From the first serve until the final point, Nebraska enjoyed one of the most memorable seasons in program history in 2023. It started by making history at Memorial Stadium and ended with an appearance in the National Championship Game. Now, ESPN wants to highlight that remarkable year.

ESPN has announced that it will air an E60 documentary, which follows the Huskers through the 2023 season. It is set to premier on Sunday, Aug. 25 at 5 p.m. ET.

On Wednesday, Aug. 30, Nebraska opened the 2023 by making history. Dubbed “Volleyball Day in Nebraska,” 92,003 fans attended the Huskers’ opener at Memorial Stadium — home of the Nebraska football team. It was the largest attendance for a women’s sporting event ever.

Nebraska defeated Omaha 3-0 to start the season with a victory, marking the start of an impressive year.

With no seniors on the team, the Huskers nearly made it through the entire regular season with an undefeated record. The team’s lone loss came to Wisconsin in Madison on Friday, Nov. 24. Nebraska claimed an outright Big Ten title, then played their way to an appearance in the National Championship Game.

Nebraska ended the season with a 33-2 record and a 19-1 mark in Big Ten play.

Although they came up just short of bringing a title back to Lincoln, the Huskers’ 2023 season was one for the history books. To set an attedance record, win a conference title and compete for a national championship with no seniors on the roster? That’s an impressive feat.

So mark your calendars, this documentary will highlight last year’s success, providing behind-the-scenes looks at the remarkable run for coach John Cook and his squad.

Jim Harbaugh issues statement

Jim Harbaugh refuses to take responsibility for the sign-stealing scandal that unfolded at Michigan. After a draft of the NCAA’s Notice of Allegations was reported on by ESPN, the former Wolverines leader made a statement.

“Never lie. Never cheat. Never steal. I was raised with that lesson,” he said on Monday. “I have raised my family on that lesson. I have preached that lesson to the teams that I have coached. No one is perfect. If you stumble, you apologize and you make it right.

“Today, I do not apologize. I did not participate, was not aware nor complicit in those said allegations. So, it’s back to work and attacking with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind.”

Last season, Harbaugh led Michigan to a perfect 15-0 record a national championship. But controversy followed the program throughout the year when it was revealed that a Wolverines staffer, Connor Stalions, was illegal scouting opponents.

Harbaugh was suspended three games at the end of the regular season by the Big Ten because of the situation. After leading the program to a title, Harbaugh bolted for the NFL, landing a job with the Los Angeles Chargers.

On Monday, it was reported that Harbaugh’s replacement, Sherrone Moore, was one of at least seven staffers who had knowledge of the sign-stealing scandal. He deleted more than 50 text messages from Stalions and could face a show-cause punishment and possible suspension.

Minnesota trolls Iowa with Gold Out shirt

Minnesota is really getting its money’s worth from last year’s win over Iowa. Through an NIL apparel company, the Golden Gophers are trolling their rivals over Cooper DeJean’s invalid fair catch signal, which wiped away a late-game touchdown and helped Minnesota secure a 12-10 win over the Hawkeyes.

The shirt has an image of Floyd of Rosedale — the game’s rivalry trophy — on the front. On the back is a snippet from the college football rulebook, in which it outlines the specifics of an invalid signal.

With less than two minutes to play in the fourth quarter, Minnesota punted the ball away, needing one stop to secure a win over Iowa for the first time under coach P.J. Fleck. After the ball bounced on the ground, DeJean appeared to wave his arm, signaling to his teammates to stay away.

DeJean then picked the ball up and raced to the end zone, giving the Hawkeyes a late lead. The play was later reviewed to determine whether he stepped out of bounds while returning the punt. Instead, officials determined that DeJean used an invalid fair catch signal, marking the play dead.

It was one of the more controversial endings we saw in college football last season. Minnesota just wants to add a little more fuel to the rivalry by reminding Iowa fans.

SIX BIG TEN TEAMS IN COACHES POLL: Six Big Ten teams were ranked in the top-25 of the USA Today Coaches Poll, with four sitting in the top-10. Ohio State was the highest-ranked squad at No. 2. CLICK HERE

SHERRONE MOORE FACES UPHILL BATTLE: Sherrone Moore could face a show-cause penalty and a suspension from the NCAA, according to a report from ESPN. It makes his job at Michigan even tougher. CLICK HERE

The Nebraska Cornhuskers received two votes in the inaugural US LBM Coaches Poll of the 2024 college football season.

The Georgia Bulldogs are ranked No. 1 with 46 of a possible 54 first-place votes. Ohio State is ranked No. 2, followed by Oregon at No. 3, Texas at No. 4, and Alabama at No. 5.

Three of Nebraska’s opponents in 2024 appeared in the Top 25. Ohio State (Oct. 26) came in at No. 2, USC (Nov. 16) was ranked No. 23, and Iowa (Nov. 29) at No. 25.

