B1G FOOTBALL MEDIA DAYS START TODAY, NEBRASKA IN TOP HALF OF UNOFFICIAL POLL:
Nebraska football is expected to be in the top half of the expanded Big Ten Conferenced this fall.
That’s according to the Preseason Big Ten Football Poll from Cleveland.com. This is the 14th year the outlet has released a preseason poll.
This is the first year that the league has featured 18 teams. With 27 voters, the picks varied for some teams, though Ohio State was the runaway favorite with 21 votes to win the league.
Nebraska is slotted to finish No. 8 in the Big Ten. By all accounts, that would be a good final spot for the Big Red, who never finished above fourth in the West Division over the last seven seasons.
The last time NU finished in the top half of the Big Ten was 2016, when the Huskers went 9-4 overall and 6-3 in league play. That team was third in the West behind Wisconsin and Iowa while three teams in the East posted at least seven conference wins.
NORTH DAKOTA #1 RATED PLAYER COMMITS TO HUSKERS:
The Huskers snagged the commitment of 2025 defensive lineman Kade Pietrzak Sunday. Pietrzak is the No. 1 ranked recruit in North Dakota and is a 247Sports Composite four-star prospect.
The 6-5, 260-pounder out of Sheyenne High School in West Fargo picked NU over the Oklahoma Sooners and Kansas State Wildcats, among others. Pietrzak had made trips to Lincoln, Manhattan, and Norman last month, also visiting Madison, Wisconsin, at the end of May.
Nebraska is now up to 17 commitments for the class of 2025, including five four-star recruits. Two of those five are defensive lineman, with Pietrzak joining June commit Malcolm Simpson.
MIAA FOOTBALL MEDIA DAY TODAY, HOW TO WATCH:
MIAA head coaches and student-athletes will travel to Kansas City, Missouri on Tuesday, July 23 for the 2024 MIAA Football Media Day, presented by Seigfreid Bingham.
UNK will be on the podium at 11 a.m. and represented by head coach Ryan Held, quarterback Reagan Jones and defensive end Quillan Felton. Jones is a graduate transfer from Missouri Western who started 1.5 years for the Griffons with Felton joining offensive lineman Kooper Reece as Lopers who’ve earned All-MIAA honors.
With Lincoln University’s departure from the league and Northeastern State University competing as an independent, the MIAA will feature a 10-team conference schedule for the first time since 2011.
Fans can watch each press conference from the 2024 MIAA Football Media Day live, exclusively on The MIAA Network.
KEARNEY LEGION SPLITS IN DISTRICTS:
The Kearney Misko Sports Seniors season ended over the weekend.
After falling to the North Platte FNBO Nationals on Friday, 7-6; their season ended with a 6-4 loss to Grand Island Home Federal yesterday.
The Misko Seniors finish the year with an 18-15 record.
The Pinnacle Bank Juniors are in Today’s A7 District Championship. They defeated Hastings Johnson Imperial Homes 6-1 yesterday to move to the Championship.
LARSON WINS BRICKYARD 400:
Kyle Larson left Indianapolis in May in the middle of one of the most agonizing days of his racing career.
In his return Sunday, Larson finished one of the most memorable races of his career with one of sports’ more revered celebrations — kissing the bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The 31-year-old Californian overcame an early, unscheduled pit stop by charging from 12th place into the lead over the final 32 laps. He won battles for the lead off the final two restarts and barely avoiding a third overtime to win his first Brickyard 400 under caution.
SCHAUFFELE WINS BRITISH OPEN:
Xander Schauffele’s critics used to say he didn’t have the nerves or backbone to win one of golf’s major championships.
Now, the 30-year-old PGA Tour star from San Diego can’t stop winning them.
Two months after Schauffele captured his first major championship victory at the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, he added a second one Sunday at the 152nd Open Championship at Royal Troon Golf Club.
NEBRASKA FAN DAY FOR FOOTBALL & VOLLEYBALL ANNOUNCED:
A unique fan experience for the Huskers is set for this summer.
Nebraska fans will have the opportunity to meet-&-greet with both Husker football and volleyball players on Saturday, Aug. 24, for both The Nebraska Football Fan Day & Volleyball Fan Day which have been scheduled back-to-back on University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus.
