Inside Nebraska’s Tim Verghese and Steve Marik discuss top storylines on both sides of the ball, names to know and what they’re watching as Nebraska kicks off spring football practices on Monday

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The Nebraska wrestling team captured a second-place finish at the NCAA Championships Saturday in Philadelphia, Pa., the best-ever showing by the Huskers at the national tournament. The performance was highlighted by individual national championships won by Ridge Lovett at 149 pounds and Antrell Taylor at 157 pounds.

Nebraska’s previous best was third, which it achieved in 1993. The Cornhuskers had multiple individual national champions for the first time since 1984. Nebraska finished with 117 team points, trailing only Penn State, which won its 13th national championship under Cael Sanderson with a record 177 team points and the fourth title in a row.

The Huskers’ efforts were led by three national finalists and two national champions. Along with Lovett and Taylor, Brock Hardy finished second at 141 pounds.

Lovett’s national championship at 149 pounds broke a 14-year drought for Nebraska in individual national champions. The Huskers last national champion was Jordan Burroughs in 2011. Lovett, the No. 2 seed, topped No. 1 seed Caleb Henson of Virginia Tech. After two scoreless periods, Lovett notched an escape early in the third period and held off Henson to win the title.

After Nebraska had waited 14 years for a national champion, they had to wait roughly 14 minutes for their next champion. In the next match, Taylor, the No. 3 seed, faced No. 8 seed Joey Blaze of Purdue. Taylor took the lead with a takedown late in the first period. He pushed the lead to 4-0 with an escape in the second period. Blaze scored a point for an escape and earned another when Taylor was called for stalling, but Taylor held off Blaze to win the title, 4-2.

At 141 pounds, Ohio State’s Jesse Mendez topped Hardy, 12-9. Hardy took an early 5-0 lead with a takedown and a two-point near fall, but Mendez escaped and took down Hardy late in the period to cut it to 5-4. Hardy escaped early in the second period to lead 6-4. But Mendez took down Hardy, then scored a four-point near fall to lead 11-6. Hardy scored a takedown in the third period but couldn’t complete the comeback.

Of Nebraska’s nine wrestlers, eight earned All-America status with a top-eight individual finish.

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?