Friday Five: Arrowhead after dark for Nebraska football

Nebraska football’s season opener will take place under the lights in Kansas City. That and more in the Friday Five.

I don’t know about you, but I’m getting quite fond of these Friday recaps. It’s a solid way to look back on the week’s news.

With that said, if there is ever a topic you want us to dive into more thoroughly, let us know. These Friday Fives are meant to be a high-level review, but that doesn’t mean we can’t get into the weeds on any one topic. We like falling down rabbit holes around here.

Anyway.

The Huskers will open the football season in primetime. The softball team is headed to Baton Rouge. A former standout is coming home to help lead the next era of women’s basketball. And Jordy Bahl is still doing Jordy Bahl things.

Here’s what you need to know heading into the weekend.

Kickoff set for Arrowhead opener

Nebraska’s season opener against Cincinnati at Arrowhead Stadium now has a kickoff time. The Huskers and Bearcats will face off at 8 p.m. CT on Thursday, August 28, with the game airing live on ESPN.

The matchup has been in the works since the 2020 COVID-season shuffle. At one point, Cincinnati’s home leg of the series was expected to take place in Indianapolis. When Arrowhead entered the picture, things changed quickly and in Nebraska’s favor.

“All of a sudden Arrowhead came and said, ‘Hey, we’re interested in that game.’ And for us Arrowhead is Memorial Stadium South,” Nebraska athletic director Troy Dannen said on the Huskers Radio Network. “Plus, it’s fairly lucrative for us financially… it could be a million-dollar day for us on top of a game that with seven home games, it can be an eighth for our fans.”

Dannen added that the Kansas City location supports the staff’s recruiting strategy.

“As we’ve seen, we’re trying to recruit the Kansas City metropolitan area fairly heavily,” he said. “Having that presence there, it’s a win-win-win-win all the way around for us.”

While Nebraska enters the season off a 7–6 campaign, Cincinnati will try to rebound from a 5–7 finish that included a notable win over playoff participant Arizona State. The Bearcats return quarterback Brendan Sorsby and reloaded their roster via the transfer portal.

Nebraska last played at Arrowhead in the 2006 Big 12 Championship against Oklahoma.¹

A homegrown hire for women’s hoops

Marissa Kastanek, a Nebraska native with a standout college and professional career, is joining Amy Williams’ staff as a graduate assistant manager for the 2025–26 season.

“Marissa is a home run hire for our program,” Williams said in a statement this week. “Our student-athletes can lean into her vast playing experience both collegiately and professionally. We have seen her utilize her positive, upbeat teaching style while coaching at many of our summer camps.”

Kastanek starred at Lincoln Southeast High School before heading to NC State, where she became a four-year starter, ACC Freshman of the Year (2010) and a first-team All-ACC selection. She finished her Wolfpack career with 1,655 points, 240 three-pointers and a 4.0 GPA as a psychology major.

After college, she spent 12 seasons playing professionally across Poland, Sweden, the Czech Republic and Puerto Rico. She most recently helped lead VBW Arka Gdynia to a league title while averaging 9.6 points and 2.5 assists per game. She also played in eight EuroCup games this season.

“I am so excited to announce that I will be a Husker,” Kastanek said. “I am so thankful to Coach Williams and the University for allowing me to step in and be a part of something special. I am so excited to share what I have learned over the years with the next generation of players.”

Jordy Bahl named National Player of the Year finalist

For the third time in her career, Jordy Bahl is a top-10 finalist for the USA Softball/ESPN Collegiate Player of the Year award.

She’s no stranger to the list—earning the same distinction in 2022 and 2023 while at Oklahoma—but this season with Nebraska has been her most complete performance yet.

Bahl was named Big Ten Player of the Year and Pitcher of the Year, becoming the first player in conference history to sweep both honors. She also made history at the plate, becoming the first Husker to record 15 home runs and 15 doubles in the same season.

The numbers speak for themselves:

• 23–6 record

• 1.57 ERA

• 254 strikeouts

• Just 39 earned runs allowed over 174.1 innings pitched

The Papillion native continues to anchor Nebraska’s postseason hopes heading into regionals. The top three finalists will be announced May 19, just before the Women’s College World Series begins.

Softball heads south for regionals

Nebraska softball is Baton Rouge bound, opening NCAA Regional play Friday at 2 p.m. CT against UConn. No. 10 LSU hosts the four-team pod, which also includes Southeastern Louisiana.

The Huskers had hoped to host after a strong Big Ten showing but a semifinal loss to No. 9 UCLA ended that possibility. Still, this is a manageable draw with a shot to advance.

Several Huskers were honored after the regular season:

• First Team All-Big Ten: Jordy Bahl, Ava Kuszak

• Second Team All-Big Ten: Samantha Bland, Hannah Camenzind

• All-Defensive Team: Samantha Bland (3B)

Nebraska hasn’t advanced out of Regionals since 2014. Is this the year?

Regional Schedule (All Times Central):

Friday, May 16

Nebraska vs. UConn | 2 p.m. | ESPN+

Southeastern Louisiana vs. LSU | 4:30 p.m. | SEC Network

Saturday, May 17

Game 3: Winners | 12 p.m. | ESPN+

Game 4: Losers | 2:30 p.m. | ESPN+

Game 5: Elimination Game | 5 p.m. | ESPN+

Sunday, May 18

Game 6: Final | 2 p.m. | ESPN+

Game 7 (if necessary): 4:30 p.m. | TV TBD

All games can be heard on the Huskers Radio Network.

Baseball rallies big at Purdue

Nebraska baseball pulled off its largest comeback in 14 years on Thursday, coming back from an 8–0 deficit to beat Purdue 11–9 in West Lafayette.

The Huskers trailed by eight runs through three innings. It was their biggest comeback win since erasing a 10-run deficit against North Dakota in 2010.

Dylan Carey went 2-for-4 with a homer, three RBI and two runs scored. Cayden Brumbaugh drove in three with a double as part of a 2-for-6 night. Five Huskers recorded multi-hit games, including Riley Silva, Joshua Overbeek and Case Sanderson.

Nebraska used five pitchers, with Drew Christo earning the win and Luke Broderick notching his 11th save, tying him for eighth on NU’s single-season list.

The comeback was fueled by a six-run fourth and a three-run eighth, capped by Carey’s two-RBI single and a pinch-hit RBI double by Devin Nunez.

The Huskers continue their series at Purdue this afternoon at 3 p.m. CT on B1G+.

1. That was a 21–7 loss on a brutally cold night, which I remember because I was there. It was so cold. I heard “Boomer Sooner” 1,000 times.