Nebraska will kick off the 2024 season on August 31 when the Cornhuskers welcome UTEP to Memorial Stadium. The game will start at 2:30 p.m. and can be seen on Fox.

Others Receiving Votes

Washington 123; Louisville 95; Virginia Tech 64; SMU 47; Memphis 44; Boise State 30; Auburn 25; West Virginia 22; Wisconsin 17; Liberty 15; Iowa State 15; Kentucky 12; Florida 11; South Carolina 10; North Carolina 6; UNLV 5; Maryland 5; UCF 4; Texas Tech 4; UTSA 3; Tulane 2; Texas State 2; Nebraska 2; Colorado 2; Appalachian State 2; Troy 1; Syracuse 1; Miami (OH) 1; James Madison 1; Air Force 1;

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Two newly filed marijuana legalization bills in Nebraska had initial committee hearings on Friday.

The two proposals—LB 52 from Sen. Justin Wayne (D) and LB 71 from Sen. Terrell McKinney (D)—were filed in the legislature last Monday, the final day for lawmakers to file measures for the special session called last month by Gov. Jim Pillen (R). Wayne’s legalization bill comes in at 162 pages, while McKinney’s is 165 pages long.

The Judiciary Committee heard both bills together. Sen. Rick Holdcroft (R) point out that the panels’ agenda listed the session as a “joint hearing,” prompting laughs in the committee chamber.

McKinney introduced his measure by arguing that the war on drugs continues to inflicted significant harm on Nebraska families even as other states have moved to legalize cannabis. Further, criminalizing marijuana use and possession has failed to deter use, he said.

“Communities have been destabilized and families torn apart,” the lawmaker testified, “all for nonviolent offenses involving a substance that is legal in many states across our nation.”

Pillen specifically called the special legislative session to address property tax issues. McKinney said that colleagues are serious about finding other revenue streams for the state, they need to consider legalizing and regulating marijuana.

“One of the standout features of LB 71 is the potential to generate substantial tax revenue by legalizing marijuana and putting forth a well regulated tax framework,” McKinney said. “We can provide tax relief in our state. This revenue can also be allocated in our educational systems, helping children receive the education they deserve, and into businesses and community development initiatives.”

“If we are back for a special session because property taxes are so bad that we need to come back for two, three weeks of the summer to figure this out, and everything’s supposed to be put on the table,” he continued, “I don’t see how we can sit here and say no and ignore the potential revenue of $100-plus million.”

A fiscal note on McKinney’s bill estimates the measure would bring in $18.9 million in fiscal year 2025, which would increase over time to an estimated $98.0 million in fiscal 2028. Annual state expenses for operations, meanwhile, are expected to start at $1 million annually and rise to $2.5 million by fiscal year 2028.

Half of that revenue would go to the state’s property tax credit cash fund, while 40 percent would go to education. Five percent would fund business development grants “in disproportionately impacted areas and for social equity applications,” the fiscal note says, while smaller amounts would go to prisoner re-entry and rehabilitation, youth outreach and health initiatives and other programs.

A statement of intent from Wayne on his bill, LB 52, says that the proposal “reclassifies cannabis, removing it as a controlled substance, and establishes a comprehensive framework for the cultivation, distribution, and sale of cannabis.”

“The Act requires cannabis enterprises to comply with stringent operational standards, including maintaining secure facilities, ensuring products are child-resistant, and preventing sales to individuals under twenty-one,” the statement says. “It mandates the use of a seed-to-sale tracking system and imposes packaging and labeling requirements to ensure safety. Local and state bodies are given the authority to conduct investigations and enforce compliance, with strict penalties for false statements and unauthorized activities.”

The fiscal note for LB 52 projects more revenue from that bill than from McKinney’s separate measure, starting at $29.5 million in fiscal 2025 and rising to $153.1 million in fiscal 2028. Operational costs to the state are projected to be the same as those associated with McKinney’s bill.

Opponents who spoke against the legalization proposals on Friday included representatives of law enforcement, the state’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), and anti-cannabis advocates.

Nebraska State Patrol Col. John Bolduc, the department’s superintendent of law enforcement and public safety, argued that legalization in states like Colorado has fueled illicit markets and increased hospitalizations and emergency room visits.

Others said revenue from a regulated cannabis industry wouldn’t solve Nebraska’s budget woes, noting that cannabis revenue has fallen in some states as markets have matured and consumer prices have fallen.

Robert Donovick, executive medical officer at DHHS, warned of associations between cannabis use and increased risk of motor vehicle fatalities, psychosis, schizophrenia and various other health complications.

Also testifying was Zachary Viglianco, deputy solicitor general with the state attorney general’s office, who spoke against the bills.

