DUBLIN (AP) — Nebraska's defense knows Ryan Hilinski from last season but it is also preparing for a surprise or two at quarterback against Northwestern in the Irish capital on Saturday.

Wildcats coach Pat Fitzgerald hasn't named a starter for the season opener and this week refused to talk quarterbacks: “I’m not going to tell you anything.”

“We know they're going to have some surprises for us, some different personnel groupings, might be two quarterbacks playing, might be a surprise starter, we don't know, but we’re ready for all of them,” defensive coordinator Erik Chinander said Wednesday after practice.

The Big Ten matchup is the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-football-mlb-sports-9f2eae5877b8ea287cc1c059b27e2f6d">first regular-season international college football game in five years</a>.

Coaches won’t admit it, but “the craic” (Irish for friendly chatter) among the 13,000 U.S. fans who made the trip is that the game is practically must-win territory already, especially for the Huskers and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-football-sports-georgia-43a65185608df3fbf42086d59c1169d1">coach Scott Frost</a>.

Both teams were 3-9 last year. Nebraska hasn’t won since its 56-7 rout of Northwestern in Lincoln last October. Six consecutive losses. The Wildcats have also dropped six straight games, but Fitzgerald has a long-term deal and full support from his alma mater.

Hilinski made five starts last season as a sophomore and threw for 978 yards but completed just 54% of his passes. In nine appearances, he threw for three touchdowns and four interceptions. He also had a costly fumble in the loss to the Huskers.

Redshirt freshman Brendan Sullivan is also a possibility, though neither he or Hilinski are run threats.

“We’ve worked very hard on a lot of the unbalanced stuff from the last couple of years from (Northwestern), a lot of the quarterback runs,” Chinander said. “We’ll see, are they going to put someone else in for the quarterback runs? Are they going to do it with wildcat? We’ve worked very hard on both.”

Evan Hull rushed for 1,009 yards last season on 5.1 yards per carry, so keeping him involved will be vital for Northwestern's chances. He boasted about the whole running backs room.

“We all have our different strengths, for sure, and I think that’s what makes our group so dangerous,” Hull said. Andrew Clair “runs with an attitude to him. He can bring the boom, too.”

Northwestern’s defense couldn't stop anybody on the ground last season. The Wildcats allowed a Big Ten-worst 213 rushing yards per game, including 427 to Nebraska.

Gabe Ervin Jr. said the Huskers running backs are raring to go: “We're here to run the ball downhill, down their throat, each and every play we get the ball.”

Nebraska quarterback Casey Thompson, a transfer from Texas, was Frost's choice to take the first snap in Dublin because of his experience and ability to protect the ball. Thompson threw for 24 touchdowns and nine interceptions last season, completing 63.2% of his passes for 2,113 yards.

Frost said he wants to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-football-sports-nebraska-d896f0c586cdfe79b332442e268881cc">“let it rip”</a>&nbsp;and he reiterated that point Thursday at Aviva Stadium, saying his message is to “go out and attack."

“I really want to see that kind of mindset (of) not playing tight, not worrying about anything, just going out and getting after it,” he said.

Now in his fifth year as Huskers coach, Frost is not calling plays for the first time. New offensive coordinator Mark Whipple will be on the sideline doing that.

“It will be a different experience for me,” Frost said.

Efficiency and speed have been the buzzwords for Nebraska's offense, which also added wide receivers Trey Palmer (LSU) and Marcus Washington (Texas) from the transfer portal.

“They’ve got playmakers all over the field," Northwestern linebacker Bryce Gallagher said.

The Huskers have played abroad once before. They beat Kansas State 38-24 in the 1992 Coca-Cola Classic in Tokyo. Huskers athletic director Trev Alberts was on the '92 team. This one is dubbed the Aer Lingus College Football Classic and, at 4,000 miles away, is much closer than Tokyo. It is Northwestern's first international game.

Saturday's game will be Fitzgerald's 200th as Northwestern's coach. His record is 109-90 but coming off a 3-9 season, he'd happily take some luck of the Irish. The former Wildcat linebacker estimated that 40 family members from the Chicago area made the trip, and he plans to meet up with some relatives living in Ireland.

The teams have been soaking in Irish culture. For most of the players, it's their first time abroad.

Wildcats defensive back AJ Hampton Jr.&nbsp;<a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/NUFBFamily/status/1562567141601476610">tried some step-dancing</a>&nbsp;at a dinner and show. The Huskers visited&nbsp;<a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/HuskerFBNation/status/1562582589382459396">Kilmainham Gaol Museum</a>&nbsp;to learn about the former prison's place in Irish history and especially in the 1916 Easter Rising. Hospitality was on display Thursday outside Aviva when an Irishman gave a ride to a Huskers fan who couldn't find a taxi.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661444719333.jpeg" alt="Nebraska coach Scott Frost answers questions from the media on Thursday, Aug. 25, 2022, at Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Nebraska faces Northwestern on Saturday in the Irish capital. `(AP Photo/Ken Maguire)" />
 <figcaption>Nebraska coach Scott Frost answers questions from the media on Thursday, Aug. 25, 2022, at Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Nebraska faces Northwestern on Saturday in the Irish capital. `(AP Photo/Ken Maguire)</figcaption>
 </figure>By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSDUBLIN (AP) — Nebraska's defense knows Ryan Hilinski from last season but it is also preparing for a surprise or two at quarterback against Northwestern in the Irish capital on Saturday.Wildcats coach Pat Fitzgerald hasn't named a starter for the season opener and this week refused to talk quarterbacks: “I’m not going to tell you anything.”The Huskers say they will be ready.“We know they're going to have some surprises for us, some different personnel groupings, might be two quarterbacks playing, might be a surprise starter, we don't know, but we’re ready for all of them,” defensive coordinator Erik Chinander said Wednesday after practice.The Big Ten matchup is the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-football-mlb-sports-9f2eae5877b8ea287cc1c059b27e2f6d">first regular-season international college football game in five years</a>.Coaches won’t admit it, but “the craic” (Irish for friendly chatter) among the 13,000 U.S. fans who made the trip is that the game is practically must-win territory already, especially for the Huskers and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-football-sports-georgia-43a65185608df3fbf42086d59c1169d1">coach Scott Frost</a>.Both teams were 3-9 last year. Nebraska hasn’t won since its 56-7 rout of Northwestern in Lincoln last October. Six consecutive losses. The Wildcats have also dropped six straight games, but Fitzgerald has a long-term deal and full support from his alma mater.Hilinski made five starts last season as a sophomore and threw for 978 yards but completed just 54% of his passes. In nine appearances, he threw for three touchdowns and four interceptions. He also had a costly fumble in the loss to the Huskers.Redshirt freshman Brendan Sullivan is also a possibility, though neither he or Hilinski are run threats.“We’ve worked very hard on a lot of the unbalanced stuff from the last couple of years from (Northwestern), a lot of the quarterback runs,” Chinander said. “We’ll see, are they going to put someone else in for the quarterback runs? Are they going to do it with wildcat? We’ve worked very hard on both.”DOWNHILL RUNNINGEvan Hull rushed for 1,009 yards last season on 5.1 yards per carry, so keeping him involved will be vital for Northwestern's chances. He boasted about the whole running backs room.“We all have our different strengths, for sure, and I think that’s what makes our group so dangerous,” Hull said. Andrew Clair “runs with an attitude to him. He can bring the boom, too.”Northwestern’s defense couldn't stop anybody on the ground last season. The Wildcats allowed a Big Ten-worst 213 rushing yards per game, including 427 to Nebraska.Gabe Ervin Jr. said the Huskers running backs are raring to go: “We're here to run the ball downhill, down their throat, each and every play we get the ball.”PLAYING IT SAFE?Nebraska quarterback Casey Thompson, a transfer from Texas, was Frost's choice to take the first snap in Dublin because of his experience and ability to protect the ball. Thompson threw for 24 touchdowns and nine interceptions last season, completing 63.2% of his passes for 2,113 yards.Frost said he wants to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-football-sports-nebraska-d896f0c586cdfe79b332442e268881cc">“let it rip”</a>&nbsp;and he reiterated that point Thursday at Aviva Stadium, saying his message is to “go out and attack."“I really want to see that kind of mindset (of) not playing tight, not worrying about anything, just going out and getting after it,” he said.Now in his fifth year as Huskers coach, Frost is not calling plays for the first time. New offensive coordinator Mark Whipple will be on the sideline doing that.“It will be a different experience for me,” Frost said.Efficiency and speed have been the buzzwords for Nebraska's offense, which also added wide receivers Trey Palmer (LSU) and Marcus Washington (Texas) from the transfer portal.“They’ve got playmakers all over the field," Northwestern linebacker Bryce Gallagher said.FAR FROM HOMEThe Huskers have played abroad once before. They beat Kansas State 38-24 in the 1992 Coca-Cola Classic in Tokyo. Huskers athletic director Trev Alberts was on the '92 team. This one is dubbed the Aer Lingus College Football Classic and, at 4,000 miles away, is much closer than Tokyo. It is Northwestern's first international game.200 GAMESSaturday's game will be Fitzgerald's 200th as Northwestern's coach. His record is 109-90 but coming off a 3-9 season, he'd happily take some luck of the Irish. The former Wildcat linebacker estimated that 40 family members from the Chicago area made the trip, and he plans to meet up with some relatives living in Ireland.IRISH CULTUREThe teams have been soaking in Irish culture. For most of the players, it's their first time abroad.Wildcats defensive back AJ Hampton Jr.&nbsp;<a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/NUFBFamily/status/1562567141601476610">tried some step-dancing</a>&nbsp;at a dinner and show. The Huskers visited&nbsp;<a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/HuskerFBNation/status/1562582589382459396">Kilmainham Gaol Museum</a>&nbsp;to learn about the former prison's place in Irish history and especially in the 1916 Easter Rising. Hospitality was on display Thursday outside Aviva when an Irishman gave a ride to a Huskers fan who couldn't find a taxi.

Huskers ready for Northwestern surprises at QB in Dublin

Image courtesy of Nebraska football Twitter

Nebraska announced on Wednesday their 2022-23 Blackshirts.

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Welcome to the Brotherhood ☠️ <a href="https://t.co/izWZ5YibLY">pic.twitter.com/izWZ5YibLY</a>&mdash; Nebraska Football (@HuskerFBNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/HuskerFBNation/status/1562413193091289089?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Image courtesy of Nebraska football TwitterNebraska announced on Wednesday their 2022-23 Blackshirts.

Husker Football announced this years Blackshirts

News Release Midwest Championship Fighting

 The D&amp;N Event Center and Midwest Championship Fighting (MCF) reach a long-term exclusive agreement for Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) shows. 

The five-year agreement provides that MCF will host at least two shows a year in exchange for exclusive rights to be the only host of mixed martial arts events in the facility.  

“It’s nice to have a long-term agreement with the organization that forced our improvements back in the day,” said Tad Haneborg of the D&amp;N Event Center.

In 2013 Haneborg (D&amp;N) and Jones MCF), at the direction of then Fire Chief George Lewis, arranged to have additional doors added to the facility to accommodate growing MMA crowds. 

“That was the beginning. When we first started renovating the building. Now we have the premier event center in western Nebraska, and we are growing.” said Haneborg. 

“We’ve been doing this with Tad and his team for the last 10 years. It only made sense to commit to another five.” Jones said. “As the sport of MMA continues to grow, so do our crowds. Tad and his team have continued to accommodate us during this process. We thank him for that.” 

Learn more at midwestchampionshipfighting.com.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661286723993.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>News Release Midwest Championship Fighting The D&amp;N Event Center and Midwest Championship Fighting (MCF) reach a long-term exclusive agreement for Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) shows. The five-year agreement provides that MCF will host at least two shows a year in exchange for exclusive rights to be the only host of mixed martial arts events in the facility. “It’s nice to have a long-term agreement with the organization that forced our improvements back in the day,” said Tad Haneborg of the D&amp;N Event Center.In 2013 Haneborg (D&amp;N) and Jones MCF), at the direction of then Fire Chief George Lewis, arranged to have additional doors added to the facility to accommodate growing MMA crowds. “That was the beginning. When we first started renovating the building. Now we have the premier event center in western Nebraska, and we are growing.” said Haneborg. “We’ve been doing this with Tad and his team for the last 10 years. It only made sense to commit to another five.” Jones said. “As the sport of MMA continues to grow, so do our crowds. Tad and his team have continued to accommodate us during this process. We thank him for that.” Learn more at midwestchampionshipfighting.com.

