ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The Denver Broncos have signed first-round pick Bradley Roby of Ohio State to a four-year deal worth approximately $7 million.
Roby said he was taken aback when he saw the figures on his contract and that he “worked my whole life for that, so it was a great feeling.”
He said the first thing he’d do with his roughly $3.5 million signing bonus was “buy my mom whatever she wants.”
The Broncos selected the All-Big Ten cornerback with the 31st pick in the NFL draft last month. He was the last of their six-player draft class to sign his deal.
Bradley started all 37 games he played at Ohio State, where he collected eight interceptions and broke up 44 passes.
SCOTTSBLUFF—Tickets are now on sale for the West Nebraska All-Star Games that will be played Saturday, June 14, 2014 in Scottsbluff.
A single game ticket to the volleyball or football game is $6 for adults, and $4 for children 12 and under if purchased in advance. A money saving two-game ticket admitting the buyer to both games at one low price is also available. The price is $9 for adults and $6 for children 12 and under. Ticket prices increase $1 if purchased at the gate.
Tickets for the West Nebraska All-Star Games can be purchased in advance at the following locations: Sports Village and the Athlete’s Edge at the Monument Mall, the Sports Racquet, 1711 Broadway, The Zone at Scottsbluff Screen Printing, 1813 Broadway and both locations of Elite Physical Therapy, 214 West 27th Street in Scottsbluff, and at 1270 10th Street, Suite 101 in Gering.
The 30th annual volleyball game will be played at 2 p.m. MDT at WNCC’s Cougar Palace. The 36th annual football game will be played that evening at 7 p.m. MDT at Bearcat Stadium in Scottsbluff.
A portion of the proceeds from the West Nebraska All-Star Games benefits the Scotts Bluff County Volunteer Center.
The rosters for the football teams can be seen by clicking here and the volleyball teams can be seen here.
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — It’s not that they were jealous. More like embarrassed.
While Peyton Manning’s prodigious offense was scorching scoreboards all of last season, collecting records and accolades by the bundle, Denver’s depleted defense was giving up 25 points a game.
Run-stuffer Terrance Knighton, one of just three starters who made it from opening night to the Super Bowl, says the goal in 2014 is to see to it that Manning’s high-octane offense is a luxury and not a necessity.
Lincoln – Nebraska baseball and football signee Monte Harrison was selected 50th overall in the MLB First-Year Player Draft on Thursday night by the Milwaukee Brewers. Harrison was the ninth pick in the second round and it’s the highest that an incoming Husker has been picked since Bubba Starling was selected fifth overall by the Kansas City Royals in 2011. Starling went on to sign a professional contract with the Royals.
Scheduled to play both football and baseball at Nebraska, Harrison was tabbed as a first-team All-American by Perfect Game in 2014. The 6-2 product of Lee’s Summit West High School in Lee’s Summit, Mo., was ranked as the 31st best high school prospect in the country and the No. 4 outfielder nationally by Perfect Game.
As a junior in 2013, Harrison hit .457, while driving in 33 runs and scoring 36. He had 12 doubles, three triples and six home runs and also stole 25 bases.
On the football field, Harrison helped his team to a 13-1 record and a Class 5 state title. Harrison’s explosiveness helped Lee’s Summit West dominate during its playoff run, winning all five games by at least 28 points. Harrison finished the season with 60 receptions for 1,007 yards, an average of 16.8 yards per catch, and had 13 receiving touchdowns. Harrison also rushed for 198 yards and 12 touchdowns and threw a touchdown pass.
Harrison now has until July 18 to sign a contract with the Brewers.
“Be Ready.” Two words capture the excitement behind the upcoming University of Nebraska football season. The Nebraska Athletic Department wants Husker Nation to “Be Ready” to enjoy the enhanced fan experience in Memorial Stadium for the 125th season of Husker football which kicks off on August 30, 2014.
