WHITE WINS OVER RED IN HUSKER VOLLEYBALL EXHIBITION:
The Nebraska volleyball team kicked off the 2024 season with its annual Red-White Scrimmage at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Saturday night in front of a crowd of 8,395. White earned the victory over Red, 3-1 (25-21, 23-25, 25-21, 25-22).
Andi Jackson shined for the Huskers, posting 15 kills on a .583 hitting percentage, along with seven blocks. Lindsay Krause totaled 15 kills in the scrimmage, while Taylor Landfair notched 12 and Leyla Blackwell and Harper Murray each recorded nine.
Bergen Reilly had 40 assists and 10 digs setting the White team, and Kennedi Orr posted 37 assists and 13 digs for the Red team. Reilly also finished with a pair of aces.
The No. 2 Huskers will play their first regular-season match against No. 9 Kentucky at the KFC Yum! Center on Tuesday, Aug. 27 at 6 p.m. (CDT). The match will be televised on ESPN2 and can be heard across the Huskers Radio Network.
UNK VOLLEYBALL 3RD IN MIAA, 9TH IN AVCA PRESEASON POLLS:
UNK Volleyball was picked third in the MIAA Preseason volleyball poll, released on Friday.
It was a close battle for the top spot in the 2024 MIAA Volleyball Coaches Preseason Poll with four different teams receiving first-place selections. The Central Missouri Jennies led the way with five first-place votes and 113 total points.
Central Oklahoma was tabbed second, with UNK picked third with three first-place votes and 106 total points.
Additionally, the AVCA D2 Preseason Poll was released on Friday, and UNK was ranked 9th in that preseason poll. They were the highest ranked team from the MIAA in the preseason poll, with Central Missouri 15th, Central Oklahoma 23rd, with Washburn and Northwest Missouri in the receiving votes category.
UNK has one final exhibition on Friday against CSU-Pueblo before going to California next week to start the 2024 season.
ADRIAN MARTINEZ LEADS JETS TO PRESEASON FINALE WIN, AWAITS FINAL CUTS:
Adrian Martinez had another good showing for the New York Jets on Saturday night, helping the Jets claim a 10-6 victory over the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium.
The former Nebraska and Kansas State quarterback now awaits final NFL roster cuts later this week to determine whether his professional football career continues in New York.
Martinez ended his final preseason game going 12-of-20 for 99 yards and rushing for 23 yards on three carries. Martinez did not have a touchdown pass in his three preseason games.
Martinez’s counterpart, Wyoming rookie Andrew Peasley – who had started the first two games of the preseason – led a quiet second half, going 4-of-10 for 36 yards.
Final National Football League roster cuts are Tuesday. Each franchise is allowed a 53-man roster, along with 17 practice squad spots.
MICHIGAN RECEIVES NCAA NOTICE OF ALLEGATIONS ON SIGN-STEALING, ADVANCED SCOUTING OPERATION:
Michigan has received the final version of a notice of allegations from the NCAA related to an investigation into an in-person scouting and sign-stealing operation being run by a football staffer, the NCAA and the school said Sunday.
Michigan previously received a draft of the NOA that included allegations of violations by former head coach Jim Harbaugh, current head coach Sherrone Moore, former recruiting analyst Connor Stalions and several other members of the staff.
According to NCAA rules, Michigan will have 90 days to respond. The school could then be assigned a hearing in front of the NCAA’s committee on infractions, though a negotiated resolution is still possible.
In-person advanced scouting is banned by the NCAA, which investigated to determine how organized it was and who knew about it. Records from other Big Ten schools show Stalions bought tickets to numerous games involving future opponents, sending people to digitally record teams when they signaled plays.
Stalions initially was placed on leave by the school and later resigned. He did not participate in the investigation. Stalions is expected to break his silence Tuesday on Netflix when the documentary “Sign Stealer” makes its debut on the streaming service.
Harbaugh, now coach of the Los Angeles Chargers, has denied any knowledge of impermissible scouting while he was with the program, though he could face Level 1 violations along with Stalions.
RAVENS OFFENSIVE LINE COACH DIES:
Joe D’Alessandris, whose nearly half-century of coaching offensive linemen eventually brought him to four different NFL teams, has died. He was 70.
The Baltimore Ravens, D’Alessandris’ employer since 2017, announced that he died Sunday. He was hospitalized earlier this month with an unspecified illness, and that caused him to step away from his duties as the team’s offensive line coach.
Coach John Harbaugh said at the time that D’Alessandris had had surgery earlier this summer and experienced complications.
“Our hearts ache with grief and sadness upon learning of coach Joe D’Alessandris’ passing early this morning,” the team said in a statement. “‘Joe D.’ lived a life of boundless faith, love, devotion and inspiration. As a husband, father, grandfather, friend and coach, Joe made every individual he encountered truly feel like they were the most important person in the world.”
NEBRASKA BASEBALL RELEASES FALL BALL SCHEDULE:
The Nebraska baseball program released its 2024 fall schedule on Friday afternoon, which includes a home exhibition and the annual Red-White Series.
The Huskers will square off with Wichita State on Saturday, Sept. 21, with first pitch set for 1 p.m.
The annual Red-White Series is set for Oct. 11-12, 14-16 at Hawks Field, with the start times to be announced for all five dates.
