NET and the Nebraska Athletic Department announced Thursday that the Huskers’ Friday night NCAA Tournament first-round match will air statewide on NET. If the Huskers advance to Saturday night’s 7 p.m. second-round match against Kansas State or Utah, that match will also broadcast live on NET. The NET broadcasts will also be streamed online for free at BTN2GO.com if your cable provider includes the Big Ten Network. All three matches this weekend will also have a free video stream at Huskers.com.
Larry Punteney and Kathi Wieskamp will call the action for NET from the Bob Devaney Sports Center, as Nebraska opens the NCAA Tournament against Hofstra on Friday at 7 p.m., or 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first match if it runs late. Nebraska’s match will start no sooner than 7 p.m.
All of Nebraska’s matches will also be available on the radio on selected Husker Sports Network stations, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln, and 94.9 FM in Omaha on Friday and 93.3 FM in Omaha if NU plays on Saturday. Audio is also free online at Huskers.com.
There are still some tickets available for this weekend’s matches at the Devaney Center. Tickets can be purchased by calling 1-800-8BIGRED or visiting Huskers.com.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senators from both parties are urging the National Football League to get rid of a rule that bars home games from being televised in a local market if they have not sold out.
Sens. Richard Blumenthal and John McCain say the NFL’s “blackout” rule is unfair to fans who have helped the league reap billions of dollars in revenue from broadcast rights to games that are among the most-watched programs on TV.
The Federal Communications Commission voted this fall to stop enforcing the NFL’s blackout policy, but the action did not end blackouts, which are written into the NFL’s private contracts with broadcast and cable companies.
Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat, and McCain, an Arizona Republican, warned that if the league does not repeal the rule, Congress may step in.
Lincoln, NE—The University of Nebraska has hired Mike Riley as its new Head Football Coach, Director of Athletics Shawn Eichorst announced today. Riley will be formally introduced at a news conference on Friday, December 5th at 9:00 a.m. in the West Memorial Stadium – 3rd Floor Club.
Riley comes to Nebraska after 14 seasons as the head coach at Oregon State University, spanning two different tenures in Corvallis. Riley has led OSU to 93 wins and a 6-2 record in postseason bowl games. In addition to his time at Oregon State, Riley has served as the head coach of the San Diego Chargers, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League, with whom he won two Grey Cup Championships, and the San Antonio Riders in the World Football League. He has served as an assistant coach at California, USC, Linfield College, Whitworth and Northern Colorado as well as with the New Orleans Saints and in the Canadian Football League.
Riley is a native of Idaho and a graduate of the University of Alabama, where he played for Paul “Bear” Bryant and won three SEC titles and one National Championship.
Mike and his wife, Dee, have two children, Matthew and Kate, and one grandchild, Eli.
Mike will assume his duties immediately but will not coach the Huskers in the upcoming bowl game as Interim Head Coach Barney Cotton will coach the team through the bowl.
Statement from Chancellor Harvey Perlman
“We have high expectations of the men and women who teach and coach our students and Mike Riley is an outstanding addition to our family. I want to welcome Mike and his family to Nebraska and thank Shawn Eichorst for his great efforts in bringing Mike to Lincoln.”
Statement from Director of Athletics Shawn Eichorst:
“There was one coach who fit all the characteristics that I was seeking to lead our tradition rich football program. Mike Riley has a proven record of success, a sound approach to football and teaching, an understanding of the educational mission of our university and the integrity and values that we cherish at Nebraska. I have no doubt that Mike will assemble a tremendous staff and lead our student-athletes to win Big Ten titles and compete for national championships in the years ahead.”
Statement from Mike Riley:
“It is truly an honor to join the University of Nebraska family. Though we love Corvallis and Oregon State, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to coach at one of the nation’s most storied football programs and I can’t wait to get started. My sincere thanks to Chancellor Perlman and Shawn Eichorst for their confidence in me and I look forward to becoming a part of the Nebraska family and building upon the great history and tradition.”
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A high school staffer who let fired Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini use the Lincoln school’s auditorium to meet with his former players will be billed $262.50.
The unnamed staffer is acquainted with Pelini and let him and the players gather Tuesday night at Lincoln North Star High School. Pelini was fired Sunday, and several of his players have since declared their support for the fiery coach and their disappointment at the decision to dismiss him. His replacement has not been named yet.