The $12.3 million Memorial Stadium Fan Experience Improvements project is underway and includes replacing the stadium’s existing sound system; installing a wireless network system to improve connectivity; creating a game-day smart phone application for all fans in Memorial Stadium; and the installation of an IPTV system.
“Each of these Memorial Stadium Fan Experience Improvements are designed to provide the best college football fans in America with the best game-day experience possible,” Director of Athletics Shawn Eichorst said. “It is extremely important that we strive to improve our fan experience and our customer service in all of our athletic venues. These initiatives in Memorial Stadium are a big step in ensuring that there is no better place to be on college football game day than at Nebraska.”
New Sound System to Improve Quality Throughout Memorial Stadium
The previous sound system at Memorial Stadium was more than 20 years old, and while it was still functional, the normal life expectancy of such systems is 15 years. With installation underway, a new, single-point source system will replace the current speaker cluster inside the stadium. It will use line array and beam focusing speaker technology that will provide consistent audio levels throughout the stadium. Voice and music intelligibility will also be much improved and will allow fans, in all parts of the stadium, to enjoy the full Nebraska game-day experience. In addition, all concourses, suites, and common areas will be driven by DSP(digital signal processing) technology. The DSP system will also deliver sound to the PA speaker amplifiers. Downs Electric has been awarded the contract for the installation of the new sound system with the assistance of BNT Productions and work began on April 14. Additionally, as part of the improvement, a new scoreboard design will be incorporated into the overall sound system structure. The scoreboard will display a 25-foot illuminated Nebraska “N” and topped with a graphic of a football, visible from both inside and outside of Memorial Stadium.
New State-of-the-Art Wireless Network System will be Largest Collegiate Stadium Installation
The new wireless network system has many advantages and will allow fans better access to internet applications from their smartphones, regardless of carrier or location in the stadium, which will also relieve volume to cellular networks for voice calls and text messaging. The system installed in Memorial Stadium will be the largest collegiate and second-largest Cisco ConnectedStadium deployment in North America. Other stadiums with Cisco Connected Systems include Pinnacle Bank Arena, AT&T Stadium (home to the Dallas Cowboys and the largest Cisco Connected deployment in North America), Beaver Stadium (Penn State University), Stanford Stadium, Amon G. Carter Stadium (TCU), Yankee Stadium and Bank of America Stadium (Carolina Panthers).
Wireless coverage will also extend beyond the stadium to allow for an even greater area of connectivity, including the Hawks practice facility and practice fields, the Ed Weir Track, Champions Club (Surface Lot Only), parking garages 1 and 9, and parking surface lots 3, 4, 5, 8, and 12. CDW has been awarded the contract for the installation of the new wireless system and work began on April 28.
Smartphone Application to Deliver Exclusive Game-Day Information and Video
Nebraska Athletics is extending its contract with NeuLion, a leading internet video technology provider for live and on-demand interactive content for any Internet-enabled device, to develop an innovative in-venue game-day experience. Through a smartphone application, fans will be able to access in-depth information about the games, including exclusive streaming video content only available to those inside Memorial Stadium. Also available will be rosters and player bios, real-time stats and venue maps with concession stands, restrooms, and emergency stations. This experience will be added to the Official Nebraska Huskers App that is currently available to iOS and Android users. NeuLion has broad experience delivering high quality sports video experiences on multiple devices, including work with the Big Ten Network on the BTN2Go app, the National Hockey League, Ultimate Fighting Championship, the National Basketball Association and more than 175 colleges.
When asked about the impact the improvements within Memorial Stadium will have on those in attendance, Husker Athletics Director of Digital Media Kelly Mosier said: “As technology continues to improve, fans are engaging with college sports across all platforms of social media during games. Specifically addressing Nebraska football, we are excited that the added connectivity we are providing for the 2014 football season will give fans in Memorial Stadium greater access to engage in the conversations which are occurring online.” The game-day application will be ready for use when the 2014 season begins.
