, Prince made a drive to the basket where she was met by a Cardinal defender who took the charge.

Four more made free throws for Louisville and a couple missed 3s by Nebraska ended the game.

The Huskers shot 44.2% for the game, including 8-of-20 from 3. The Cardinals made 37.3% of their shots, making 4-of-19 from deep.

The big story of the game was the turnovers. Louisville pressured Nebraska in the backcourt for much of the game, turning into 24 Husker turnovers. Those turnovers added up to 15 extra shots for the Cardinals and 27 points off of turnovers.

Alexis Markowski finished her Husker career with program-record 53rd double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds.

This was the fourth trip to the NCAA Tournament in the Amy Williams era, and third time in the last four years. Nebraska is now 1-4 in the tournament under Williams.

Box score

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