Midwest Championship Fighting, D&N Event Center reach long-term deal

Kearney Vs. NPHS Bulldogs Softball

Story by NPCC Athletic Communications

The Knights took on Marshalltown Community College first on Saturday morning and won in five sets: 13-25, 25-19, 17-25, 25-17 and 15-11.

Vanessa Wood led with 19 kills against the Tigers. Morgan Ramsey added another 10 kills for the Knights, and Tyrah Woods recorded nine.

“We played really inconsistent against Marshalltown,” said NPCC Head Volleyball Coach Alexa McCall. “We fought hard in the fifth and came from behind to win. I was proud of the team’s fight.”

The Knights then swept Coffeyville Community College in three sets in the following match. The scores were: 25-23, 25-10 and 25-21. Ramsey tallied 18 kills in that game while Wood contributed nine. The team had a total of seven blocks.

“We played a really good first two sets,” McCall said. “The players adjusted well to the changes we made and played some better volleyball. We struggled in set three and had to come back in the third. We have to find a way to not get in holes. Overall, I think this was a good start and I’m glad we came out of this weekend 3-1.”

The Knights are up next in Lincoln. They will take on Nebraska Wesleyan University at 5 p.m. Aug. 24.&nbsp;

Story by NPCC Athletic CommunicationsThe Knights took on Marshalltown Community College first on Saturday morning and won in five sets: 13-25, 25-19, 17-25, 25-17 and 15-11.Vanessa Wood led with 19 kills against the Tigers. Morgan Ramsey added another 10 kills for the Knights, and Tyrah Woods recorded nine.“We played really inconsistent against Marshalltown,” said NPCC Head Volleyball Coach Alexa McCall. “We fought hard in the fifth and came from behind to win. I was proud of the team’s fight.”The Knights then swept Coffeyville Community College in three sets in the following match. The scores were: 25-23, 25-10 and 25-21. Ramsey tallied 18 kills in that game while Wood contributed nine. The team had a total of seven blocks.“We played a really good first two sets,” McCall said. “The players adjusted well to the changes we made and played some better volleyball. We struggled in set three and had to come back in the third. We have to find a way to not get in holes. Overall, I think this was a good start and I’m glad we came out of this weekend 3-1.”The Knights are up next in Lincoln. They will take on Nebraska Wesleyan University at 5 p.m. Aug. 24.&nbsp;

 Knights dominate at Southeast tourney

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska will play a Week Zero game for the second straight season, and coach Scott Frost can't afford a repeat of what happened a year ago.

The Cornhuskers' loss at Illinois set the tone for a 3-9 season that ended with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-football-sports-nebraska-cornhuskers-football-scott-frost-nebraska-8d06dccabe24996f9e28d43fc0cf1e6b">Frost clinging to his job</a>&nbsp;after taking a $1 million pay cut and firing four offensive assistants.

Frost's fifth season begins Saturday against Northwestern in Ireland, and another Week Zero flop would be an ominous sign. Frost said his team must play looser than it did in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-college-football-nebraska-illinois-nebraska-cornhuskers-football-aa9c5b9892987e3d7bce376748828baa">30-22 loss to Illinois.</a>

“We’re going to go out there and let it rip,” he said Sunday. "I’m going to have more conversations with them about it. They have earned the right to be confident, and I’m sure Northwestern is, too. I think they’re going to be a really good team this year, and I don’t want the guys to worry about anything.”

Nebraska beat Northwestern 56-7 in Lincoln last year and is nearly a two-touchdown favorite for the game at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/">FanDuel Sportsbook.</a>

Northwestern, also looking to bounce back from a 3-9 season, is the home team. With temperatures forecast in the 60s, it should be ideal football weather.

“I’m looking forward to the experience," Wildcats defensive back Cameron Mitchell said. "I’ve heard a lot of things about the food and the weather. It’s going to be interesting. But it’s a business trip. We’re going to get some revenge on Nebraska.”

The Huskers are scheduled to fly to Dublin on Monday night and practice at the stadium Tuesday. Shaking jetlag and getting acclimated to the six-hour time difference is the priority.

The staff has spoken with people from NFL teams that have played in London and consulted with researchers in the Nebraska Athletic Performance Lab to prepare for the trip.

“If you’ve traveled to Europe, I don’t think there is a perfect way to do it,” Frost said. “You’re not going to feel perfect when you get over there.”

Frost said it's a delicate balance getting ready to play a game while allowing the players to enjoy the experience of visiting the Emerald Isle.

“I think it would be a mistake to go over there and have the guys’ mind on football 24/7,” Frost said. “That is when you do get tight. We’re going to try and enjoy the people and the country and when it’s time to focus I want the guys to be sharp and focused.”

All nine of Nebraska's losses last year were by single digits, with turnovers at the worst possible times and shoddy special teams play the difference in most.

“Last year was really hard for a lot of people," linebacker Nick Henrich said, "but we took that and learned a lot of lessons from that, and we are going to take those over to Ireland with us.”

Nebraska brought in 15 players from the transfer portal, and seven or eight likely will be starters. Among them are quarterback Casey Thompson (Texas) and defensive end Ochaun Matthis (TCU).

“Last year is last year," tight end Travis Vokolek said. “Guys know what we need to get done this year. Obviously, we have thought about it a little bit, but we know how important this first game is. We know how important it is to start on the right track. This first game is huge.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661179564775.jpeg" alt="Nebraska red team quarterback Casey Thompson (11) signals the crowd before leading both the red and white teams onto the field alongside head coach Scott Frost before Nebraska's NCAA college football annual red-white spring game at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Neb., Saturday, April 9, 2022. Nebraska starts Aug. 27 against Northwestern in Dublin, Ireland. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz, File)" />
 <figcaption>Nebraska red team quarterback Casey Thompson (11) signals the crowd before leading both the red and white teams onto the field alongside head coach Scott Frost before Nebraska's NCAA college football annual red-white spring game at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Neb., Saturday, April 9, 2022. Nebraska starts Aug. 27 against Northwestern in Dublin, Ireland. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska will play a Week Zero game for the second straight season, and coach Scott Frost can't afford a repeat of what happened a year ago.The Cornhuskers' loss at Illinois set the tone for a 3-9 season that ended with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-football-sports-nebraska-cornhuskers-football-scott-frost-nebraska-8d06dccabe24996f9e28d43fc0cf1e6b">Frost clinging to his job</a>&nbsp;after taking a $1 million pay cut and firing four offensive assistants.Frost's fifth season begins Saturday against Northwestern in Ireland, and another Week Zero flop would be an ominous sign. Frost said his team must play looser than it did in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-college-football-nebraska-illinois-nebraska-cornhuskers-football-aa9c5b9892987e3d7bce376748828baa">30-22 loss to Illinois.</a>“We’re going to go out there and let it rip,” he said Sunday. "I’m going to have more conversations with them about it. They have earned the right to be confident, and I’m sure Northwestern is, too. I think they’re going to be a really good team this year, and I don’t want the guys to worry about anything.”Nebraska beat Northwestern 56-7 in Lincoln last year and is nearly a two-touchdown favorite for the game at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/">FanDuel Sportsbook.</a>Northwestern, also looking to bounce back from a 3-9 season, is the home team. With temperatures forecast in the 60s, it should be ideal football weather.“I’m looking forward to the experience," Wildcats defensive back Cameron Mitchell said. "I’ve heard a lot of things about the food and the weather. It’s going to be interesting. But it’s a business trip. We’re going to get some revenge on Nebraska.”The Huskers are scheduled to fly to Dublin on Monday night and practice at the stadium Tuesday. Shaking jetlag and getting acclimated to the six-hour time difference is the priority.The staff has spoken with people from NFL teams that have played in London and consulted with researchers in the Nebraska Athletic Performance Lab to prepare for the trip.“If you’ve traveled to Europe, I don’t think there is a perfect way to do it,” Frost said. “You’re not going to feel perfect when you get over there.”Frost said it's a delicate balance getting ready to play a game while allowing the players to enjoy the experience of visiting the Emerald Isle.“I think it would be a mistake to go over there and have the guys’ mind on football 24/7,” Frost said. “That is when you do get tight. We’re going to try and enjoy the people and the country and when it’s time to focus I want the guys to be sharp and focused.”All nine of Nebraska's losses last year were by single digits, with turnovers at the worst possible times and shoddy special teams play the difference in most.“Last year was really hard for a lot of people," linebacker Nick Henrich said, "but we took that and learned a lot of lessons from that, and we are going to take those over to Ireland with us.”Nebraska brought in 15 players from the transfer portal, and seven or eight likely will be starters. Among them are quarterback Casey Thompson (Texas) and defensive end Ochaun Matthis (TCU).“Last year is last year," tight end Travis Vokolek said. “Guys know what we need to get done this year. Obviously, we have thought about it a little bit, but we know how important this first game is. We know how important it is to start on the right track. This first game is huge.”

Frost: Huskers to 'let it rip' against Wildcats in Ireland

North Platte Bulldogs Vs. Papillion LaVista South Titans Football

The Big Ten's new $7 billion media rights deal will string the conference's top football games across three major networks each week, creating an NFL-style television schedule on Saturdays.

The Big Ten announced Thursday it has reached seven-year agreements with Fox, CBS and NBC to share the rights to the conference's football and basketball games.

The deals go into effect in 2023, expire in 2030 and eventually will allow the conference's soon-to-be 16 member universities to share more than $1 billion per year, a person familiar with the terms told The Associated Press.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because Big Ten and network officials were not disclosing financial details publicly, but the deal is believed to be the richest ever on an annual basis for a college sports property. The large increase in revenue to the conference won't kick in until the third year of the deal and gradually will increase over the final five years.

“I think what it does, it affords us the opportunity to make sure that we can continually do the things we need to do to take care of our student-athletes, to fortify our institutions, to build our programs,” Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren told the AP.

The Big Ten currently has 14 members, stretching from Rutgers and Maryland on the East Coast to Nebraska across the Midwest, and covering some of the biggest media markets in the country, including New York, Philadelphia and Chicago.

In 2024, Southern California and UCLA are scheduled to join the Big Ten, adding the Los Angeles market to its footprint.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-football-sports-business-d915874f3fe3e3f99411c9db86fa36bc">With ESPN out of the equation for Big Ten football after a 40-year relationship,</a>&nbsp;the league is set to lock down three prominent time slots with its network partners.

Fox, which has shared the rights to the Big Ten with ESPN since 2017 and owns a majority stake in the Big Ten Network, will continue to feature noon Eastern time as its primary game of the day.

Fox and its cable network FS1 will have the rights to more than two dozen football games, at least 45 men's basketball games and women's basketball games.

CBS, starting in 2024, will replace the Southeastern Conference game of the week at 3:30 p.m. Eastern — that is moving to ABC — with a Big Ten game.

CBS will carry 14-15 Big Ten football games a season from 2024-29, including a Black Friday game. Unlike with its longtime SEC deal, CBS will not be guaranteed the first selection of football games each week with the Big Ten. Fox, CBS and NBC will hold a draft for games, allowing each network some opportunities for first selection in a given week.

In 2023, CBS will carry seven Big Ten games while it still has the SEC on CBS at 3:30 p.m. Eastern. The network will continue to be the home of Big Ten men's basketball, including the conference tournament semifinals and finals, and it will begin airing the women's basketball tournament championship.

“When we did our financial analysis, and looked at the major markets — even before USC and UCLA — and the national footprint of the Big Ten, it was a very attractive deal for us," said Sean McManus, chairman of CBS Sports. "And I think the money is fair. It’s unprecedented. They’re the largest deals in the history of college football."

