It went down to the wire, and then a little bit beyond, but Bubba Starling signed on the dotted line and will play professional baseball, spurning his football scholarship from Nebraska. Starling agreed to a deal with the Kansas City Royals, who made him the fifth overall pick in July’s Major League Baseball Entry Draft. The deal includes a 7.5 million dollar signing bonus that will be spread out over three years. According to the Royals front office, negotiations between the team and Starling didn’t heat up until the last few minutes before the 11 PM central time deadline for teams to come to terms with their draft picks. The signing bonus is the largest ever given to a draft pick by the Royals. Starling’s departure from the Nebraska football program means the Huskers will enter the 2011 season with only two scholarship quarterbacks: Taylor Martinez and Brion Carnes.

Bo Pelini released a statement regarding Starling’s decision:
“Everyone associated with our football program at Nebraska wishes Bubba nothing but the best in his future with the Kansas City Royals organization. I know this decision has been very difficult for Bubba and his family, as it would be for anyone in his position. In the end, Bubba was in a win-win situation regardless of his choice, and we respect the decision he has made. I personally will root for Bubba in every game except when he plays against the Indians!”