FRIDAY FIVE: A week of big swings

Looking for a quiet week? Well, guess what? This isn’t one of those weeks.

Photo courtesy Nebraska Athletics

Looking for a quiet week? Well, guess what? This isn’t one of those weeks.

Let’s see: Nebraska men’s basketball played one of its best games, volleyball marched forward in the NCAA Tournament, football reshaped more of its staff and the long-awaited Bob Devaney Sports Center renderings finally dropped. And tucked inside all of that was another recruiting win, this one for 2027.

Let’s get into it.

What the new Devaney will look like and what it means

Nebraska finally released the renderings and pricing tiers for the Bob Devaney Sports Center renovation and the home of Nebraska volleyball is about to move into a different category.

The plan expands capacity to roughly 10,000 seats and brings the building closer to Pinnacle Bank Arena in terms of premium experience. Think loge boxes with hospitality lounge access, private restrooms and all-inclusive food and drink. Not convinced? How about chairbacks and cupholders everywhere with no bad sightlines to seal the deal. And then there is the centralized student section and band location that Nebraska hopes will change the energy of the court-level end.

The financial structure shifts too. Courtside seating carries a $5,000 per-seat contribution, loge and libero club seating run $4,000, lower bowl options check in at $1,000 and the upper-level preferred sits at $450. The entry-level contribution is $50 and season tickets themselves will be $300.

Nebraska’s projections show why the change is happening: annual ticket revenue and associated gifts could rise from roughly $4.5 million to around $8 million.

The reseating process begins this summer, with contribution deadlines landing in March.

Nebraska basketball just punched the gas

Nebraska’s 90-60 dismantling of Wisconsin didn’t just move the Huskers to 10-0. It felt like a new kind of performance under coach Fred Hoiberg and it was one fueled by Berke Buyuktuncel bleeding, snarling and igniting Pinnacle Bank Arena with every defensive stand.

He was everywhere: diving on the floor, chasing down loose balls and meeting 7-footer Nolan Winter at the rim and sending him away. When he crashed to the court and had to leave the game for stitches, the crowd roared as if Nebraska had hit a buzzer-beater.

“He definitely brings the energy for our group,” Rienk Mast said afterward. “I know our guys feed off of his positivity, and I love for him that the crowd’s embracing him and his physicality and his hustle.”

It wasn’t just Buyuktuncel as the story from the night. How Nebraska defended deserves some attention too. Hands in passing lanes. Pressure on the ball. Rotations that actually disrupted Wisconsin’s motion. The Badgers shot 34.4% overall and 22% from three.

Offensively, Nebraska was connected and decisive and it all added up to a major statement win.

Rob Aurich is bringing help

Nebraska’s new defensive coordinator Rob Aurich won’t be arriving in Lincoln alone. One of his San Diego State assistants — edge rushers coach Roy Manning — is following him.

Manning’s résumé is stacked: Michigan alum, three seasons in the NFL and college coaching stops at Michigan, Washington State, Oklahoma and USC. He’s worked under Alex Grinch, coached in big games and helped produce defenses known for takeaways and pressure. At San Diego State last season, his edge group combined for 20.5 sacks (among the best units in the Mountain West Conference).

Where he fits on Nebraska’s staff is still being finalized, but it’s clear that Aurich is assembling people he trusts as Nebraska transitions to a 4-2-5 base. The move matches the personnel Nebraska has been stacking too.

Aurich’s quick arrival, Manning’s addition and coach Matt Rhule’s willingness to make decisive changes all point to the same thing: Nebraska wants physicality, cohesion and a defensive identity that holds up when the calendar turns to November.

Nebraska adds a significant 2027 commit

Despite the vacancy at defensive line coach, Nebraska picked up one of its most meaningful long-term commitments of the year: 2027 defensive lineman Jayden Travers.

The 6-foot-3, 260-pound St. Frances Academy standout chose Nebraska over Miami and Michigan during an ESPN2 broadcast. It’s notable when Nebraska beats national brands for a defensive lineman. It’s more notable when the position coach who would oversee him was dismissed the day before his commitment.

Travers visited Lincoln for the Northwestern game in October and trimmed his list all the way down to three before making the call. Nebraska’s consistency in recruiting him, even through staff movement, paid off.

He becomes the second defensive piece in Nebraska’s 2027 group.

Nebraska volleyball advances and the bracket gets more real

Nebraska swept Long Island to open the NCAA Tournament and extend its home postseason winning streak to 28 matches. That’s a school record, by the way.

The offense wasn’t its usual paint-by-numbers masterpiece — the Huskers hit .253, one of their lower marks of the season — but the depth carried them. Andi Jackson and Harper Murray each finished with 10 kills, while Taylor Landfair, Virginia Adriano and Rebekah Allick all chipped in meaningful volume.

Now comes the true stretch run.

Nebraska faces No. 16 Kansas in the Sweet 16, a program reinvented under Matt Ulmer after heavy offseason losses. Kansas is long, physical, and balanced, with Big 12 honorees all over the floor. Reese Ptacek — a dominant middle with 136 blocks — will be the centerpiece of any attempt to push Nebraska. Serbian freshman Jovana Zelenovic adds size and firepower, and Ryan White has stabilized the Jayhawks’ back row.

Still, the matchup favors Nebraska. The Huskers are deeper, steadier and more battle-tested. If they advance, they’ll face the winner of Louisville vs. Texas A&M for a trip to the Final Four.

Survive and advance, and Nebraska has been doing that for three straight months.

You can catch Nebraska vs. Kansas on Friday 30 minutes after the Texas A&M-Louisville match (which is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT). ESPN2 will carry the match.

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See? If quiet is what you’re looking for, it’s not happening at Nebraska any time soon. It will eventually — as it always does for a period of time — but not now.

That means it’s best to enjoy the chaos. Nebraska has earned the right to be busy in December.