Starting in 2023, NBC will launch “Big Ten Saturday Night” in prime time and broadcast 15-16 games per season. The agreement with NBC also includes eight football games and dozens of men’s and women’s basketball games per season to be exclusively streamed on Peacock, the network’s online subscription service.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-football-entertainment-sports-south-bend-a1ac25ae446f66e6b12075076a1c6155">NBC also has a separate, longstanding broadcast deal with Notre Dame, which remains unaffiliated with a conference.</a>

Each network will air the Big Ten’s championship football game at least once during the length of the deals, with Fox securing the rights to four (2023, ’25, ’27 and ’29).

Warren spent more than two decades working as an executive in the front office of three NFL teams. He said the Big Ten's vision for its new broadcast deal was modeled after an NFL Sunday, with three consecutive marquee games across three different networks, airing from noon to nearly midnight Eastern.

“I just thought where we were in the Big Ten, we had a very unique opportunity because we have the institutions that could do it," Warren said. "We have the fan avidity. We have the breadth, we have the historical foundation, that we were in a position to really do something unique with three powerful brands in Fox, CBS and NBC.”

The Big Ten's alignment with three traditional networks shows that while streaming might be the future, linear television is not dead.

“It may be dying in certain aspects. You could say things like scripted dramas. Sitcoms. But for sports and news, it’s never been stronger,” retired former president Fox Sports Network Bob Thompson said.

“The conferences or leagues are a little reticent to make that big of a jump from the wide, wide distribution of broadcast television," he added. "Now you’re going to jump to the streaming service, which in the big scheme of things, the numbers are still relatively small in terms of how many people watch and use them.”

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSThe Big Ten's new $7 billion media rights deal will string the conference's top football games across three major networks each week, creating an NFL-style television schedule on Saturdays.The Big Ten announced Thursday it has reached seven-year agreements with Fox, CBS and NBC to share the rights to the conference's football and basketball games.The deals go into effect in 2023, expire in 2030 and eventually will allow the conference's soon-to-be 16 member universities to share more than $1 billion per year, a person familiar with the terms told The Associated Press.The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because Big Ten and network officials were not disclosing financial details publicly, but the deal is believed to be the richest ever on an annual basis for a college sports property. The large increase in revenue to the conference won't kick in until the third year of the deal and gradually will increase over the final five years.“I think what it does, it affords us the opportunity to make sure that we can continually do the things we need to do to take care of our student-athletes, to fortify our institutions, to build our programs,” Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren told the AP.The Big Ten currently has 14 members, stretching from Rutgers and Maryland on the East Coast to Nebraska across the Midwest, and covering some of the biggest media markets in the country, including New York, Philadelphia and Chicago.In 2024, Southern California and UCLA are scheduled to join the Big Ten, adding the Los Angeles market to its footprint.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-football-sports-business-d915874f3fe3e3f99411c9db86fa36bc">With ESPN out of the equation for Big Ten football after a 40-year relationship,</a>&nbsp;the league is set to lock down three prominent time slots with its network partners.Fox, which has shared the rights to the Big Ten with ESPN since 2017 and owns a majority stake in the Big Ten Network, will continue to feature noon Eastern time as its primary game of the day.Fox and its cable network FS1 will have the rights to more than two dozen football games, at least 45 men's basketball games and women's basketball games.CBS, starting in 2024, will replace the Southeastern Conference game of the week at 3:30 p.m. Eastern — that is moving to ABC — with a Big Ten game.CBS will carry 14-15 Big Ten football games a season from 2024-29, including a Black Friday game. Unlike with its longtime SEC deal, CBS will not be guaranteed the first selection of football games each week with the Big Ten. Fox, CBS and NBC will hold a draft for games, allowing each network some opportunities for first selection in a given week.In 2023, CBS will carry seven Big Ten games while it still has the SEC on CBS at 3:30 p.m. Eastern. The network will continue to be the home of Big Ten men's basketball, including the conference tournament semifinals and finals, and it will begin airing the women's basketball tournament championship.“When we did our financial analysis, and looked at the major markets — even before USC and UCLA — and the national footprint of the Big Ten, it was a very attractive deal for us," said Sean McManus, chairman of CBS Sports. "And I think the money is fair. It’s unprecedented. They’re the largest deals in the history of college football."Starting in 2023, NBC will launch “Big Ten Saturday Night” in prime time and broadcast 15-16 games per season. The agreement with NBC also includes eight football games and dozens of men’s and women’s basketball games per season to be exclusively streamed on Peacock, the network’s online subscription service.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-football-entertainment-sports-south-bend-a1ac25ae446f66e6b12075076a1c6155">NBC also has a separate, longstanding broadcast deal with Notre Dame, which remains unaffiliated with a conference.</a>Each network will air the Big Ten’s championship football game at least once during the length of the deals, with Fox securing the rights to four (2023, ’25, ’27 and ’29).Warren spent more than two decades working as an executive in the front office of three NFL teams. He said the Big Ten's vision for its new broadcast deal was modeled after an NFL Sunday, with three consecutive marquee games across three different networks, airing from noon to nearly midnight Eastern.“I just thought where we were in the Big Ten, we had a very unique opportunity because we have the institutions that could do it," Warren said. "We have the fan avidity. We have the breadth, we have the historical foundation, that we were in a position to really do something unique with three powerful brands in Fox, CBS and NBC.”The Big Ten's alignment with three traditional networks shows that while streaming might be the future, linear television is not dead.“It may be dying in certain aspects. You could say things like scripted dramas. Sitcoms. But for sports and news, it’s never been stronger,” retired former president Fox Sports Network Bob Thompson said.“The conferences or leagues are a little reticent to make that big of a jump from the wide, wide distribution of broadcast television," he added. "Now you’re going to jump to the streaming service, which in the big scheme of things, the numbers are still relatively small in terms of how many people watch and use them.”

B1G deal: Big Ten lands $7 billion, NFL-style TV contracts

Two members of the Mid-Plains Community College Rodeo Team have been recognized at the national level for academic achievement.

They are Dalton Kunkee, of Lexington, and Kalyn Nielsen, of Verdigre. Both were named as 2022 Scholar American recipients by the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association.

“We are extremely proud of these kids and the work they put in both in and outside of the arena,” said Aukai Kaai, roughstock coach for the MPCC Rodeo Team. “We preach how in the term ‘student athlete,’ the student part comes first in all aspects. These kids have proven that.”

Wyatt Clark, MPCC Rodeo Team timed events coach echoed those sentiments.

“I’m very proud of these returning MPCC athletes’ hard work in the arena and in the classroom,” said Clark.

The honor was bestowed on NIRA members who earned points at a 2020-21 NIRA-sanctioned rodeo, had been in college for more than one term, earned a 3.5 cumulative grade point average and were nominated by their rodeo coach.

Two members of the Mid-Plains Community College Rodeo Team have been recognized at the national level for academic achievement.They are Dalton Kunkee, of Lexington, and Kalyn Nielsen, of Verdigre. Both were named as 2022 Scholar American recipients by the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association.“We are extremely proud of these kids and the work they put in both in and outside of the arena,” said Aukai Kaai, roughstock coach for the MPCC Rodeo Team. “We preach how in the term ‘student athlete,’ the student part comes first in all aspects. These kids have proven that.”Wyatt Clark, MPCC Rodeo Team timed events coach echoed those sentiments.“I’m very proud of these returning MPCC athletes’ hard work in the arena and in the classroom,” said Clark.The honor was bestowed on NIRA members who earned points at a 2020-21 NIRA-sanctioned rodeo, had been in college for more than one term, earned a 3.5 cumulative grade point average and were nominated by their rodeo coach.

Two MPCC Rodeo Team members honored for academics

Nine former Chadron State College athletes have been selected for induction into the Eagles’ Athletic Hall of Fame this fall.&nbsp; The inductions will be on Saturday, October 15 following the football game against Adams State.&nbsp;

The honorees include five seniors from the 2004 football team, track and field All-Americans Joel Duffield and Jacqueline Wells Hobbs, basketball standout Bec Kyba Ray and breakaway roper Jennifer Nelson Gale.&nbsp; Six of them are Nebraska natives and five of them are living in the state. Two others reside in Wyoming and another in her native state of South Dakota.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The football players to be inducted include Chadron native Mitch Barry, who made 105 unassisted tackles, had 11 pass interceptions and broke up 28 more passes as a four-year starter at cornerback.&nbsp; He also averaged 38 yards as the Eagles’ punter three years, returned 89 punts for 998 yards while having that responsibility all four years and still holds the CSC school record for the longest touchdown run with an opponents’ fumble, 86 yards.&nbsp; Like the others, he earned numerous all-star honors.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Another inductee, Casey Haldeman of Douglas, Wyo., was a four-year starter and a three-time first-team all-conference choice while playing defensive end for the Eagles. He participated in 172 tackles that included 19 quarterback sacks for 118 negative yards.&nbsp; Defensive Coordinator Todd Auer said Haldeman’s “motor was always running.”

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The inductees also include Shawn Eisenreich of Gordon, the Eagles’ starting quarterback for three years while completing 606 of 1,905 passes for 7,840 yards and 70 touchdowns.&nbsp; His 581 yards passing against Fort Lewis College is the still the single-game school record and his 55.3% career passing figure was the CSC record when he graduated.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Bryce Flammang, originally from Cambridge, was the Eagles’ leading receiver as a junior and senior, catching 90 of Eisenreich’s passes for 1,492 yards and 16 touchdowns. In the game against Fort Lewis, he caught 15 passes, the most in school history at the time, for 250 yards, which ranked second on the all-time list.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The other football player going into the CSC Hall of Fame is Layne Sievers, a native of Randolph, Neb., and the offensive line leader. He was a three-year starter at right tackle and received all-region honors as well as all-conference and all-state as both a junior and a senior. He helped the Eagles average 485 yards in total offense in 2004, still the third highest total in school history.&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Track standout Joel Duffield of Morrill held the Chadron State records in the 200 and 400 meters both indoors and outdoors when he graduated in 2006.&nbsp; Only one of the four has been eclipsed in the last 16 years.&nbsp; His time of 45.92 seconds in the 400 outdoors as a senior was the fastest in the nation in NCAA Division II and remains the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference record.&nbsp; He was the silver medalist in the 400 at the National Indoor Meet in Boston in 2004 and he was voted the RMAC’s Track Athlete of the Year.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Jacqueline Wells won first in a throwing event for the Chadron State track and field team 55 times during her career, when she was a nine-time conference champion and a 10-time All-American. The Albion native held the school record in the shot put and weight throw indoors and the shot and hammer throw outdoors when she graduated.&nbsp; She also was placed on the RMAC’s 12-member All-Century Women’s Track and Field Team in 2009. Both Duffield and Wells also received special academic honors.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Originally from British Columbia, Bec Kyba had been an All-Region 9 honoree at Western Wyoming College before transferring to play basketball at Chadron State.&nbsp; She had an especially outstanding season as a senior in 2006-07, when she led the team in nearly every category while averaging 15.4 points and 5.4 rebounds. The 36 points that she scored against Metro State were the most in the RMAC that season.&nbsp; She’s now a Nebraskan, living near Thedford.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Jennifer Nelson’s time at Chadron State had a sad ending, but she demonstrated her abilities in a crisis situation.&nbsp; The Hartford, S.D., native was leading the breakaway roping at the College National Finals Rodeo in Casper in 2005 when her horse, Pickle, died while she was warming him up for their final run.&nbsp; She immediately put the saddle on her father’s horse, caught the calf in 4.8 seconds and finished third in the standings. Nelson and Pickle had dominated the region during the season and they had caught the first three calves at nationals in 2.3, 2.4 and 2.8 seconds. She was given the Hardluck Cowgirl Award at nationals, but it was not what she was expected to receive before tragedy occurred.&nbsp;

