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Iowa trolls Nebraska after some Cornhuskers players decline pregame handshake

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Iowa trolls Nebraska after some Cornhuskers players decline pregame handshake


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The Iowa Hawkeyes and Nebraska Cornhuskers met on Friday in their annual rivalry game.

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Shortly before kickoff, Iowa’s team captains and Nebraska’s team captains met at the 50-yard line for the coin toss. It’s customary for players from opposing teams to greet one another and shake hands before referees explain which side of the coin represents heads and which side will serve as tails. 

But Nebraska’s players decided not to engage in the handshaking ritual with their opponents. At least one of the four Cornhuskers’ captains appeared to shake and look towards the ground as the Hawkeyes players approached.

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Long snapper Luke Elkin, #39, and punter Ty Nissen, #99 of the Iowa Hawkeyes, carry the Heroes Trophy off the field after the win against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Kinnick Stadium on November 29, 2024, in Iowa City, Iowa.  (Matthew Holst/Getty Images)

Tensions were already heightened before the coin toss moment after Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule walked through Iowa’s warmup area. Iowa linebacker Jay Higgins explained how his team took exception to Rhule’s pregame actions.

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“Our guys are warming up, doing our pregame and their head coach walked through the warmup,” Higgins told reporters after the game. “So we immediately knew what type of game this was.”

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But emotions remained high even after the game kicked off. Higgins was seen getting close to Rhule when the Hawkeyes were on defense in the first quarter.

Higgins said he had told Rhule during the interaction that “it probably wasn’t a good idea to not shake our hands.” The Iowa defender offered a three-word response saying, “Who are you?”

Nebraska did manage to take an early 10-0, but the Hawkeyes scored 13 unanswered points. Iowa kicker Drew Stevens made a 53-yard field goal in the final seconds to secure the victory in the rivalry game.

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Nebraska Cornhuskers defensive back Ceyair Wright (15) defends a field goal attempt by Iowa Hawkeyes place kicker Drew Stevens (18) Friday, Nov. 29, 2024 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. (Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

Higgins did make a concerted effort to shake hands with Rhule moments after the game clock expired.

“After the game, because they didn’t want to shake our hands before the game, I went up to their head coach and shook his hand,” Higgins confirmed. “And told him, ‘Good game.’”

Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz watches warmups before the football game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Friday, Nov. 29, 2024, at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. (Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

At one point during his postgame media session, Higgins asked his teammate, Nick Jackson, to point out the differences that exist within Iowa’s program in comparison to Nebraska. 

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“Kirk Ferentz — would he ever do something like that?” Higgins asked, to which Jackson quickly replied “no.”

“Be a Hawk,” Jackson said. “You see the difference.”

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Ferentz, who has coached at Iowa for more than a quarter-century, declined to offer a strong opinion on what transpired before the game.

“I heard some stuff in the locker room, but I wasn’t out there,” Ferentz said. “So I didn’t see it and really can’t comment on it. There are certain pregame etiquette most people follow, but again, I didn’t see it.”

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Nebraska outfielder Will Jesske coaches local legion team

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Nebraska outfielder Will Jesske coaches local legion team


LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) — After a hamstring injury during Nebraska’s baseball season, Will Jesske was advised to take it easy this summer. He is, but Jesske has found a new way to stay involved in the game.

Jesske is coaching a local legion baseball team. He is a volunteer assistant for Lincoln Hotel Group, the senior legion team for Standing Bear High School.

Jesske, a Lincoln Southeast graduate, describes himself as the “hype man” in the LHG dugout. He brings energy and enthusiasm, which players enjoy. Jesske said coaching is a way he can give back to local players while helping LHG’s coaching staff. Jesske played under Tanner Lewis and Kyle Beacom in high school. They now lead the LHG legion program.

Jesske is entering his senior season at Nebraska. He has appeared in 95 games over his career, including 33 during the Huskers’ 43-win season this spring. Jesske was injured early in the season but played through it as Nebraska hosted an NCAA regional. He hit .318 in his junior season. Jesske said he is fully healthy and credited extended rest with his recovery.

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Copyright 2026 KOLN. All rights reserved.

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Former Nebraska wrestler AJ Ferrari wanted in Lincoln, accused of assaulting pregnant woman

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Former Nebraska wrestler AJ Ferrari wanted in Lincoln, accused of assaulting pregnant woman


LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – Former Nebraska wrestler AJ Ferrari is wanted in Lancaster County on suspicion of assaulting a pregnant woman in May.

An arrest warrant was filed for Ferrari on Thursday. He faces three felony charges which include first-degree false imprisonment and assault by strangling a pregnant woman.

According to an arrest affidavit, a woman from California contacted police in Lincoln on May 8 just after midnight. She told officers her daughter called for help and pointed them to Ferrari’s apartment.

Police arrived at the apartment and knocked on the door. A pregnant woman came out after several minutes of knocking with no answer. Officers said the woman was visibly upset.

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She told officers that Ferrari tried taking her phone away after an argument, but she wouldn’t let him take it. The arrest affidavit shows Ferrari then dragged her off a bed by her feet.

Police think Ferrari then got on top of her and strangled her, likely until she was unconscious. The woman told police that she felt as though her throat “collapsed” and that she was “breathing through a straw.”

Once regaining consciousness, police said the woman tried hiding in a closet and contacting her mother on another device. But Ferrari followed her, pushed her onto a bed and sat on her until she apologized, according to the affidavit.

She apologized in order to be released, police said. The woman then tried to leave the apartment, but police said Ferrari dragged her by the arm back inside. She found her phone and contacted her mother, yelling “help!”, prosecutors wrote.

Ferrari grabbed the phone and hung up, according to the affidavit. The woman’s mother tried calling several more times before calling police.

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Authorities transported the woman to Bryan West for treatment. Officers said she sustained injuries consistent with strangulation, including bruising around her neck and other abrasions.

Last weekend, Ferrari was arrested in Lincoln County on suspicion of flight to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving and obstructing the police. He was cited after a trooper chased a Corvette in the North Platte area.

Lincoln County authorities told KOLN that Ferrari is out on bond. His current whereabouts are unclear.

Court records show that the woman has filed for a protection order against Ferrari. A hearing has been set for July 7 to give him an opportunity to show the court why one should not be issued.

AJ Ferrari appears in Lancaster County Court(KOLN)

Previously, Ferrari was booked in Lancaster County, Nebraska for an outstanding warrant in January of this year, but those charges were dismissed later that week.

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Ferrari parted ways with the Huskers in April of this year.

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Copyright 2026 KOLN. All rights reserved.



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Discounted tickets for Nebraska State Fair over 4th of July Weekend

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Discounted tickets for Nebraska State Fair over 4th of July Weekend


The Nebraska State Fair is celebrating America’s 250th anniversary with a special 72-hour flash sale on Season Passes.

From July 3 through July 5, fans can purchase a 2026 Season Pass for just $50—a significant discount from its regular value of $132.

The pass includes one admission per day for all 11 days of the 2026 Nebraska State Fair, making it ideal for visitors who plan to attend multiple days.

Fair officials say the promotion is one of the biggest Season Pass discounts offered in years and will not be extended.

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After July 5, Season Passes will remain available at a higher discounted price.



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