The exclusive video content will extend the HuskerVision experience beyond the existing big screens inside of Memorial Stadium and give fans control of their video experience on their own mobile devices. To meet this new avenue of engaging fan content, HuskerVision will expand its control room in a project that was awarded to Alpha Audio & Video.
IPTV System Brings Game Day Content into Memorial Stadium Concourses, Clubs and Suites
The Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) is a system through which television services are delivered using the Internet protocol suite over a packet-switched network such as a LAN or the Internet, instead of being delivered through traditional terrestrial, satellite signal, and cable television formats. IPTV deployments tightly manage network security and performance to ensure a superior entertainment experience, including the delivery of significantly more content and functionality. An IP-based platform also allows significant opportunities to make the TV viewing experience more interactive and personalized. With the advancement of the IPTV system, every channel we provide to fans will be in HD. We are also able to ensure the ability to provide unique camera angles and live, in-game stats. IPTV is a component of the Cisco Connected Stadium solution and that is being installed by CDW.
West Stadium to Incorporate Brick Design Element
Memorial Stadium improvements also include the addition of brick on the base section of West Memorial Stadium. The brick has been donated by Endicott Clay Products Co. of Endicott, Nebraska, to match the brick they have provided for other parts of the stadium. With the addition of brick on the West Stadium side, the West, North, and East Stadiums will all feature brick as a cohesive design element.
Seat Yourself Program Concludes June 10
Nebraska Athletics was also pleased to introduce a new, online ticketing program earlier this spring for the upcoming football season called, Seat Yourself. The Seat Yourself process was designed to help current and prospective Nebraska football season ticket holders who wished to explore the option of moving their season ticket(s) or acquire new seats. The new system improved the ticketing process and included the ability to have a 3D view of Memorial Stadium, view available seats, and make changes to current seats or select additional seats. Donors, season ticket holders and those who placed their names on the initial Request List have been assisted with tickets and upgrades as part of Phase I, which ended on May 21. It was an extremely successful launch and will expand to other Husker venues in the future. Phase II will assist all those on the second Request List which began on April 1.
All fans interested in purchasing football season tickets for the 2014 football season can go to Huskers.com/memorialstadium to get on the Request List. Season tickets are $56 per game, or $392 for the seven-game season package, a savings of $113 over single-game prices. Beginning June 16, fans will be able to view remaining available seats and immediately purchase season tickets online at Huskers.com/memorialstadium with the Select Your Seat process. Don’t miss the opportunity to be inside Memorial Stadium for the 125th season of Husker Football.
Rosemont, Ill. — The Big Ten Conference announced today that the Council of Presidents/Chancellors unanimously approved a recommendation from university administrators for future Big Ten Football Championship Games to be held in Indianapolis and for upcoming Big Ten Basketball Tournaments to be hosted by both Chicago and Indianapolis.
The Big Ten Football Championship Game will remain at Lucas Oil Stadium through the 2021 season. The Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament will rotate between Chicago and Indianapolis, with the United Center hosting the event in 2019 and 2021 and Bankers Life Fieldhouse serving as the tournament’s home in 2020 and 2022. Bankers Life Fieldhouse will also host the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament from 2017 through 2022.
“The Big Ten Conference and member institutions are excited to return to Chicago and Indianapolis for future football championship games and basketball tournaments,” said Big Ten Commissioner James E. Delany. “These two cities have been tremendous hosts and partners with first-class facilities and an outstanding base of Big Ten alumni and fans who support conference events. We are proud of the history that we have developed with these two great cities and look forward to maintaining a significant presence in both locations.”
“To announce today that our community will host the first 11 Big Ten Football Championship Games at Lucas Oil Stadium and consistently bring the premier basketball events of the country’s marquee conference to Bankers Life Fieldhouse is simply incredible,” said Allison Melangton, Indiana Sports Corp President. “We continue to enjoy an amazing partnership with the Big Ten Conference, and we thank Commissioner Delany and the university leadership for placing their trust in Indianapolis once again. Locally, the support we receive from our financial partners, government entities, venues, committee members, and volunteers allows us to continually host the nation’s best events. It is truly a team effort.”