COLORADO BANS REPORTER FROM ASKING DEION SANDERS QUESTIONS AFTER CRITICISM:
Colorado has banned Denver Post columnist Sean Keeler from asking questions of football coach Deion Sanders or other members of the football program, the school confirmed Friday.
According to the Post, a CU athletic department media relations staffer told the paper it took issue with Keeler’s references to Sanders as “Deposition Deion,” the “Bruce Lee of B.S.,” a “false prophet,” and his use of phrases such as “Planet Prime,” “the Deion Kool-Aid” and “circus.” The ban is indefinite, according to the Post.
According to the Post, Sanders has unique language in his contract that says he is required to speak only with “mutually agreed upon media.”
BIG 12 TO DISCUSS ADDING UCONN:
Big 12 presidents are scheduled next week to discuss potentially inviting UConn to the conference after school officials made an in-person pitch to the league that included a hefty investment in the Huskies’ struggling football program, two people familiar with the discussions told The Associated Press on Friday.
The people said a plan to add UConn, which has won the last two men’s college basketball national championships, would include the school’s football team staying independent before being added to the Big 12 in 2031 and not require current members to take a cut in their current expected conference revenue share.
The people spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the conference and school were not making their discussions public.
The Athletic first reported the Big 12’s renewed interest in UConn.
UConn officials were in Dallas last week to present to the Big 12 a plan for major investments to the athletic programs, the vast majority of which would be focused on football, one of the people said.
Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark, a former executive with the Brooklyn Nets, has long been intrigued with getting a foothold in the New York area market, where the Big East school has a huge following.
BEARS CB COLEMAN IMMOBILIZED DURING PRESEASON GAME:
Bears cornerback Douglas Coleman III was immobilized on a stretcher and taken from Arrowhead Stadium in an ambulance on Thursday night after tackling the Chiefs’ Cornell Powell on the first play of the second half of their preseason game.
The 26-year-old Coleman had his head up as he came darting in to make the tackle near the Chiefs sideline, but his neck bent awkwardly to the side and the former CFL standout went down on impact. Coleman lay motionless as trainers from both teams rushed onto the field to check on him, and they were soon joined by doctors as a medical cart also drove onto the field.
Bears coach Matt Eberflus came over and saw Coleman moving his extremities as the medical staff removed his facemask and strapped him to a backboard. He was then loaded onto the cart and driven up the tunnel in the corner of the stadium.
The Bears won over the Chiefs 34-21.
RAIOLA NAMED STARTING QB:
Nebraska’s quarterback battle appears to be settled.
True Freshman Dylan Raiola was named the starter for the Huskers season opener against UTEP on August 31.
During the Nebraska Red-White Spring Game, 6-3 freshman connected on 16-of-22 passes for 239 yards and two touchdowns.
IOWA’S KIRK FERENTZ SUSPENDED FOR 1 GAME:
Iowa confirmed yesterday that head coach Kirk Ferentz and assistant Jon Budmayr will be suspended one game for a violation related to the recruitment of transfer quarterback Cade McNamara.
Ferentz admitted to a Level II violation for contacting a player and his family prior to him entering the transfer portal.
Iowa did not identify the player, but sources told ESPN that it is quarterback Cade McNamara.
Ferentz and athletic director Beth Goetz mutually agreed to the one-game suspension and the loss of one week of off-campus recruiting for both Ferentz and Budmayr. Co-defensive coordinator Seth Wallace, who was named assistant head coach in January, will serve as interim head coach for the Hawkeye’s opener against Illinois State.
JOEY VOTTO RETIRES FROM BASEBALL AFTER 17 SEASONS:
Former NL MVP and six-time All-Star Joey Votto announced his retirement from baseball in a short video posted to social media Wednesday.
After recording the video outside Buffalo’s Sahlen Field, where he’d been playing for the Blue Jays’ Triple-A team, Votto drove across the border to Toronto’s downtown stadium, where the Reds had just beaten the Blue Jays 11-7.
Votto went into the Cincinnati clubhouse to meet former teammates and manager David Bell, then spoke to reporters about his retirement decision.
The Toronto-born Votto signed a minor league contract with his hometown team in March and, following a lengthy layoff because of an ankle injury, had been playing at Triple-A. He went 6 for 42 with one homer and four RBIs in 15 games, striking out 22 times.
“I had moments where I was like, ‘Is this the right thing to do?’ and ‘Do I want the organization to tell me I’m done?’” Votto said. “I just decided, you know, you’ve played long enough, you can interpret what’s going on, and I was awful. I was awful down there.”
Votto said he had “zero regrets” about ending his career but acknowledged disappointment in not playing for the Blue Jays this season.
FORMER HUSKER MBB ASSISTANT WILLIAMS PASSES AWAY:
Former Husker men’s basketball assistant coach Jimmy Williams passed away on Monday at the age of 77.
Williams, a longtime college assistant coach, spent seven seasons at Nebraska and played a major role in the Huskers making seven straight postseason appearances in that span, including the 1994 Big Eight Tournament title and the 1996 NIT Championship.
Willliams coached the Husker big men, including 1999 Big 12 Player of the Year Venson Hamilton, as well as longtime NBA performer Mikki Moore and Derrick Chandler during his tenure. Williams, who served as NU’s Associate Head Coach in his final three years in Lincoln, played a significant role in the Huskers recruiting efforts under former head coach Danny Nee, including players such as Hamilton, Tyronn Lue, Cookie Belcher and Larry Florence.
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