BY: CON MARSHALL CSC AthleticsNine former Chadron State College athletes have been selected for induction into the Eagles’ Athletic Hall of Fame this fall.&nbsp; The inductions will be on Saturday, October 15 following the football game against Adams State.&nbsp;The honorees include five seniors from the 2004 football team, track and field All-Americans Joel Duffield and Jacqueline Wells Hobbs, basketball standout Bec Kyba Ray and breakaway roper Jennifer Nelson Gale.&nbsp; Six of them are Nebraska natives and five of them are living in the state. Two others reside in Wyoming and another in her native state of South Dakota.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The football players to be inducted include Chadron native Mitch Barry, who made 105 unassisted tackles, had 11 pass interceptions and broke up 28 more passes as a four-year starter at cornerback.&nbsp; He also averaged 38 yards as the Eagles’ punter three years, returned 89 punts for 998 yards while having that responsibility all four years and still holds the CSC school record for the longest touchdown run with an opponents’ fumble, 86 yards.&nbsp; Like the others, he earned numerous all-star honors.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Another inductee, Casey Haldeman of Douglas, Wyo., was a four-year starter and a three-time first-team all-conference choice while playing defensive end for the Eagles. He participated in 172 tackles that included 19 quarterback sacks for 118 negative yards.&nbsp; Defensive Coordinator Todd Auer said Haldeman’s “motor was always running.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The inductees also include Shawn Eisenreich of Gordon, the Eagles’ starting quarterback for three years while completing 606 of 1,905 passes for 7,840 yards and 70 touchdowns.&nbsp; His 581 yards passing against Fort Lewis College is the still the single-game school record and his 55.3% career passing figure was the CSC record when he graduated.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Bryce Flammang, originally from Cambridge, was the Eagles’ leading receiver as a junior and senior, catching 90 of Eisenreich’s passes for 1,492 yards and 16 touchdowns. In the game against Fort Lewis, he caught 15 passes, the most in school history at the time, for 250 yards, which ranked second on the all-time list.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The other football player going into the CSC Hall of Fame is Layne Sievers, a native of Randolph, Neb., and the offensive line leader. He was a three-year starter at right tackle and received all-region honors as well as all-conference and all-state as both a junior and a senior. He helped the Eagles average 485 yards in total offense in 2004, still the third highest total in school history.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Track standout Joel Duffield of Morrill held the Chadron State records in the 200 and 400 meters both indoors and outdoors when he graduated in 2006.&nbsp; Only one of the four has been eclipsed in the last 16 years.&nbsp; His time of 45.92 seconds in the 400 outdoors as a senior was the fastest in the nation in NCAA Division II and remains the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference record.&nbsp; He was the silver medalist in the 400 at the National Indoor Meet in Boston in 2004 and he was voted the RMAC’s Track Athlete of the Year.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Jacqueline Wells won first in a throwing event for the Chadron State track and field team 55 times during her career, when she was a nine-time conference champion and a 10-time All-American. The Albion native held the school record in the shot put and weight throw indoors and the shot and hammer throw outdoors when she graduated.&nbsp; She also was placed on the RMAC’s 12-member All-Century Women’s Track and Field Team in 2009. Both Duffield and Wells also received special academic honors.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Originally from British Columbia, Bec Kyba had been an All-Region 9 honoree at Western Wyoming College before transferring to play basketball at Chadron State.&nbsp; She had an especially outstanding season as a senior in 2006-07, when she led the team in nearly every category while averaging 15.4 points and 5.4 rebounds. The 36 points that she scored against Metro State were the most in the RMAC that season.&nbsp; She’s now a Nebraskan, living near Thedford.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Jennifer Nelson’s time at Chadron State had a sad ending, but she demonstrated her abilities in a crisis situation.&nbsp; The Hartford, S.D., native was leading the breakaway roping at the College National Finals Rodeo in Casper in 2005 when her horse, Pickle, died while she was warming him up for their final run.&nbsp; She immediately put the saddle on her father’s horse, caught the calf in 4.8 seconds and finished third in the standings. Nelson and Pickle had dominated the region during the season and they had caught the first three calves at nationals in 2.3, 2.4 and 2.8 seconds. She was given the Hardluck Cowgirl Award at nationals, but it was not what she was expected to receive before tragedy occurred.&nbsp;

Chadron State to induct nine into Athletic Hall of Fame

Story by NU Athletic Communications

The Nebraska volleyball team was ranked No. 1 in the preseason AVCA Coaches Poll released on Monday.&nbsp; The Huskers collected 1,538 points in the poll and came in ahead of No. 2 Texas (1,528), No. 3 Wisconsin (1,439), No. 4 Louisville (1,317) and No. 5 Minnesota (1,251). Nebraska got 24 first-place votes, while Texas had the most at 27. Wisconsin received 12 and Louisville had one. It marks Nebraska's 101st week all-time at No. 1 in the AVCA Coaches Poll, the most of any program in the nation. The last time the Huskers were ranked No. 1 to start a season was prior to the 2016 season. Nebraska was last ranked No. 1 in the AVCA Poll on Sept. 16, 2019.&nbsp; Nebraska has now been ranked in all 572 AVCA&nbsp;Polls all-time and has been ranked in the top 10 a total of 516 times. Both those marks lead the nation.&nbsp;It marks the eighth straight year that Nebraska has been a preseason top-five pick.&nbsp; The Huskers went 26-8 last season and made it to the NCAA Championship match, where they fell 3-2 to Wisconsin. NU ended the year at No. 2 in the poll and returns five starters, including 2021 AVCA All-Americans&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=44234">Madi Kubik</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=44232">Lexi Rodriguez</a>. Transfer middle blocker&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=43957">Kaitlyn Hord</a>&nbsp;also joined the fold after three AVCA All-America accolades in four years at Penn State.&nbsp;&nbsp; NU opens the 2022 season this Saturday with the Red-White Scrimmage at 6 p.m. at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. Fan Day is set for 10 a.m. at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsThe Nebraska volleyball team was ranked No. 1 in the preseason AVCA Coaches Poll released on Monday.&nbsp; The Huskers collected 1,538 points in the poll and came in ahead of No. 2 Texas (1,528), No. 3 Wisconsin (1,439), No. 4 Louisville (1,317) and No. 5 Minnesota (1,251). Nebraska got 24 first-place votes, while Texas had the most at 27. Wisconsin received 12 and Louisville had one. It marks Nebraska's 101st week all-time at No. 1 in the AVCA Coaches Poll, the most of any program in the nation. The last time the Huskers were ranked No. 1 to start a season was prior to the 2016 season. Nebraska was last ranked No. 1 in the AVCA Poll on Sept. 16, 2019.&nbsp; Nebraska has now been ranked in all 572 AVCA&nbsp;Polls all-time and has been ranked in the top 10 a total of 516 times. Both those marks lead the nation.&nbsp;It marks the eighth straight year that Nebraska has been a preseason top-five pick.&nbsp; The Huskers went 26-8 last season and made it to the NCAA Championship match, where they fell 3-2 to Wisconsin. NU ended the year at No. 2 in the poll and returns five starters, including 2021 AVCA All-Americans&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=44234">Madi Kubik</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=44232">Lexi Rodriguez</a>. Transfer middle blocker&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=43957">Kaitlyn Hord</a>&nbsp;also joined the fold after three AVCA All-America accolades in four years at Penn State.&nbsp;&nbsp; NU opens the 2022 season this Saturday with the Red-White Scrimmage at 6 p.m. at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. Fan Day is set for 10 a.m. at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Huskers Ranked No. 1 in AVCA Preseason Poll

Nebraska is mired in its worst stretch of football in over 60 years, and through four seasons Frost has failed to deliver anything close to what was expected when he made his celebrated return to his home state and the school he quarterbacked to a share of a national championship.

Athletic director Trev Alberts announced late in last year's 3-9 season he would bring Frost back, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-football-sports-nebraska-cornhuskers-football-scott-frost-nebraska-8d06dccabe24996f9e28d43fc0cf1e6b">the 47-year-old coach had to take a $1 million pay cut and fire four offensive assistants.</a>

“We had a good enough team last year to do better than we did," Frost said. “That falls on me. It falls on the whole coaching staff. It falls on the whole team.”

Frost's fate largely rests with 15 new players plucked from the transfer portal, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-football-sports-kenny-pickett-scott-frost-mark-whipple-5c1b2768eb5c88ab8c44c41fa46efbf2">Texas transfer quarterback Casey Thompson,</a>&nbsp;and new offensive coordinator Mark Whipple.

The Huskers continue to be a shell of the program that has won or shared five national titles, produced three Heisman Trophy winners and is among just nine schools with at least 900 wins.

Nebraska hasn't won a conference title since 1999 and hasn't gone to a bowl since 2016. Its streak of five losing seasons is its longest since it had six in a row from 1956-61.

Since 2018, the Huskers' 15 wins under Frost are fifth fewest in the Power Five, their 16 road losses are tied for third most and their conference winning percentage of .286 is third worst in the Big Ten, ahead of Rutgers and Maryland.

Of the 10 Nebraska coaches before Frost who lasted more than four seasons, only Bill Jennings' .310 winning percentage from 1957-61 is worse than Frost's .341.

“We were competitive in every game last year. We had our chances to win,” said Frost, whose team lost seven games by seven points or less and none by more than nine.

“We made a ton of progress as a program from a talent perspective and from a culture perspective. We haven’t gotten it there yet," he said. "There’s a little piece we have to put together to make sure we get over the hump, but we’re excited to have the chance to do that.”

The 65-year-old Whipple developed 2022 Heisman Trophy finalist and first-round draft pick Kenny Pickett at Pittsburgh the last three years and brings an NFL pedigree to Lincoln.

Whipple has taken full control of the offense while Frost, who had the final word on play-calling his first four years, assumes more of a CEO role.

“I think we just need to have a little more of a killer instinct to finish games, and when we get in those close games, we need to finish them,” Frost said. “Look forward to competing this year. I’m sure we’ll be in some more, and we’ve got to find a way to come out on top.”

Ochaun Mathis, one of the most sought-after players in the transfer portal, is expected to step in immediately at defensive end and pick up where he left off at TCU. Mathis picked Nebraska over Texas after recording 30.5 tackles for loss and 15.5 sacks in 38 games for TCU.

New offensive line coach Donovan Raiola's job became more difficult with the loss of guard Nouredin Nouili, who announced in June he would miss the season because of a failed drug test in the spring.

The Huskers already must find new starters at center and right guard, and tackles Teddy Prochazka and Turner Corcoran missed the spring with injuries.

Missed field goals, a blocked punt and a directional punt that went the wrong direction were among the special teams blunders that cost the Huskers games last year. Bill Busch's job is to clean things up. Nebraska has been awful on special teams under Frost, and with his job on the line, he hired Busch to oversee special teams full-time. Busch was a defensive analyst last year.