“There is a perception that marijuana is safe and expanding access to marijuana is harmless, and that perception is a myth. It contradicts the scientific, medical and sociological evidence,” Viglianco said. “It has scientific connections to increased rates of heart attack several forms of cancer, and it can exacerbate or cause mental health conditions, such as anxiety, suicidal ideation and schizophrenia.”

He also tied legalization to increases in impaired driving as well as “rising homelessness, crime and reductions to workplace productivity.”

Fewer public speakers commented in support of the proposals. One was Jason Witmer, policy fellow at ACLU of Nebraska, who told the panel that contrary to marijuana being a gateway drug, criminalizing cannabis is a “gateway to prison, and that’s not serving anybody.”

Black Nebraskans were three times more likely to be arrested for cannabis as of 2018, Witmer said. “In the same year, nearly half of all Nebraska’s arrests were for cannabis possession.”

Over approximately the past decade since Colorado legalized marijuana, he added, the state has collected $2.5 million in cannabis tax revenue.

One lawmaker who was particularly active during Friday’s hearing was Sen. Carol Blood (D). Though she expressed concerns about the risks of cannabis legalization and problem use, she repeatedly pushed back on hyperbolic claims by law enforcement and legalization opponents.

In terms of written comments submitted on the bills, opponents of legalization outnumbered supporters.

As part of their closing comments, the sponsors of the two bills pointed out that many of the same criticisms of marijuana leveled by opponents could also be applied to alcohol or tobacco.

“Since all these people are fear mongering, I’m going to bring a bill to prohibit the selling and usage of alcohol,” McKinney said, “and I hope they all show up. Thank you.”

Wayne, in his closing remarks, echoed that sentiment.

“Every argument you heard here opposed is the same argument you can say for alcohol, the same argument you can say for tobacco,” the committee chair told colleagues. One difference, he said, is that “there’s no direct link of overdose when it comes to cannabis.”

As for alcohol and tobacco, “those are legal and we regulate,” Wayne said. “And by regulating it and putting the industry and marketing on notice that they’re going to help us regulate it, those other industries over the years have declined youth participation. So if you want to solve that, there’s the model: regulation.”

Separately, lawmakers this special session are considering a sweeping property tax relief bill from Sen. Lou Ann Linehan (R). A revised measure recently introduced by Linehan, LB 1, would impose a 30 percent tax on consumable hemp products, including CBD, as part of its goal of lessening the state’s reliance on property taxes.

Linehan’s tax bill for the earlier regular session, LB 388, initially contained a 100 percent tax rate on consumable hemp products. But following industry and consumer pushback, the proposed rate was reduced to 25 percent before the underlying tax bill was put on ice.

As part of hearings on the bill this week in the legislature’s Revenue Committee, which Linehan chairs, lawmakers took critical testimony from hemp companies and consumers, who said the change risks putting shuttering local companies and sending consumers to neighboring states where prices would be lower.

Linehan’s latest tax proposal comes as Nebraska, like many other states across the country, witnesses an explosion of hemp-derived products, including intoxicating cannabinoids such as delta-8 THC. Late last year, the state’s attorney general, Mike Hilgers (R), filed suit against retailers in the state over their sale of delta-8 products.

Neither medical nor adult-use cannabis are legal in Nebraska. Beyond the two new legalization bills discussed this week, citizen activists are also hoping to change that, working to qualify two prospective medical cannabis initiatives for November’s ballot.

Activists last month turned in what they hope will be more than enough signatures to qualify two medical marijuana measures—the third time the campaign has sought to let voters decide on the reform in recent years.

A recent poll by the campaign found 70 percent support in the state for legalizing medical marijuana.

Organizers at Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana (NMM) have been petitioning for the change since July, about two months after turning in a pair of complementary ballot proposals to the secretary of state’s office.

The governor has already voiced opposition to the reform effort, saying in September that legalization “poses demonstrated harms to our children,” and that medical cannabis should only be accessible if its approved by FDA.

Late last year, NMM told Marijuana Moment that the governor’s argument was a “cop out,” and she says the campaign will let voters decide for themselves.

One of NMM’s earlier campaigns gathered enough signatures for ballot placement in 2020, but the measure was invalidated by the state Supreme Court following a single-subject challenge. Supporters then came up short on signatures for revised petitions in 2022 due in large part to the loss of funding after one of their key donors died in a plane crash.

Nebraska lawmakers have also attempted to enact the reform legislatively, but cannabis bills have consistently stalled out in the conservative legislature.

A medical cannabis bill received a hearing in the unicameral Judiciary Committee in February, but it did not advance. Its sponsor attributed the inaction to changes in committee membership. An earlier version of the measure ultimately stalled out in the GOP-controlled legislature amid a filibuster that supporters could not overcome.

Marijuana Prohibition Hinders Ability To ‘Fully Understand’ Its Effects, Top Federal Health Agency Says In New Report

Photo courtesy of Philip Steffan.