Volleyball’s fan day was previously announced for the same date, but the event time has been adjusted to allow fans the opportunity to attend both.
The Husker Fan Day schedule is now as follow:
- Volleyball Fan Day – 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. – Bob Devaney Sports Center (1600 Court St)
- Football Fan Day – 11:00-12:30 p.m. – Hawks Championship Center (1111 Salt Creek Roadway)
NOVACEK DECOMMITS FROM UCF BASEBALL:
Kearney High junior outfielder Griffin Novacek has decommitted from UCF baseball, citing recent NCAA rule changes.
This past spring, he was a .325 hitter for the Bearcats, including seven doubles, two triples and a home run. He also picked up 18 RBIs. This summer he has been playing for the Nebraska Prospects travel team.
UNK HEAVYWEIGHT NAMED ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICAN:
UNK Redshirt sophomore heavyweight Crew Howard has earned second-team Academic All-American honors as selected by the College Sports Communicators (CSC).
The NCAA Division I, II, III and NAIA At-Large Academic All-American teams were released Wednesday. The “At-Large” category includes a variety of sports including wrestling, lacrosse, men’s volleyball, skiing, and water polo.
Howard (Creston, Ia.) was one of Division II’s top heavyweights in 2023-24, going 29-4 and finishing third at the NCAA Championships in March. Nationally ranked throughout the season, he recorded eight falls, four tech falls and five majors en route to also winning a region title and earning second-team All-MIAA honors.
Off the mat, Howard maintains a 4.00 GPA in Business Administration and was the MIAA “A Game” winner for having the highest GPA/most credit hours this past season among league wrestlers. He also was a National Wrestling Coaches Assoc. (NWCA) Scholar All-American.
SIX NEBRASKA ATHLETES AMONGST COLLEGE, HIGH SCHOOL RANKS SELECTED IN MLB DRAFT:
Six athletes from the Cornhusker state were selected in this year’s MLB Draft.
Nebraska Catcher Josh Caron was selected in the fourth round by the Seattle Mariners, while pitcher Brett Sears was selected in the seventh round by the Atlanta Braves.
Two high schoolers from the Cornhusker state have also had their numbers called. Millard West’s Tyson Lewis (Arkansas commit) was selected in the second round by the Cincinnati Reds, while Kale Fountain from Norris (LSU commit) was selected by the San Diego Padres in the fifth round.
Tuesday, Creighton shortstop Nolan Clifford was picked in the 17th round, going to Colorado, and UNO pitcher Harrison Keiling also was picked in the seventeenth, going to Seattle.
KPS ATHLETICS SEEKING EXCLUSIVE SPONSOR
Kearney Public Schools Athletics Department is excited to announce the Request for Proposal (RFP) for an exclusive sponsorship agreement with a local business to provide vital funding support.
This partnership aims to enhance the athletic programs and facilities at Kearney Public Schools, with the sponsorship commencing on Sept. 1, 2024.
“This partnership offers a unique opportunity for a local business to support Kearney Public Schools Athletics Department while gaining significant visibility and engagement within the community,” said Ryan Hogue, KPS . “We look forward to collaborating with a Champion Level Corporate Partner dedicated to the success of our student-athletes and the Bearcats community.”
NEBRASKA ADDS FATHER OF 4-STAR ATHLETE TO COACHING STAFF:
Nebraska expanded its football staff on Sunday with the addition of Jamar Mozee, former Lee’s Summit (Mo.) North head coach, to a Senior Football Assistant Role, Mozee announced on social media.
Mozee was the head coach at Lee’s Summit North (Mo.) High School for eight years before announcing in late February he was leaving to become the offensive analyst at Central Florida.
Mozee is also the father of wide receiver Isaiah Mozee, who is committed to Oregon and has been a Husker recruiting target in this cycle.
MEMORIAL FIELD GOING TO GRASS FIELD:
The days of artificial grass inside Memorial Stadium are coming to an end.
In a recent interview with The Athletic, Nebraska athletic director Troy Dannen said the plan is to replace the FieldTurf with natural grass.
Dannen said the change could potentially be done in time for the 2026 season, meaning just two more seasons on FieldTurf.
TUESDAY KGFW Sports Schedule:
- SPORTS NIGHTLY 6-8PM