The Huskers have their most manageable schedule under Frost, and it starts Aug. 27 against Big Ten foe Northwestern in Dublin, Ireland. A Sept. 17 home game against Oklahoma highlights the nonconference schedule. November is the toughest month with the last four games against Minnesota (home), Michigan (away), Wisconsin (home) and Iowa (away).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1660601683409.jpeg" alt="Nebraska red team quarterback Casey Thompson (11) signals the crowd before leading both the red and white teams onto the field alongside head coach Scott Frost before Nebraska's NCAA college football annual red-white spring game at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Neb., Saturday, April 9, 2022. Nebraska starts Aug. 27 against Northwestern in Dublin, Ireland. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz, File)" />
 <figcaption>Nebraska red team quarterback Casey Thompson (11) signals the crowd before leading both the red and white teams onto the field alongside head coach Scott Frost before Nebraska's NCAA college football annual red-white spring game at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Neb., Saturday, April 9, 2022. Nebraska starts Aug. 27 against Northwestern in Dublin, Ireland. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSIt's make or break for Scott Frost.Nebraska is mired in its worst stretch of football in over 60 years, and through four seasons Frost has failed to deliver anything close to what was expected when he made his celebrated return to his home state and the school he quarterbacked to a share of a national championship.Athletic director Trev Alberts announced late in last year's 3-9 season he would bring Frost back, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-football-sports-nebraska-cornhuskers-football-scott-frost-nebraska-8d06dccabe24996f9e28d43fc0cf1e6b">the 47-year-old coach had to take a $1 million pay cut and fire four offensive assistants.</a>“We had a good enough team last year to do better than we did," Frost said. “That falls on me. It falls on the whole coaching staff. It falls on the whole team.”Frost's fate largely rests with 15 new players plucked from the transfer portal, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-football-sports-kenny-pickett-scott-frost-mark-whipple-5c1b2768eb5c88ab8c44c41fa46efbf2">Texas transfer quarterback Casey Thompson,</a>&nbsp;and new offensive coordinator Mark Whipple.The Huskers continue to be a shell of the program that has won or shared five national titles, produced three Heisman Trophy winners and is among just nine schools with at least 900 wins.Nebraska hasn't won a conference title since 1999 and hasn't gone to a bowl since 2016. Its streak of five losing seasons is its longest since it had six in a row from 1956-61.Since 2018, the Huskers' 15 wins under Frost are fifth fewest in the Power Five, their 16 road losses are tied for third most and their conference winning percentage of .286 is third worst in the Big Ten, ahead of Rutgers and Maryland.Of the 10 Nebraska coaches before Frost who lasted more than four seasons, only Bill Jennings' .310 winning percentage from 1957-61 is worse than Frost's .341.“We were competitive in every game last year. We had our chances to win,” said Frost, whose team lost seven games by seven points or less and none by more than nine.“We made a ton of progress as a program from a talent perspective and from a culture perspective. We haven’t gotten it there yet," he said. "There’s a little piece we have to put together to make sure we get over the hump, but we’re excited to have the chance to do that.”The 65-year-old Whipple developed 2022 Heisman Trophy finalist and first-round draft pick Kenny Pickett at Pittsburgh the last three years and brings an NFL pedigree to Lincoln.Whipple has taken full control of the offense while Frost, who had the final word on play-calling his first four years, assumes more of a CEO role.“I think we just need to have a little more of a killer instinct to finish games, and when we get in those close games, we need to finish them,” Frost said. “Look forward to competing this year. I’m sure we’ll be in some more, and we’ve got to find a way to come out on top.”MATHIS MAYHEMOchaun Mathis, one of the most sought-after players in the transfer portal, is expected to step in immediately at defensive end and pick up where he left off at TCU. Mathis picked Nebraska over Texas after recording 30.5 tackles for loss and 15.5 sacks in 38 games for TCU.NO NOUILINew offensive line coach Donovan Raiola's job became more difficult with the loss of guard Nouredin Nouili, who announced in June he would miss the season because of a failed drug test in the spring.The Huskers already must find new starters at center and right guard, and tackles Teddy Prochazka and Turner Corcoran missed the spring with injuries.SPECIAL TEAMS EMPHASISMissed field goals, a blocked punt and a directional punt that went the wrong direction were among the special teams blunders that cost the Huskers games last year. Bill Busch's job is to clean things up. Nebraska has been awful on special teams under Frost, and with his job on the line, he hired Busch to oversee special teams full-time. Busch was a defensive analyst last year.LOOKING AHEADThe Huskers have their most manageable schedule under Frost, and it starts Aug. 27 against Big Ten foe Northwestern in Dublin, Ireland. A Sept. 17 home game against Oklahoma highlights the nonconference schedule. November is the toughest month with the last four games against Minnesota (home), Michigan (away), Wisconsin (home) and Iowa (away).

Pressure on Frost to make big jump in 5th year at Nebraska

LANCASTER, Texas (AP) — The brother of retired NFL cornerback Aqib Talib has been identified by police as a suspect in the shooting death of a coach at a youth football game in Texas.

Yaqub Salik Talib is suspected in the Saturday night shooting that killed a man, police in the Dallas-area city of Lancaster said. Authorities have not yet identified the man, but family and friends say he was a coach.

Yaqub Talib was not in custody as of late Sunday and a warrant was issued for his arrest. The Associated Press sent a message seeking updated information Monday on the search for him.

Yaqub Talib is the brother of Aqib Talib, a five-time Pro Bowler who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/denver-broncos-nfl-aqib-talib-ca-state-wire-new-england-patriots-0a437e951f4c00d50ffd612cf5a213a2">announced his retirement</a>&nbsp;in 2020. Aqib Talib was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-chargers-nfl-entertainment-sports-tv-8265c669d0570d923eb638fc47d298aa">named last month</a>&nbsp;as a contributor for Prime Video's “Thursday Night Football.”

Dallas TV station&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/yaqub-talib-lancaster-football-shooting-man-wanted-in-killing-of-another-man-at-a-lancaster-youth-football-game-police-say/287-146f7389-c53d-4f04-9b7b-7e976d01de85">WFAA reported</a>&nbsp;that the brothers are coaches for North Dallas United Bobcats, a youth football team.

Coaches with the youth team D.E.A. Dragons identified the man killed as coach Mike Hickmon, WFAA reported. Dragons president Mike Freeman said the dispute began when Hickmon went to pick up a football and someone kicked it away.

“I don’t know how to explain it to the kids. That’s the part that I’m stuck on right now. How do I explain it to them. Why?" Freeman said. “This is something that these kids will remember for the rest of their life.”

LANCASTER, Texas (AP) — The brother of retired NFL cornerback Aqib Talib has been identified by police as a suspect in the shooting death of a coach at a youth football game in Texas.Yaqub Salik Talib is suspected in the Saturday night shooting that killed a man, police in the Dallas-area city of Lancaster said. Authorities have not yet identified the man, but family and friends say he was a coach.Yaqub Talib was not in custody as of late Sunday and a warrant was issued for his arrest. The Associated Press sent a message seeking updated information Monday on the search for him.Yaqub Talib is the brother of Aqib Talib, a five-time Pro Bowler who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/denver-broncos-nfl-aqib-talib-ca-state-wire-new-england-patriots-0a437e951f4c00d50ffd612cf5a213a2">announced his retirement</a>&nbsp;in 2020. Aqib Talib was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-chargers-nfl-entertainment-sports-tv-8265c669d0570d923eb638fc47d298aa">named last month</a>&nbsp;as a contributor for Prime Video's “Thursday Night Football.”Dallas TV station&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/yaqub-talib-lancaster-football-shooting-man-wanted-in-killing-of-another-man-at-a-lancaster-youth-football-game-police-say/287-146f7389-c53d-4f04-9b7b-7e976d01de85">WFAA reported</a>&nbsp;that the brothers are coaches for North Dallas United Bobcats, a youth football team.Coaches with the youth team D.E.A. Dragons identified the man killed as coach Mike Hickmon, WFAA reported. Dragons president Mike Freeman said the dispute began when Hickmon went to pick up a football and someone kicked it away.“I don’t know how to explain it to the kids. That’s the part that I’m stuck on right now. How do I explain it to them. Why?" Freeman said. “This is something that these kids will remember for the rest of their life.”

Brother of former Broncos star named suspect in death of youth coach

BY: KALEB CENTER CSC Sports Information Director

&nbsp; The 2022 season of Chadron State College football arrives with big question marks to address on both sides of the line of scrimmage. In 2021 the Eagles enjoyed the veteran leadership of sixth-year quarterback&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4216">Dalton Holst</a>, whose 11,531 career passing yards now sit atop the CSC record book. For the first time in several years, they'll have to replace him with someone who hasn't started a game under center at CSC. There are three prime candidates for the job. The most veteran of the three is&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=8322">Heath Beemiller</a>, a graduate transfer from Northern Arizona University. The junior, from Chandler, Arizona, has two years of eligibility remaining after redshirting as a safety in 2018, playing in seven games in 2019 as a quarterback, then playing one in spring of 2021 before transferring to CSC at the midpoint of 2021-22. Also in the running is&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=8268">Preston Pearson</a>, a redshirt freshman from Kearney High. He was a 2020 First Team Super State selection and also First Team All-Class A, according to the Lincoln Journal Star. Pearson showed enough in spring drills to be elevated into the mix, after redshirting in 2021. Returning from the backup role last season is sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4585">Mason Hamilton</a>&nbsp;from Gilette, Wyoming. The former two-time Wyoming Super 25 selection shadowed Holst in 2021 and saw relief action in six contests, completing touchdown passes in both of the Eagles' final two games. "All three guys we're looking at for quarterback are athletic," said CSC offensive coordinator&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/coaches.aspx?rc=517">Micah Smith</a>. "They all run well and throw the ball efficiently. On top of that, they're all smart football players who understand the game. It's going to be tough to decide who gets the first snaps when we kick off next month."

