Friday Five: Big names, big moves and a run worth showing up for
From Suh’s retirement to Nebraska’s Fan Day and VNL quarterfinals, the countdown to kickoff keeps picking up speed.
Oh, hello. It’s Friday (and thank goodness for that).
This Sunday marks the 13th annual Nebraska Football Road Race, a summer tradition that brings fans together for a good cause while offering a first look at the Huskers before fall camp kicks off.
From there, it’s full steam ahead to August, when Fan Day and the Big Red Preview offer a chance to get inside Memorial Stadium before another football season kicks off.
Also this week: coaching contracts are finalized, a Husker legend calls it a career and two more Nebraska pitchers join the ranks of the pros. Oh, and little volleyball talk too.
Nebraska football to host fan day and Big Red Preview on Aug. 2
The 2025 Huskers will make their public debut on Saturday, Aug. 2, with two fan-focused events at Memorial Stadium.
The day begins with the annual Nebraska Football Fan Day from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at the Hawks Championship Center. Players will sign autographs and interact with fans during the 90-minute free event.
Later that evening, Memorial Stadium will host the Big Red Preview, an open practice that begins at 6:30 p.m. (Gates open at 5:30 p.m.) It will be Nebraska’s first full-pads practice of fall camp and the first chance to see the new playing surface in action.
Tickets are already on sale at Huskers.com.
More event details—including parking, logistics, and how kids can join coach Matt Rhule’s autograph line—will be shared as Aug. 2 approaches.
Nebraska finalizes new contracts for four head coaches
Nebraska has officially extended the contracts of four head coaches following standout seasons. On Wednesday, athletic director Troy Dannen announced new deals for:
Rhonda Revelle (Softball) – Extended through June 2030
Justin St. Clair (Track and Field) – Extended through June 2030
Paul Klempa (Bowling) – Extended through April 2029
Chuck Chmelka (Men’s Gymnastics) – Extended through April 2028
“We are proud at Nebraska that we just finished our most successful all-sports athletic season in 15 years,” Dannen said. “That is not possible without great leadership.”
Revelle, entering her 34th year, led Nebraska softball to a Super Regional and is the winningest coach in program history with 1,170 victories. St. Clair has guided his teams to multiple Big Ten titles and top NCAA finishes. Klempa’s bowling program placed third at nationals this year and Chmelka has led men’s gymnastics to top-five national finishes in seven straight seasons.
Nebraska’s 21st-place finish in the 2024-25 Learfield Directors’ Cup was its best in 15 years.
Ndamukong Suh retires with a lasting legacy
Ndamukong Suh, one of the most dominant defensive players in Nebraska and NFL history, officially announced his retirement this week.
A three-time first-team All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowler, Suh’s career spanned 13 NFL seasons and included $168 million in career earnings, the most ever by a defensive player at the time of his 2015 deal with the Dolphins.
At Nebraska, Suh won every major defensive award in 2009.
However, for Suh, it has always been about more than his on-field accomplishments.“From a lifetime perspective, I want to be more known off the field than I was on it… I never wanted to be coined as just an athlete,” Suh told NFL Network while reflecting on his career.
Two Huskers selected in 2025 MLB Draft
Two Nebraska pitchers were selected in this week’s MLB Draft:
Mason McConnaughey – 4th Round, Texas Rangers (No. 115 overall)
Luke Broderick – 14th Round, Colorado Rockies (No. 407 overall)
McConnaughey, a Topeka native, went 9-3 in 2024 and earned second-team All-Big Ten honors. A preseason All-American in 2025, he missed most of this season due to injury but became the eighth Husker pitcher drafted under Will Bolt in the first 10 rounds.
Broderick transferred in for 2025 and made an immediate impact, recording 13 saves (tied for third-most in a single season at Nebraska) and earning All-Big Ten and All-Tournament honors.
Their selections continue Nebraska’s strong pitching development under Bolt, but the wider draft results also offered a reminder of the uphill climb Big Ten programs face in college baseball. Only six Big Ten players were selected in the first 105 picks, compared to 13 SEC players in the first 24 college selections alone.
Team USA volleyball advances to VNL quarterfinals
The U.S. women’s national team has advanced to the quarterfinals of the Volleyball Nations League and will face undefeated Italy on Tuesday, July 23, in Poland.
The Americans finished preliminary play 7-5, with matches across Serbia, Brazil, and the U.S. Among the standouts is former Husker libero Lexi Rodriguez, who debuted in Week 2 and made an immediate impact, averaging 10.5 digs per match in four appearances.
Rodriguez is joined on the U.S. roster by several familiar faces, including:
Sarah Franklin (Wisconsin)
Logan Eggleston (Texas)
Madisen Skinner (Texas)
The U.S. previously won three straight VNL titles (2018–21) but hasn’t medaled since. Italy, the defending champion, went 12-0 in pool play.
Bonus: A run worth showing up for
A quick reminder that the 13th annual Nebraska Football Road Race is this Sunday, July 20. The one-mile Fun Run starts at 8 a.m., with the 5K beginning at 8:30 a.m., both finishing inside Memorial Stadium, just like Jack Hoffman’s 69-yard spring game touchdown in 2013.
You can still register up until the race.“I can’t think of much better ways to come spend a Sunday and encourage Husker fans to join us to raise money for a great cause,” senior defensive back Derek Branch said.
All proceeds benefit pediatric brain cancer research at UNMC, a legacy that began with Rex Burkhead and Hoffman, and continues with each road race.