“Hosting the Big Ten Tournament in 2013 was an amazing experience for Chicago and with our hundreds of thousands of Big Ten alumni, the city was buzzing with excitement,” said Chicago Sports Commission Executive Director Kara Bachman. “We eagerly await the tournament’s return to our world-class city in 2015, and with it look forward to seeing an even broader, national fan base with the additions of Rutgers and Maryland, two great institutions with strong alumni networks in Chicago. We applaud Commissioner Delany’s vision and can’t wait to see it further realized in 2019 and 2021 when the tournament returns to the United Center. ”
The inaugural Big Ten Football Championship Game was held at Lucas Oil Stadium in 2011, the start of a five-year agreement with Indianapolis which now extends through 2021. The annual championship game has featured four different teams in the first three years, with two appearances each by Michigan State and Wisconsin and one trip for both Nebraska and Ohio State. The Badgers were victorious in the first two title contests, while the Spartans earned the win last December. The 2013 Big Ten Football Championship Game produced the highest attendance yet, with 66,002 fans at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament has been held in either Chicago or Indianapolis through the first 17 years of its existence. The annual event returns to the United Center for the ninth time in 2015 and will be held at Bankers Life Fieldhouse for the 10th time in 2016, before making its first appearance on the East Coast when the 2017 event is held at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. The site of the 2018 tournament will be announced at a later date. Six Big Ten programs have officially won the tournament, including Michigan State claiming a fourth crown in March. Each of the last two tournaments have been sold out, including a conference record of more than 124,000 fans at the United Center in 2013 and over 111,000 fans at Bankers Life Fieldhouse earlier this year, the largest attendance in Indianapolis. More than 1.6 million fans have enjoyed the tournament since the inaugural event in 1998.
The Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament has been played in Indianapolis in 18 of 20 years since 1995. Bankers Life Fieldhouse has hosted the tournament in 12 of the last 13 seasons, while Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Ill., served as the event’s home in 2013 and will host again in 2015. Seven different Big Ten teams have claimed the tournament title, including Nebraska winning the event for the first time in March. The Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament has averaged more than 30,000 fans each year, including each of the last six events held in Indianapolis, with a tournament record attendance of 38,748 in 2012.
DENVER (AP) — Jack Elway, the son of Denver Broncos general manager John Elway, has pleaded not guilty to charges that he assaulted his girlfriend and pulled her from a car by her hair.
Court records show 24-year-old John Albert Elway entered the plea on Wednesday. He was charged with assault and disturbing the peace after the Saturday incident near a college campus in downtown Denver.
Police reports show Elway’s girlfriend told officers he shoved her to the ground when she tried to get back into the car, causing scrapes.
Police say Elway then fled the scene. He is free after posting $550 bond.
His attorney, Harvey Steinberg, did not immediately return a call for comment. A Broncos spokesman says the case is a personal family matter.
NEW YORK (AP) — The Super Bowl will scrap the Roman numerals for a year.
The 50th edition of the game will be played in February 2016 in Santa Clara, California. The NFL said Wednesday it will be called “Super Bowl 50” instead of “Super Bowl L.”
In 2017, the league will revert to Roman numerals, referring to the 51st edition as “Super Bowl LI.”
The NFL first started using Roman numerals for the fifth Super Bowl in 1971.
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Aqib Talib figures he’s upgraded quarterbacks by moving to Denver and he’s definitely traded up when it comes to the wide receivers he’s facing in offseason workouts.
Talib first weighed in on the Peyton Manning vs. Tom Brady debate last week when he was a guest on the NFL Network, which chose him as one of the league’s top 100 players of 2013. He said that with all due respect to Brady, who will always be his friend, he’s now playing with the best quarterback in the business.
Manning said last week he hadn’t seen the segment, but he certainly returned the compliment, suggesting Talib — and therefore not Super Bowl champion cornerback Richard Sherman — “was probably the toughest corner that we played against last year.”