CSC returns four running backs who have previously carried the ball in games. Leading 2021 rusher&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4574">Jeydon Cox</a>, of Jackson, Wyoming, returns to lead the pack. In his 15 games as an Eagle, he averages 6.2 yards a carry, which is good for third best in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference over the past two years. His 648 rushing yards in 2021 included nine touchdown plunges, and he added 161 yards receiving. <a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=8219">Dorian Collier</a>&nbsp;is a change of pace from Cox. The Tallahassee, Florida native is bigger, at 6-1, 213 pounds, and provides a punch out of the backfield. He recorded 422 yards last fall on the ground and two scores. <a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=8271">Brock Ping</a>, of Billings, Montana, also filled in for the backs last year, rushing 32 times for 162 yards and two touchdowns. Returning from a year off is&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4621">Jalen Starks</a>, of Chicago, Illinois, who led the team in its four games of 2020, with 330 yards and seven scoring runs. Mitchell's&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=8206">Rylan Aguallo</a>, a redshirt freshman, also joins the running back stable this fall, after a good spring. The receivers are a talented group, but they must replace the production of Second Team All-RMAC pick&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4233">Chad Mikelson</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4256">Cole Thurness</a>, a two-time all-conference receiver. Competition surely begins with the two most experienced wideouts,&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4235">Ali Musa</a>&nbsp;of San Diego and&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4583">Montel Gladney</a>&nbsp;of Jackson, Mississippi. Both are seniors. Musa is the leading returner from last season, when he caught 17 balls for 279 yards. Gladney has 356 career receiving yards and three scoring catches at CSC, after transferring in for the fall of 2020. Other top targets are sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=8214">Jamal Browder</a>, of Carol City, Florida, junior&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=8239">Ahlonte Hair</a>&nbsp;of Live Oak, Florida, and junior transfer Dre Evans, also of Live Oak. The offensive line will be anchored at left tackle by senior returning All-RMAC First Teamer&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4198">Juan Estrada-Sanchez</a>&nbsp;of Denver. He will take over for All-America Second Teamer&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4189">Justin Calderon</a>, who will be a coaching assistant in the fall. Broomfield, Colorado, junior&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4195">Michael DeCamillis</a>&nbsp;is the presumptive starter at center, where he's played the past two seasons. Redshirt freshman&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=8260">Vincent Mosley</a>, of Fort Collins, Colorado, senior&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4248">Emmit Rosentrater</a>, of Paxton, Nebraska, and&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4257">Aksel Turk</a>&nbsp;of Nesodden, Norway, will enter fall camp atop the rotation for the other three positions up front. Smith said that the offense will look to utilize the athleticism of the quarterbacks to rush the ball more from that position. On the opposing side of the ball, the Eagles are looking to make up for the graduation of three of their top four tacklers at linebacker. Junior&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4203">Joey Geil</a>, from Casper, Wyoming, is one to watch at middle linebacker. He led or shared the team lead in each of the final six games of 2021 after being forced into the lineup due to injuries. He also recorded the team's second-best seven tackles for loss. Likely joining Geil on the field are sophomores&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=8302">Saxon Wright</a>, of Monument, Colorado, and&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4587">Xavier Harrell</a>&nbsp;of Highlands Ranch, Colorado. Also in the two-deep are transfers Heamasi Latu of Oakland, California and&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=8428">Jordan Suckow</a>&nbsp;of Brentwood, California. Latu was the fourth-leading tackler for Nebraska-Kearney in the fall of 2020, while Suckow was an all-conference honoree at Tabor College last year. Defensive coordinator&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/coaches.aspx?rc=513">Clint Sasse</a>&nbsp;added that true freshman&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=8336">Ritchie McCormack</a>, of Tucson, Arizona, could also work his way into the depth chart. On the defensive front, the Eagles have plenty of options. Junior&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4241">Gabe Perkins</a>&nbsp;of Aurora, Colorado and senior&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4185">Tayven Bray</a>&nbsp;of Highlands Ranch are the top ends, with sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4610">Hunter O'Connor</a>&nbsp;of Broomfield coming into the picture as well. Interior linemen include senior&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4260">Kobe Whipple</a>&nbsp;of Rosebud, South Dakota, Fort Lewis graduate transfer&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=8417">Blayke De La Rosa</a>&nbsp;of San Diego, sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4604">Kien Martin</a>&nbsp;of Overton, Nebraska, and redshirt freshmen&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=8291">Tanner True</a>&nbsp;of Eaton, Colorado, and&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=8237">Isaiah Guerue</a>&nbsp;of Morrill, Nebraska. Casper, Wyoming, native&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4269">Trevon Smith</a>, a junior who started the past two seasons, will likely need a few more weeks of recovery from a knee injury. Finally, the defensive backfield has some of the best depth it has seen in several years. Two fifth-year players will certainly lead the unit. They are&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4186">Brendan Brehmer</a>&nbsp;of Alliance, Nebraska, and&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=5697">Bobby Peele</a>&nbsp;of Fresno, California. Brehmer had a breakout season in 2021 with 55 tackles and a blocked kick. In previous seasons he had battled injuries, but he was able to recover and start all 11 games last fall. Peele is a First Team All-RMAC cornerback. Going back to his two seasons in junior college, with one and a half at CSC, Peele has 21 interceptions in 33 games. He finished last season with six picks in 10 games. Right now, penciled in at the other two secondary positions are junior&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=8240">Jahvonte Hair</a>, the twin brother of Ahlonte, and redshirt freshman&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4632">Dax Yeradi</a>&nbsp;of Wright, Wyoming. A host of other defensive backs are expected to contribute. "Defensively, we're about as deep as we've ever been," said defensive coordinator&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/coaches.aspx?rc=513">Clint Sasse</a>. "We've got guys at every level who can play, and we're excited to start hitting." Special teams will look similar to last year. Senior&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=8248">Gunnar Jones</a>&nbsp;of Rogersville, Alabama, will handle kickoff and placekicking duties. Jones may also punt, but there are others who might be called into action as well, including junior&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4576">Parker Dillan</a>&nbsp;of Imperial, Nebraska, who punted in 2020, and redshirt freshman&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=8226">Brodie Eisenbraun</a>&nbsp;of Sturgis, South Dakota. Returning the ball will likely be running back&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4574">Jeydon Cox</a>&nbsp;and receiver Dre Evans. Head Football Coach&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/coaches.aspx?rc=503">Jay Long</a>&nbsp;knows the schedule starts off with a bang, and he looks forward to the challenge. "When you look at our first five games," said Long, "we start out traveling to the Lone Star Conference favorite. Then you go right back on the road to a Division I opponent. We have a big home game against our rival, and then it's right back on the road. Three of our first five games are against playoff teams, and you add in Utah Tech, who used to be Dixie State. We want to compete for the conference, and we want to make the playoffs, and that's the kind of schedule it takes." Fall camp began on Monday, August 8. The first game of the season is on September 1 at San Angelo, Texas. Kickoff time is 6 p.m. MT.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<div><a href="https://gpcom.com/enterprise/">
<img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1659974889518.png"/>
</a></div><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1660571982567.jpeg" alt="CSC Football 2022 Team Photo" />
 <figcaption>CSC Football 2022 Team Photo</figcaption>
 </figure>BY: KALEB CENTER CSC Sports Information Director&nbsp; The 2022 season of Chadron State College football arrives with big question marks to address on both sides of the line of scrimmage. In 2021 the Eagles enjoyed the veteran leadership of sixth-year quarterback&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4216">Dalton Holst</a>, whose 11,531 career passing yards now sit atop the CSC record book. For the first time in several years, they'll have to replace him with someone who hasn't started a game under center at CSC. There are three prime candidates for the job. The most veteran of the three is&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=8322">Heath Beemiller</a>, a graduate transfer from Northern Arizona University. The junior, from Chandler, Arizona, has two years of eligibility remaining after redshirting as a safety in 2018, playing in seven games in 2019 as a quarterback, then playing one in spring of 2021 before transferring to CSC at the midpoint of 2021-22. Also in the running is&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=8268">Preston Pearson</a>, a redshirt freshman from Kearney High. He was a 2020 First Team Super State selection and also First Team All-Class A, according to the Lincoln Journal Star. Pearson showed enough in spring drills to be elevated into the mix, after redshirting in 2021. Returning from the backup role last season is sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4585">Mason Hamilton</a>&nbsp;from Gilette, Wyoming. The former two-time Wyoming Super 25 selection shadowed Holst in 2021 and saw relief action in six contests, completing touchdown passes in both of the Eagles' final two games. "All three guys we're looking at for quarterback are athletic," said CSC offensive coordinator&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/coaches.aspx?rc=517">Micah Smith</a>. "They all run well and throw the ball efficiently. On top of that, they're all smart football players who understand the game. It's going to be tough to decide who gets the first snaps when we kick off next month."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1659374337819.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure> CSC returns four running backs who have previously carried the ball in games. Leading 2021 rusher&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4574">Jeydon Cox</a>, of Jackson, Wyoming, returns to lead the pack. In his 15 games as an Eagle, he averages 6.2 yards a carry, which is good for third best in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference over the past two years. His 648 rushing yards in 2021 included nine touchdown plunges, and he added 161 yards receiving. <a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=8219">Dorian Collier</a>&nbsp;is a change of pace from Cox. The Tallahassee, Florida native is bigger, at 6-1, 213 pounds, and provides a punch out of the backfield. He recorded 422 yards last fall on the ground and two scores. <a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=8271">Brock Ping</a>, of Billings, Montana, also filled in for the backs last year, rushing 32 times for 162 yards and two touchdowns. Returning from a year off is&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4621">Jalen Starks</a>, of Chicago, Illinois, who led the team in its four games of 2020, with 330 yards and seven scoring runs. Mitchell's&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=8206">Rylan Aguallo</a>, a redshirt freshman, also joins the running back stable this fall, after a good spring. The receivers are a talented group, but they must replace the production of Second Team All-RMAC pick&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4233">Chad Mikelson</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4256">Cole Thurness</a>, a two-time all-conference receiver. Competition surely begins with the two most experienced wideouts,&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4235">Ali Musa</a>&nbsp;of San Diego and&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4583">Montel Gladney</a>&nbsp;of Jackson, Mississippi. Both are seniors. Musa is the leading returner from last season, when he caught 17 balls for 279 yards. Gladney has 356 career receiving yards and three scoring catches at CSC, after transferring in for the fall of 2020. Other top targets are sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=8214">Jamal Browder</a>, of Carol City, Florida, junior&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=8239">Ahlonte Hair</a>&nbsp;of Live Oak, Florida, and junior transfer Dre Evans, also of Live Oak. The offensive line will be anchored at left tackle by senior returning All-RMAC First Teamer&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4198">Juan Estrada-Sanchez</a>&nbsp;of Denver. He will take over for All-America Second Teamer&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4189">Justin Calderon</a>, who will be a coaching assistant in the fall. Broomfield, Colorado, junior&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4195">Michael DeCamillis</a>&nbsp;is the presumptive starter at center, where he's played the past two seasons. Redshirt freshman&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=8260">Vincent Mosley</a>, of Fort Collins, Colorado, senior&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4248">Emmit Rosentrater</a>, of Paxton, Nebraska, and&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4257">Aksel Turk</a>&nbsp;of Nesodden, Norway, will enter fall camp atop the rotation for the other three positions up front. Smith said that the offense will look to utilize the athleticism of the quarterbacks to rush the ball more from that position. On the opposing side of the ball, the Eagles are looking to make up for the graduation of three of their top four tacklers at linebacker. Junior&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4203">Joey Geil</a>, from Casper, Wyoming, is one to watch at middle linebacker. He led or shared the team lead in each of the final six games of 2021 after being forced into the lineup due to injuries. He also recorded the team's second-best seven tackles for loss. Likely joining Geil on the field are sophomores&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=8302">Saxon Wright</a>, of Monument, Colorado, and&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4587">Xavier Harrell</a>&nbsp;of Highlands Ranch, Colorado. Also in the two-deep are transfers Heamasi Latu of Oakland, California and&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=8428">Jordan Suckow</a>&nbsp;of Brentwood, California. Latu was the fourth-leading tackler for Nebraska-Kearney in the fall of 2020, while Suckow was an all-conference honoree at Tabor College last year. Defensive coordinator&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/coaches.aspx?rc=513">Clint Sasse</a>&nbsp;added that true freshman&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=8336">Ritchie McCormack</a>, of Tucson, Arizona, could also work his way into the depth chart. On the defensive front, the Eagles have plenty of options. Junior&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4241">Gabe Perkins</a>&nbsp;of Aurora, Colorado and senior&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4185">Tayven Bray</a>&nbsp;of Highlands Ranch are the top ends, with sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4610">Hunter O'Connor</a>&nbsp;of Broomfield coming into the picture as well. Interior linemen include senior&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4260">Kobe Whipple</a>&nbsp;of Rosebud, South Dakota, Fort Lewis graduate transfer&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=8417">Blayke De La Rosa</a>&nbsp;of San Diego, sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4604">Kien Martin</a>&nbsp;of Overton, Nebraska, and redshirt freshmen&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=8291">Tanner True</a>&nbsp;of Eaton, Colorado, and&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=8237">Isaiah Guerue</a>&nbsp;of Morrill, Nebraska. Casper, Wyoming, native&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4269">Trevon Smith</a>, a junior who started the past two seasons, will likely need a few more weeks of recovery from a knee injury. Finally, the defensive backfield has some of the best depth it has seen in several years. Two fifth-year players will certainly lead the unit. They are&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4186">Brendan Brehmer</a>&nbsp;of Alliance, Nebraska, and&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=5697">Bobby Peele</a>&nbsp;of Fresno, California. Brehmer had a breakout season in 2021 with 55 tackles and a blocked kick. In previous seasons he had battled injuries, but he was able to recover and start all 11 games last fall. Peele is a First Team All-RMAC cornerback. Going back to his two seasons in junior college, with one and a half at CSC, Peele has 21 interceptions in 33 games. He finished last season with six picks in 10 games. Right now, penciled in at the other two secondary positions are junior&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=8240">Jahvonte Hair</a>, the twin brother of Ahlonte, and redshirt freshman&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4632">Dax Yeradi</a>&nbsp;of Wright, Wyoming. A host of other defensive backs are expected to contribute. "Defensively, we're about as deep as we've ever been," said defensive coordinator&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/coaches.aspx?rc=513">Clint Sasse</a>. "We've got guys at every level who can play, and we're excited to start hitting." Special teams will look similar to last year. Senior&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=8248">Gunnar Jones</a>&nbsp;of Rogersville, Alabama, will handle kickoff and placekicking duties. Jones may also punt, but there are others who might be called into action as well, including junior&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4576">Parker Dillan</a>&nbsp;of Imperial, Nebraska, who punted in 2020, and redshirt freshman&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=8226">Brodie Eisenbraun</a>&nbsp;of Sturgis, South Dakota. Returning the ball will likely be running back&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4574">Jeydon Cox</a>&nbsp;and receiver Dre Evans. Head Football Coach&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/coaches.aspx?rc=503">Jay Long</a>&nbsp;knows the schedule starts off with a bang, and he looks forward to the challenge. "When you look at our first five games," said Long, "we start out traveling to the Lone Star Conference favorite. Then you go right back on the road to a Division I opponent. We have a big home game against our rival, and then it's right back on the road. Three of our first five games are against playoff teams, and you add in Utah Tech, who used to be Dixie State. We want to compete for the conference, and we want to make the playoffs, and that's the kind of schedule it takes." Fall camp began on Monday, August 8. The first game of the season is on September 1 at San Angelo, Texas. Kickoff time is 6 p.m. MT.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Mix of key returners and newcomers vying for spots in CSC two-deep