School district spokeswoman Mary Kay Roth says the staffer didn’t go through the appropriate channels and didn’t inform his principal.
The bill for the four hours of use covers custodial and utilities cost of keeping the room open.
TULSA, Okla. (AP) — James Woodard scored 23 points, including four 3-pointers, to lead Tulsa to a 77-64 win over Creighton on Wednesday night.
Woodard shot 7 of 13 from the floor and reached 1,000 career points on a 28-25 go-ahead trey with 2:14 to go in the first period to give Tulsa (4-3) a lead it would hold the rest of the game. He also grabbed a team-high eight rebounds.
Shaquille Harrison and Marquel Curtis scored 17 points apiece for the Golden Hurricanes, who shot 48.1 percent from the field and forced 13 turnovers to end a four-game series skid against Creighton (6-2).
Austin Chatman led the Blue Jays with 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists, while Toby Hegner had 14 points and Devin Brooks had 10 along with seven rebounds.
Woodard entered the game needing eight points to reach the 1,000-point milestone.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Emily Cady put back a missed shot with 49 seconds left to put No. 12 Nebraska up by five and seal a 60-54 win over No. 9 Duke in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge on Wednesday night.
Nebraska (7-0, 0-0 Big Ten) which led by as many as 13 in the first half, held Duke (5-2, 0-0) to just four points in the last five minutes of the game while scoring eight, six of them from the free throw line along with Cady’s putback.
Rachel Theriot scored 17 points, 10 in the second half, to lead Nebraska, while Hallie Sample finished with 16 and Cady had 13 points and 11 rebounds.
Azura Stevens led Duke with 16 points and nine rebounds.
With six Big Ten volleyball teams selected to the 2014 NCAA Volleyball Tournament, BTN2Go will provide live coverage of four First Round matches, and live coverage of Second Round matches if Wisconsin, Penn State, Illinois and/or Nebraska advance.
The Big Ten looks to build on last year’s record-setting success. Last season, Penn State defeated Wisconsin in the national championship to win its fifth national title in the past seven years. With the Nittany Lions and Badgers both in the championship match, it marked the first time two Big Ten teams battled for the national crown.
The complimentary live streaming coverage on BTN2Go will not require cable/satellite authentication or a subscription.
Below is the schedule, complete with direct links to the event page on BTN2Go.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Right-hander Luke Hochevar and the Kansas City Royals have agreed to a $10 million, two-year deal, a person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press.
Hochevar will make $4.5 million this season and $5.5 million for the 2016 season, the person said Wednesday, speaking on condition of anonymity because Hochevar must pass a physical to complete the agreement.
Hochevar missed last season after Tommy John surgery.
The former No. 1 overall draft pick struggled for years as a starting pitcher, going 11-11 with a 4.61 ERA in his best season. But when he was dynamic after shifting to the bullpen and went 5-2 with a 1.92 ERA in 2013.
After nearly two weeks off from competition, Nebraska travels to Las Vegas, Nev., on Friday and Saturday for the 33rd Annual Cliff Keen Invitational at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
The event will be streamed on Flowrestling.org, with a subscription required to view the matches. Friday’s competition begins at 11 a.m. (CT) with the pigtail round and first two rounds as well as consolation matches. The quarterfinals are slated for 8 p.m.
On Saturday, consolation matches continue at 11 a.m. before the semifinals and consolation finals (fifth- and seventh-place matches) take place in the afternoon. The championship finals are set for 5 p.m.
Last season, the Huskers finished second at the tournament as James Green captured the 157-pound title.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Fired head coach Bo Pelini has held one last meeting with his former players at Nebraska.
They met off the university campus, gathering Tuesday night in the auditorium of a local high school.
Pelini was fired Sunday after finishing the season 9-3. His Huskers never won a conference championship and his teams lost four games in every season he completed. Pelini’s successor hasn’t yet been named.
After the meeting, several players expressed gratitude to their fiery coach and wished him well. Pelini has not said publicly what his future plans are.
NET and the Nebraska Athletic Department announced Thursday that the Huskers’ Friday night NCAA Tournament first-round match will air statewide on NET. If the Huskers advance to Saturday night’s 7 p.m. second-round match against Kansas State or Utah, that match will also broadcast live on NET. The NET broadcasts will also be streamed online for free at BTN2GO.com if your cable provider includes the Big Ten Network. All three matches this weekend will also have a free video stream at Huskers.com.
