Friday Five: Michigan comes to town, hoops schedules drop and volleyball sets another record
Big games, big crowds, big expectations. That’s September in Nebraska.
Big Ten play is here for Nebraska football. Are you ready for it?
Nebraska football hosts a ranked opponent for the first time this season, while both basketball programs had their conference schedules revealed this week. Add in a historic volleyball match in Omaha and a milestone celebration at Memorial Stadium, and it’s a pretty big week in Nebraska Athletics.
Feels like we could say that a lot of weeks though, huh? Let’s get into it.
1995 champions return to Memorial Stadium
Nebraska’s 1995 national championship team will be recognized this weekend as the Huskers face No. 21 Michigan. It continues a tradition that started last season, when the 1994 team was honored before the Colorado game.
Matt Rhule said the recognition speaks to the kind of standard Nebraska football has long represented.
“What the '95 team was able to do, to win it the previous year and then come back and do it again—when you know everyone's aiming for you, everyone's gunning for you—to me, speaks to the beauty of the University of Nebraska,” he said.
The event is more than just ceremony. Rhule has made a point of connecting former players with today’s roster, noting that all practices are open to alumni.
“The biggest thing for us is we want to be inviting and we want to make this where, no matter what era or when you played, where you played, what your contribution was on or off the field, that you always feel welcome to be here,” Rhule said.
Rhule previews Michigan
As Nebraska prepares for Michigan, Rhule touched on several areas he believes could shape the game.
One of those areas is safety DeShon Singleton.
“DeShon has done a great job. He’s playing elite football. He’s significantly improved his tackling … He’s a good athlete. Great leader. Tremendous leader. Great story of him getting here,” Rhule said. “I’m glad he got the extra year … I’m happy he got it, I’m happy it worked out.”
As for special teams?
“I think when you’re playing in the weather that we’re playing in — cold games late in the year, wind games in our stadium — the ability to flip the field and all that matters,” Rhule said. “… Our opponent has an elite kickoff return team, a really good kickoff return team. That’ll be a really good story to watch.”
Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. CT on CBS, and Rhule knows the stakes feel different with a ranked team in Lincoln.
"We very much never want to make one game bigger than the other in terms of the football part of it,” he said. “But in terms of bringing excitement to Lincoln and having people be excited, last year's Colorado game, to me, was an iconic moment that I hope someday my kids are talking about. I don't want to minimize the excitement of having a ranked team come here for the first game. I'm excited about it. This is why you came to Nebraska."
Women’s basketball schedule sets a high bar
The Big Ten unveiled its men’s and women’s basketball schedules this week, and the women’s slate makes one thing clear: Nebraska will be tested early and often.
The Huskers are set to play 20 of 29 regular-season games against postseason teams from last year, including 13 matchups with NCAA Tournament qualifiers. Eleven of their 17 home games at Pinnacle Bank Arena will feature opponents who played into March.
Coach Amy Williams knows what awaits.
“Our team has been working extremely hard during the offseason, and we have confidence that our non-conference schedule is going to prepare us for an incredibly tough Big Ten Conference schedule,” she said. “Most of all, we are looking forward to seeing all of the great fans in Husker Nation at Pinnacle Bank Arena this season.”
Nebraska brings back plenty of young talent: Britt Prince, Natalie Potts, Petra Bozan, Amiah Hargrove, Logan Nissley and Jessica Petrie all return with significant experience. Transfers Emily Fisher (Maryland), Claire Johnson (Samford), Eliza Maupin (Kansas State) and Hailey Weaver (Northwestern), plus freshman Alanna Neale, add depth.
Fans won’t have to wait long for marquee moments. USC comes to Lincoln on Dec. 29, followed by Indiana on Jan. 8 and Final Four qualifier UCLA on Jan. 11. February is especially brutal, with every opponent in that month having played postseason basketball a year ago.
Men’s basketball to open Big Ten play at home
For the first time under Fred Hoiberg, Nebraska will start Big Ten play at home. The Huskers open the league season Dec. 10 against Wisconsin, then hit the road to Illinois on Dec. 13.
January brings Michigan State to Lincoln, along with Oregon and Washington in each team’s first appearance in PBA as Big Ten members. The Huskers will also navigate five road games that month, including trips to Ohio State, Indiana and Michigan.
February tilts the other way, with five of the first seven games at home. Purdue, Maryland and Illinois headline the PBA slate, while road trips to Rutgers and Iowa add more intrigue. The season closes with a West Coast swing to USC and UCLA before Iowa visits Lincoln on March 8.
The Big Ten Tournament will expand to an 18-team format at Chicago’s United Center. That means Tuesday games for seeds 15 through 18 and a longer week of basketball. It’s another sign of just how much the landscape has changed since Nebraska joined the league in 2011.
Volleyball sets another attendance record in Omaha
On Tuesday night, 17,675 fans packed CHI Health Center Omaha to see No. 1 Nebraska edge No. 18 Creighton in five sets. The crowd broke the NCAA record for regular-season indoor attendance, previously held by Wisconsin’s 2023 match against Marquette.
The match had plenty of storylines. Nebraska coach Dani Busboom Kelly admitted she missed facing her former mentor Kirsten Bernthal Booth, while Creighton’s Brian Rosen downplayed the significance of the matchup before watching his team push Nebraska to the brink.
“I would have never dreamed to coach in an environment like that,” Rosen said afterward. “It was really fun in those stress moments that the fan bases were fighting against each other. I honestly couldn’t even tell what either of them were saying anymore because they’re both so loud and so into it.”
Nebraska eventually prevailed 25-17, 21-25, 25-18, 24-26, 15-9 to remain unbeaten. After the match, Busboom Kelly pointed to the sold out crowd as proof of the state’s unmatched passion.
“It was just another example of why the state makes volleyball so special,” she said.
Bonus: A statue for John Cook
Can we have a sixth point this week? I don’t think you’ll mind, right?
Anyway, the University of Nebraska honored one of the most iconic figures in Husker Athletics on Thursday with a statue dedication ceremony for legendary volleyball coach John Cook. The bronze tribute stands on the north side of the Bob Devaney Sports Center, near the bottom of the pedestrian ramp.
The ceremony included remarks from University of Nebraska System President Dr. Jeffrey Gold, Athletic Director Troy Dannen, head coach Dani Busboom Kelly and Cook himself.
Cook retired in January after 25 seasons leading Nebraska and 32 years as a head coach. In Lincoln, he built one of the sport’s most dominant dynasties: four national championships, 12 semifinal appearances, nine Big 12 titles, and five Big Ten crowns. His 722–103 record at Nebraska gave him an .875 winning percentage, the best of any Division I program from 2000–24.
Beyond the numbers, Cook shaped the sport itself. He coached five Olympians, three national players of the year, 72 All-Americans, 25 Academic All-Americans and helped bring “Volleyball Day in Nebraska” to life, drawing 92,003 fans to Memorial Stadium in 2023. That is still the world record for attendance at a women’s sporting event.
And now Cook has a statue, which is a permanent reminder of Cook’s role in elevating women’s volleyball, women’s sports and Nebraska athletics as a whole.
Quite the week, huh?
Football faces its first real test of the year with Michigan in town. Basketball season is just around the corner, with schedules that leave no doubt about the challenge ahead. Volleyball? It’s rewriting the record books yet again.
Big games, big crowds, big expectations. That’s September in Nebraska.
February.