Nebraska head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/coaches.aspx?rc=8325">Scott Frost</a>&nbsp;met with members of the media following Saturday's practice. Frost addressed the improvement of several offensive position groups as the Huskers prep for their trip to Ireland. "The guys show up to work every day," Frost said. "I think they're hungry. We're cleaning stuff up little by little. We scrimmage tomorrow and are turning our attention to Game One. A lot of decisions will be made after tomorrow, and we will have pretty good idea of the depth chart. Then, it's about getting the team ready to fly overseas and play." Frost specifically discussed the improvement of the offensive line.&nbsp; "They're working harder than I've ever seen them work," he said. "That's not just my opinion. We put a lot of science into this with the NAPL lab and&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/coaches.aspx?rc=8328">Zach Duval</a>. The guys wear monitors that track overall output and many other statistics. They are more than doubling in a lot of cases in the amount of effort they put out than in the last couple of years in practice. They are doing an unbelievable job. I've been pleased with the way they're playing." He also spoke on the competition and growth of the running backs. "Our running back group has really made a giant leap," Frost said. "It's going to be tough to separate yourself from that group with the guys that we have in that room. The guys in camp are all doing a good job and have just continued to work and get better. I think the competition has gotten them to play harder and Coach Applewhite demands a lot out of those guys. He coaches them hard and he's getting a lot out of them." The Huskers will return to the practice field tomorrow as they prep for the season opener on Saturday, Aug. 27 against Northwestern in Dublin, Ireland at 11:30 a.m. (CT) on FOX.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsNebraska head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/coaches.aspx?rc=8325">Scott Frost</a>&nbsp;met with members of the media following Saturday's practice. Frost addressed the improvement of several offensive position groups as the Huskers prep for their trip to Ireland. "The guys show up to work every day," Frost said. "I think they're hungry. We're cleaning stuff up little by little. We scrimmage tomorrow and are turning our attention to Game One. A lot of decisions will be made after tomorrow, and we will have pretty good idea of the depth chart. Then, it's about getting the team ready to fly overseas and play." Frost specifically discussed the improvement of the offensive line.&nbsp; "They're working harder than I've ever seen them work," he said. "That's not just my opinion. We put a lot of science into this with the NAPL lab and&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/coaches.aspx?rc=8328">Zach Duval</a>. The guys wear monitors that track overall output and many other statistics. They are more than doubling in a lot of cases in the amount of effort they put out than in the last couple of years in practice. They are doing an unbelievable job. I've been pleased with the way they're playing." He also spoke on the competition and growth of the running backs. "Our running back group has really made a giant leap," Frost said. "It's going to be tough to separate yourself from that group with the guys that we have in that room. The guys in camp are all doing a good job and have just continued to work and get better. I think the competition has gotten them to play harder and Coach Applewhite demands a lot out of those guys. He coaches them hard and he's getting a lot out of them." The Huskers will return to the practice field tomorrow as they prep for the season opener on Saturday, Aug. 27 against Northwestern in Dublin, Ireland at 11:30 a.m. (CT) on FOX.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Frost Talks Offensive Improvement, Prep for Ireland

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Area Sports Media Day Coverage

As the Big Ten prepares to become a 16-team, coast-to-coast superconference with the additions of USC and UCLA in 2024, it is ending a 40-year relationship with ESPN and moving toward partnerships with two new networks.

Two people familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the Big Ten was looking for a seven-year deal worth $380 million per year to broadcast its football and basketball games from ESPN, and the network declined.

Both spoke to The AP on condition of anonymity because the negotiations were not being made public.

The deal would not have given ESPN first choice of Big Ten football games in a given week at any point and would have reduced the number of Big Ten games the network could broadcast from the current 27 to about half that number, one of the people familiar with the talks said.

ESPN has held television rights for Big Ten football since 1982. The network shares Big Ten football and basketball rights with Fox in the current contract, which expires in 2023.

Fox, which owns 61% of the Big Ten Network, will remain the conference's primary rights holder, with CBS and NBC set to join as partners, one of the people told The AP.

CBS' long-term deal with the Southeastern Conference is set to expire after the 2023 season. That deal gave CBS the rights to the SEC's football game of the week, usually slotted in the 3:30 p.m. Eastern time window on fall Saturdays.

ESPN secured that SEC package to go with the rights it already owned from the powerhouse conference for $300 million per year. Starting in 2024, ESPN will be the exclusive network home of the SEC.

It appears CBS will replace SEC football with the Big Ten on Saturday afternoons, though the network is not likely to have the exclusive first choice of games the way it did with the SEC.

The Big Ten said Tuesday in a statement its new television contracts are still being finalized.

“The conference continues to have productive meetings with both linear and direct-to-consumer media partners,” the conference said.

An announcement on a new set of deals that is expected to be worth more than $1 billion annually to the Big Ten is expected soon.

Sports Business Journal first reported ESPN was out of the Big Ten negotiations and CBS and NBC were each positioned to land a piece of the conference’s rights for upward of $300 million per year.

In June, the Big Ten announced it was expanding West with the additions of the Pac-12's two flagship Los Angeles-based schools: Southern California and UCLA.

The move came a little less than a year after it was revealed Texas and Oklahoma would be leaving the Big 12 and joining the SEC in 2025, when the Big 12's TV contract runs out.

The Pac-12 is next up to the negotiating table among the Power Five conferences, with deals set to expire after the 2023-24 season. The Big 12's current deals run out after the 2024-25 academic year.

While neither conference is expected to come anywhere close to landing deals that rival in value the Big Ten's and SEC's, not having the Big Ten creates more space for ESPN to fill on its family of networks.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1597173408062.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSAs the Big Ten prepares to become a 16-team, coast-to-coast superconference with the additions of USC and UCLA in 2024, it is ending a 40-year relationship with ESPN and moving toward partnerships with two new networks.Two people familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the Big Ten was looking for a seven-year deal worth $380 million per year to broadcast its football and basketball games from ESPN, and the network declined.Both spoke to The AP on condition of anonymity because the negotiations were not being made public.The deal would not have given ESPN first choice of Big Ten football games in a given week at any point and would have reduced the number of Big Ten games the network could broadcast from the current 27 to about half that number, one of the people familiar with the talks said.ESPN has held television rights for Big Ten football since 1982. The network shares Big Ten football and basketball rights with Fox in the current contract, which expires in 2023.Fox, which owns 61% of the Big Ten Network, will remain the conference's primary rights holder, with CBS and NBC set to join as partners, one of the people told The AP.CBS' long-term deal with the Southeastern Conference is set to expire after the 2023 season. That deal gave CBS the rights to the SEC's football game of the week, usually slotted in the 3:30 p.m. Eastern time window on fall Saturdays.ESPN secured that SEC package to go with the rights it already owned from the powerhouse conference for $300 million per year. Starting in 2024, ESPN will be the exclusive network home of the SEC.It appears CBS will replace SEC football with the Big Ten on Saturday afternoons, though the network is not likely to have the exclusive first choice of games the way it did with the SEC.The Big Ten said Tuesday in a statement its new television contracts are still being finalized.“The conference continues to have productive meetings with both linear and direct-to-consumer media partners,” the conference said.An announcement on a new set of deals that is expected to be worth more than $1 billion annually to the Big Ten is expected soon.Sports Business Journal first reported ESPN was out of the Big Ten negotiations and CBS and NBC were each positioned to land a piece of the conference’s rights for upward of $300 million per year.In June, the Big Ten announced it was expanding West with the additions of the Pac-12's two flagship Los Angeles-based schools: Southern California and UCLA.The move came a little less than a year after it was revealed Texas and Oklahoma would be leaving the Big 12 and joining the SEC in 2025, when the Big 12's TV contract runs out.The Pac-12 is next up to the negotiating table among the Power Five conferences, with deals set to expire after the 2023-24 season. The Big 12's current deals run out after the 2024-25 academic year.While neither conference is expected to come anywhere close to landing deals that rival in value the Big Ten's and SEC's, not having the Big Ten creates more space for ESPN to fill on its family of networks.

AP sources: ESPN out of Big Ten TV rights negotiations

By JAMES WALKER and JUDITH R. HILTNER <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-vin-scully-scored-his-dodgers-gig-at-22-years-old-188264">The Conversation</a>

Vin Scully, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/02/sports/baseball/vin-scully-dead.html">who died on Aug. 2, 2022</a>,
 is widely viewed as the greatest baseball announcer of all time. But 
for an earlier generation, his mentor, Red Barber, held that 
distinction.

In our recent biography “<a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/Red_Barber/lWhgEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&amp;gbpv=0">Red Barber: The Life and Legacy of a Broadcasting Legend</a>,”
 we uncovered moving private letters and public references documenting 
the rich personal bonds between these two great voices of the game.

In 1939, Barber brought daily radio broadcasts of Dodgers baseball to
 Brooklyn’s fans for the first time. By the time Scully arrived in 1950,
 Barber – known as “<a href="https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=19921022&amp;slug=1520043">the Old Redhead</a>” – was the toast of Flatbush.

For a combined century – 33 years for Barber and 67 for Scully – the 
two blessed baseball fans with some of the sharpest word pictures ever 
painted of the grand old game. Together in the Brooklyn booth for four 
crucial years, from 1950 to 1953, they forged a relationship that proved
 to be both demanding and gratifying.

After Scully graduated with a degree in English from Fordham 
University in 1949, he papered East Coast radio stations with 
applications. <a href="https://vault.si.com/vault/1964/05/04/the-transistor-kid">He eventually scored an interview with CBS Radio</a>, where Barber was director of sports. Barber came away impressed, but there were no openings at the time.

Barber later phoned Vin Scully when, at the last minute, he needed a 
reporter to cover a college football contest at Fenway Park in Boston 
for CBS College Football Roundup. Scully’s mother answered the phone and
 took the message for Vin that <a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/Voices_of_the_Game/oNBwQgAACAAJ?hl=en">“Red Skelton” wanted to talk to him about a job</a> – confusing Barber with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Skelton">the popular entertainer</a>.

Fortunately, Scully figured out who was calling. He hustled to the 
park, only to learn there was no room for him in the press box. With 
only a light topcoat to defend himself against the cruel New England 
elements, he had to call the entire game from the roof, braving the 
winds on a chilly fall day with only a 60-watt light bulb to warm his 
hands. Barber, initially unaware of Scully’s plight, later wrote that 
when he learned his announcer had called the game from the roof, he was 
impressed by the young broadcaster’s stamina and even more impressed 
that Scully had never complained about the brutal conditions.

When <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQ2EG3t3fEI">Ernie Harwell</a>,
 who would become the legendary voice of the Detroit Tigers, left the 
Brooklyn Dodgers’ broadcast booth for the New York Giants, Red Barber 
needed to find a replacement. He decided to go with the young 
broadcaster <a href="https://ufdc.ufl.edu/AA00067187/00001/downloads">who had so impressed him</a> – later describing Scully as “a pretty appealing young green pea … a boy who had something on the ball.”

So Vin Scully, just 22 years old, <a href="https://dodgers.mlblogs.com/on-this-date-70-years-ago-today-vin-scully-joins-the-booth-a66648e399e8">was given the chance of a lifetime</a>, to broadcast the games of the Brooklyn Dodgers, the National League’s most successful team.

But this golden opportunity was challenging in ways Scully did not foresee.

Red Barber, who early in life planned to be a college professor, was a
 tough grader. He demanded a lot of himself, and he held those who 
worked with him to just as high a standard. 

When Vin first entered the Dodgers broadcast booth, Barber told the 
young man that his job was to do whatever Red and his colleague Connie 
Desmond didn’t want to do. He also made it clear that any Scully errors 
would be corrected on air for all to hear. When Barber saw Scully 
drinking a beer with his pregame sandwich – a common practice at the 
time – <a href="https://ufdc.ufl.edu/AA00067191/00001/downloads">he told Vin he never wanted to see him do it again</a>.

