Friday Five: From Memorial to midnight
Husker football in the morning, Nebraska volleyball at night and Bud Crawford under the Vegas lights. Saturday is going to be a busy day.
A big Nebraska sports Saturday is on deck.
First, football takes the field at 11 a.m. CT against Houston Christian, aiming for a 3-0 start. Then volleyball follows at 6 p.m., with the top-ranked Huskers hosting Grand Canyon in the Husker Invitational. And as the night stretches on, Omaha’s own Terence “Bud” Crawford will step into the ring against Canelo Alvarez in Las Vegas.
And that’s just the start, if we’re being honest. This week also brought changes in the college football transfer portal debate, leadership honors for a Husker basketball standout, pro volleyball stars returning to Omaha and the continued dominance of Nebraska’s volleyball machine.
Let’s get into it.
Crawford and the Huskers set the tone for Saturday
Husker football kicks off against Houston Christian in the morning, but it’s Terence “Bud” Crawford’s late-night fight in Las Vegas that looms largest.
Crawford, undefeated at 41-0, is stepping up two weight classes to face Canelo Alvarez, the undisputed super middleweight champion. No man has ever been the undisputed champion in three different weight classes. Crawford is risking his spotless record to try and become the first.
Legacy-defining? Absolutely. In truth, Crawford’s legacy is already cemented in Nebraska.
Coach Matt Rhule connected the dots though earlier this week, pointing to Crawford as an example for his team.
“He’s a role model for all of us who are blessed to give back,” Rhule said. “… He’s risking his legacy because he wants to be the first person to be a three-time unified champion. He could just sit back and go, ‘No, I’m not going to fight Canelo. I’m the greatest that ever was.’ He’s going to risk that because he’s such a competitor.”
For Rhule, Crawford’s mindset is the very definition of fighting under pressure:
“Bud fights. He accepts the challenge. He moves forward. He puts his city, his state, his legacy on his back and goes out and risks it all in the ring because he’s the ultimate, ultimate competitor,” Rhule said. “That’s an analogy for our team.”
That’s the parallel. Husker football is still learning to reestablish itself. Crawford is teaching the lesson: don’t avoid the pressure. Embrace it.
Rhule weighs in on transfer portal reform
Rhule also chimed in on the NCAA’s latest look at revising transfer portal rules. The FBS Oversight Committee has proposed cutting down the system from two windows to one: a 10-day period starting Jan. 2.
For Rhule, that change would be a welcome relief.
“I want kids to have a chance to transfer if they’re unhappy and if they’re not in the right setup,” he said. “I want them to have that, but two portal windows, it’s just torture.”
The concern? With two separate windows, players can essentially re-negotiate their situations twice in one offseason. That opens the door for tampering and second-guessing. Coaches, Rhule included, have seen it play out: teams losing players or missing on recruits, then turning to pull athletes out of other programs.
A single January window would at least streamline the chaos. While Rhule admits his ideal model would tie more closely to universities’ fiscal calendars, he knows that’s a nonstarter.
“I say that in the Big Ten meetings and people look at me like I have three heads,” he said. “So I’m like, ‘All right, whatever, just do what you want. We’ll be fine here.’”
Callin Hake takes Big Ten leadership role
Senior guard Callin Hake was elected chair of the Big Ten Student-Athlete Issues Commission for the 2025-26 year.
That’s a big deal. The SAIC was founded in 1994 and represents student-athletes in shaping conference policies, reviewing NCAA legislation and serving as the voice of their peers.
Hake has built her case through steady contributions on the court—99 games played, 36 starts, 6.4 points per game last season—and relentless work off it. She’s been Nebraska’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee president, a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar, a two-time Academic All-District pick and winner of the Sam Foltz 27 Hero Leadership Award.
Her resume is as stacked as any Husker athlete in recent memory, blending athletic performance, academic excellence and community service. She’ll now help set the agenda for student-athletes across one of the most powerful conferences in college sports.
Athletes Unlimited volleyball returns to Omaha
October is going to be busy for Nebraska volleyball fans, and not just because of the Huskers. Athletes Unlimited is back with its professional volleyball championship and Omaha is one of two host sites.
The first leg runs Oct. 3-13 at Liberty First Credit Union Arena in Ralston before shifting to Madison, Wisconsin, later in the month. The rosters are stacked with familiar names.
Former Husker libero Justine Wong-Orantes—a two-time Olympian and gold medalist—is making her AU debut. Kayla Caffey, who split her career between Nebraska and Texas, will also play. Creighton alums Jaali Winters and Elise Goetzinger are in the mix, along with several current and former Omaha Supernovas.
The AU format is unique. Players earn points for team wins and individual stats. Captains draft new teams weekly, so rosters constantly change. By the end of the season, the athlete with the highest total is crowned champion.
“We’re incredibly excited to bring this world-class talent to fans in two of the nation’s premier volleyball cities,” said Cassidy Lichtman, AU’s vice president of volleyball. “With the incredible depth on our rosters and our fantastic broadcast partners, we can’t wait to watch these athletes compete.”
Nebraska volleyball rolls into the Husker Invitational
Speaking of volleyball, Nebraska’s own machine continues to hum. The Huskers swept both Wright State and California at the Ameritas Players Challenge without breaking stride.
True freshman Manaia Ogbechie made her debut count with eight kills on .583 hitting and 2.5 blocks. Harper Murray showed why she’s among the nation’s most dynamic outside hitters, delivering 14 kills, three aces and a .370 attack percentage. Andi Jackson was steady as ever with 12 kills and two blocks on .450 hitting.
Now comes a step up: the Husker Invitational, featuring No. 22 Utah and Grand Canyon. Utah, with veteran coach Beth Launiere and rising star Kamryn Gibadlo, looks like another tough early-season test for Nebraska. Grand Canyon is still rebuilding under Kendra Potts but brings enough new talent to make things interesting.
Devaney will be packed as always, and Nebraska will be aiming to stay perfect as conference play looms.
It’s been a busy week in Nebraska Athletics, and this weekend isn’t slowing down. Saturday, specifically, is going to be a busy one from start to finish.
Settle in. We’ll see you tomorrow.
I hadn't heard that about Callin Hake, that's seriously cool! Not sure I would've heard about that if I wasn't subbed here. Thank you!