Nebraska is adding a 24th intercollegiate varsity sport – sand volleyball. The university announced that the new team would begin competition this spring. More than 20 schools currently participate in intercollegiate sand volleyball, which began as an NCAA Division I sport last spring. The NCAA will sponsor a national championship once 40 schools sponsor programs. Husker court volleyball head coach John Cook will coach the new team. Though Nebraska will not offer scholarships for the program, all of Cook’s current court players are all eligible to play sand volleyball. Each team must play a minimum of eight competition dates, including three duals, each season. Nebraska does not plan to host any competitions this spring. Practice for Husker sand volleyball will begin later this week.

Statement from Nebraska sand volleyball head coach John Cook:

“We have talked a great deal about our vision for sand volleyball. We plan to start small and grow as the sport continues to develop. We understand the challenges in terms of our location, but we have a good plan on how to manage our sand volleyball team and grow with the sport.”

Statement from Nebraska athletic director Shawn Eichorst:

“Coach Osborne and Coach Cook had discussions about the possibility of adding sand volleyball over the past few months and things came together quickly in recent weeks. We are excited to sponsor a sport that is beginning to emerge on the national level, and plan to grow with the sport in the coming years. Our volleyball program has a remarkable record of success over a long period of time, and we hope to add to that legacy through our sand volleyball team in the years ahead.”

Steroid-tainted stars Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Sammy Sosa have been denied entry to baseball’s Hall of Fame with voters failing to elect any candidates for only the second time in four decades.

Bonds received just 36.2 percent of the vote, Clemens 37.6 and Sosa 12.5 in totals announced Wednesday by the Hall and the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. They were appearing on the ballot for the first time and have up to 14 more years to make it to Cooperstown.

Craig Biggio, 20th on the career list with 3,060 hits, topped the 37 candidates with 68.2 percent of the 569 ballots, 39 shy of the 75 percent needed. Among other first-year eligibles, Mike Piazza received 57.8 percent and Curt Schilling 38.8

Jack Morris led holdovers with 67.7 percent. He will make his final ballot appearance next year, when Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine are eligible for the first time.

The North Platte Knights moved their winning streak to four games with a 62-56 victory at Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, Colorado last night. In their first game back from their holiday break, the Knights went on an early 8-0 run to take the lead and held on throughout a close second half. Reath Jiech scored 13 points to lead the Knights in the winning effort. The Knights are now 11-2 on the season and 2-0 in South Sub-region play. In the women’s game in Sterling last night, a 10-0 run by the Plainswomen to start the second half doomed the Lady Knights, who ended up on the losing end of a 72-54 score. Paige Hasty scored 20 points for North Platte in the loss. The Lady Knights see their five-game winning streak end and are now 9-6. The Lady Knights play at the Colorado Christian JV on Saturday. The men travel to Trinidad, Colorado Friday night.

 

The Husker men’s basketball team has opened their Big Ten conference schedule with a pair of losses. A first win will not come easily tonight as they face their toughest test yet, on the road facing unbeaten and second-ranked Michigan. The powerful Wolverines are 15-0 and are led by one of the country’s finest point guards, Trey Burke. Nebraska must get a better shooting performance than they did in their previous game, a 47-41 loss at home to Wisconsin. Tip-off at Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor is scheduled for 6 PM. You can see the game live on Big Ten Network.

The Denver Nuggets are back on their home hardwood tonight to play host to the Orlando Magic. The Nuggets are 11-2 at the Pepsi Center this season. Orlando is currently mired in a nine-game losing skid. Tonight’s game marks the return of Arron Afflalo to Denver. The Magic guard spent the last three seasons in Denver before going to Orlando in the four-team trade that brought Andre Igoudala to the Nuggets. The Magic won the first meeting between the two teams this season in Orlando back on November 2. Tonight’s game tips off at 8 PM.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — There’s a new “Gloved One” — in Denver, at least.

Ripping a page from Michael Jackson’s playbook, Peyton Manning has practiced for and played in the last two games with a sticky feeling orange-and-grey glove on his throwing hand, drawing his fair share of curious glances for donning cold-weather gear when the temperatures are in the 50s, as they were Tuesday at practice.

But in getting ready for the playoff push, which could include two games in sometimes-snowy Denver, Manning is leaving no stone unturned. And, as if on cue, a strong arctic storm is expected to roll into Denver on Friday night, bringing snow and bitter cold. The high for Saturday’s playoff game against Baltimore is forecast at 20 degrees.

The North Platte Community College Knights and Lady Knights are ready to resume their seasons after a 24-day holiday break. Both squads will be hoping to continue winning streaks as they travel to Sterling, Colorado to face Northeastern Junior College in Region IX action.. The Lady Knights have won five straight games, and nearly claimed their first ever win over NJC in their first meeting this season, losing by one point after the Plainswomen scored with three seconds left. The Knights men, who have run off three straight wins and a 10-2 start overall, rolled over the Plainsmen by 20 points in their first meeting. The women’s game tips off at 6:30, with the men to follow at 8:30. ESPN Radio 1410 will have the play-by-play for you, with pregame coverage getting underway at 6:15.