Barber was no teetotaler – far from it; leisure hours drinks were 
something he treasured. But he believed a broadcaster should never have a
 drink, even a beer, on the job. Barber reasoned if Scully made an 
error, something inevitable for a broadcaster ad-libbing for hours at a 
time, anyone who saw him sipping the press room brew would conclude that
 alcohol had clouded his performance.

One of Red’s broadcasting mantras was <a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Broadcasters/bpFZAAAAMAAJ?hl=en&amp;gbpv=0">pregame preparation</a>.
 So before one game, when Scully told his mentor that a Dodgers’ regular
 would be out of the lineup, Barber demanded to know why. Scully told 
him he had no idea. To Barber, that was unacceptable.

Scully quickly realized that he needed to know the “whys”; he had to 
get to the stadium early and spend time talking with managers and 
players, absorbing compelling facts and stories to keep listeners 
engaged during slow stretches of each contest.

The delicate bonds that develop between any mentor and mentee, though
 often fruitful, almost always involve some degree of resentment and 
frustration, likely because each member of the pair has so much vested 
in winning the respect and affection of the other. Some of Barber’s 
barbs must have stung. But throughout his career Scully always credited 
Red for instilling in him the discipline and values of a professional 
baseball announcer. <a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/Red_Barber/lWhgEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&amp;gbpv=0">He claimed</a>
 that the greatest virtue of Red as a mentor “was the fact that he 
cared. I wasn’t just another kid in the booth, just another announcer. …
 He made sure that my work habits were good, and he rode me if I drifted
 away from his ideal of the right way to work.”

In 1953, Barber left the Brooklyn booth after a dispute over his pay. 

Ahead of that season’s World Series between the Dodgers and the New 
York Yankees, the Series’ sponsor, Gillette, offered Barber only $200 
per game, take it or leave it. Barber left it, and when he did not get 
the support he wanted from Dodgers owner Walter O’Malley, he decided to 
sit out the Series and sign with the Yankees for the following season.

Gillette then turned to Scully, asking him if he’d announce the 
Series. Scully called Red seeking his permission. Barber was genuinely 
moved by Scully’s request, given that his permission clearly was not 
needed.  

All of a sudden, Scully, at the age of 25, was thrust onto the 
national stage. He remains the youngest person to ever call a World 
Series. Two years later, he announced the Brooklyn Dodgers’ only World 
Series win, and in 1958 he moved with the club to Los Angeles, where he 
would call games for the next 59 seasons.

Barber and Scully maintained an affectionate dialogue for the remainder of Red’s life.

When Barber and Mel Allen were honored by the National Baseball Hall of Fame as the first recipients of the <a href="https://baseballhall.org/discover-more/awards/887">Ford C. Frick Award</a>, presented yearly to a broadcaster for “major contributions to baseball,” <a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/Red_Barber/lWhgEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&amp;gbpv=0">Scully wrote his old teacher</a>,
 “I know as well as anyone alive what a true artist you were behind the 
mike. There is a great deal of you in anything I do well in 
play-by-play, and it will live in me as long as I am working.”

<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1992/10/23/obituaries/red-barber-baseball-voice-of-summer-is-dead-at-84.html">When Barber died in 1992</a>, <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=lWhgEAAAQBAJ&amp;pg=PA421&amp;lpg=PA421&amp;dq=%22radio%27s+first+poet%22+vin+scully+reader%27s+digest&amp;source=bl&amp;ots=eKTwjzRZ9i&amp;sig=ACfU3U20PiKT9ghjq_j_phD7Wi3yq3zg8g&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwipi_j9srD5AhXvGFkFHaZ5AIQQ6AF6BAgCEAM#v=onepage&amp;q=%22radio's%20first%20poet%22%20vin%20scully%20reader's%20digest&amp;f=false">Scully penned a tribute</a> in Reader’s Digest, calling him “radio’s first poet … and the most honorable man I ever met.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1659497855884.png" alt="Scully" />
 <figcaption>Scully</figcaption>
 </figure>By JAMES WALKER and JUDITH R. HILTNER <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-vin-scully-scored-his-dodgers-gig-at-22-years-old-188264">The Conversation</a>Vin Scully, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/02/sports/baseball/vin-scully-dead.html">who died on Aug. 2, 2022</a>,
 is widely viewed as the greatest baseball announcer of all time. But 
for an earlier generation, his mentor, Red Barber, held that 
distinction.In our recent biography “<a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/Red_Barber/lWhgEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&amp;gbpv=0">Red Barber: The Life and Legacy of a Broadcasting Legend</a>,”
 we uncovered moving private letters and public references documenting 
the rich personal bonds between these two great voices of the game. In 1939, Barber brought daily radio broadcasts of Dodgers baseball to
 Brooklyn’s fans for the first time. By the time Scully arrived in 1950,
 Barber – known as “<a href="https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=19921022&amp;slug=1520043">the Old Redhead</a>” – was the toast of Flatbush. For a combined century – 33 years for Barber and 67 for Scully – the 
two blessed baseball fans with some of the sharpest word pictures ever 
painted of the grand old game. Together in the Brooklyn booth for four 
crucial years, from 1950 to 1953, they forged a relationship that proved
 to be both demanding and gratifying.<h2>The chance of a lifetime</h2>After Scully graduated with a degree in English from Fordham 
University in 1949, he papered East Coast radio stations with 
applications. <a href="https://vault.si.com/vault/1964/05/04/the-transistor-kid">He eventually scored an interview with CBS Radio</a>, where Barber was director of sports. Barber came away impressed, but there were no openings at the time.Barber later phoned Vin Scully when, at the last minute, he needed a 
reporter to cover a college football contest at Fenway Park in Boston 
for CBS College Football Roundup. Scully’s mother answered the phone and
 took the message for Vin that <a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/Voices_of_the_Game/oNBwQgAACAAJ?hl=en">“Red Skelton” wanted to talk to him about a job</a> – confusing Barber with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Skelton">the popular entertainer</a>.Fortunately, Scully figured out who was calling. He hustled to the 
park, only to learn there was no room for him in the press box. With 
only a light topcoat to defend himself against the cruel New England 
elements, he had to call the entire game from the roof, braving the 
winds on a chilly fall day with only a 60-watt light bulb to warm his 
hands. Barber, initially unaware of Scully’s plight, later wrote that 
when he learned his announcer had called the game from the roof, he was 
impressed by the young broadcaster’s stamina and even more impressed 
that Scully had never complained about the brutal conditions.When <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQ2EG3t3fEI">Ernie Harwell</a>,
 who would become the legendary voice of the Detroit Tigers, left the 
Brooklyn Dodgers’ broadcast booth for the New York Giants, Red Barber 
needed to find a replacement. He decided to go with the young 
broadcaster <a href="https://ufdc.ufl.edu/AA00067187/00001/downloads">who had so impressed him</a> – later describing Scully as “a pretty appealing young green pea … a boy who had something on the ball.”So Vin Scully, just 22 years old, <a href="https://dodgers.mlblogs.com/on-this-date-70-years-ago-today-vin-scully-joins-the-booth-a66648e399e8">was given the chance of a lifetime</a>, to broadcast the games of the Brooklyn Dodgers, the National League’s most successful team. But this golden opportunity was challenging in ways Scully did not foresee.<h2>Barber takes Scully under his wing</h2>Red Barber, who early in life planned to be a college professor, was a
 tough grader. He demanded a lot of himself, and he held those who 
worked with him to just as high a standard. When Vin first entered the Dodgers broadcast booth, Barber told the 
young man that his job was to do whatever Red and his colleague Connie 
Desmond didn’t want to do. He also made it clear that any Scully errors 
would be corrected on air for all to hear. When Barber saw Scully 
drinking a beer with his pregame sandwich – a common practice at the 
time – <a href="https://ufdc.ufl.edu/AA00067191/00001/downloads">he told Vin he never wanted to see him do it again</a>.Barber was no teetotaler – far from it; leisure hours drinks were 
something he treasured. But he believed a broadcaster should never have a
 drink, even a beer, on the job. Barber reasoned if Scully made an 
error, something inevitable for a broadcaster ad-libbing for hours at a 
time, anyone who saw him sipping the press room brew would conclude that
 alcohol had clouded his performance.One of Red’s broadcasting mantras was <a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Broadcasters/bpFZAAAAMAAJ?hl=en&amp;gbpv=0">pregame preparation</a>.
 So before one game, when Scully told his mentor that a Dodgers’ regular
 would be out of the lineup, Barber demanded to know why. Scully told 
him he had no idea. To Barber, that was unacceptable.Scully quickly realized that he needed to know the “whys”; he had to 
get to the stadium early and spend time talking with managers and 
players, absorbing compelling facts and stories to keep listeners 
engaged during slow stretches of each contest.The delicate bonds that develop between any mentor and mentee, though
 often fruitful, almost always involve some degree of resentment and 
frustration, likely because each member of the pair has so much vested 
in winning the respect and affection of the other. Some of Barber’s 
barbs must have stung. But throughout his career Scully always credited 
Red for instilling in him the discipline and values of a professional 
baseball announcer. <a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/Red_Barber/lWhgEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&amp;gbpv=0">He claimed</a>
 that the greatest virtue of Red as a mentor “was the fact that he 
cared. I wasn’t just another kid in the booth, just another announcer. …
 He made sure that my work habits were good, and he rode me if I drifted
 away from his ideal of the right way to work.”<h2>Scully in the spotlight</h2>In 1953, Barber left the Brooklyn booth after a dispute over his pay. Ahead of that season’s World Series between the Dodgers and the New 
York Yankees, the Series’ sponsor, Gillette, offered Barber only $200 
per game, take it or leave it. Barber left it, and when he did not get 
the support he wanted from Dodgers owner Walter O’Malley, he decided to 
sit out the Series and sign with the Yankees for the following season.Gillette then turned to Scully, asking him if he’d announce the 
Series. Scully called Red seeking his permission. Barber was genuinely 
moved by Scully’s request, given that his permission clearly was not 
needed. All of a sudden, Scully, at the age of 25, was thrust onto the 
national stage. He remains the youngest person to ever call a World 
Series. Two years later, he announced the Brooklyn Dodgers’ only World 
Series win, and in 1958 he moved with the club to Los Angeles, where he 
would call games for the next 59 seasons.<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xCS8jmV0WiE"></iframe>
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Barber and Scully maintained an affectionate dialogue for the remainder of Red’s life.When Barber and Mel Allen were honored by the National Baseball Hall of Fame as the first recipients of the <a href="https://baseballhall.org/discover-more/awards/887">Ford C. Frick Award</a>, presented yearly to a broadcaster for “major contributions to baseball,” <a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/Red_Barber/lWhgEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&amp;gbpv=0">Scully wrote his old teacher</a>,
 “I know as well as anyone alive what a true artist you were behind the 
mike. There is a great deal of you in anything I do well in 
play-by-play, and it will live in me as long as I am working.”<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1992/10/23/obituaries/red-barber-baseball-voice-of-summer-is-dead-at-84.html">When Barber died in 1992</a>, <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=lWhgEAAAQBAJ&amp;pg=PA421&amp;lpg=PA421&amp;dq=%22radio%27s+first+poet%22+vin+scully+reader%27s+digest&amp;source=bl&amp;ots=eKTwjzRZ9i&amp;sig=ACfU3U20PiKT9ghjq_j_phD7Wi3yq3zg8g&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwipi_j9srD5AhXvGFkFHaZ5AIQQ6AF6BAgCEAM#v=onepage&amp;q=%22radio's%20first%20poet%22%20vin%20scully%20reader's%20digest&amp;f=false">Scully penned a tribute</a> in Reader’s Digest, calling him “radio’s first poet … and the most honorable man I ever met.” At Barber’s funeral, Scully <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=lWhgEAAAQBAJ&amp;pg=PA416&amp;lpg=PA416&amp;dq=%22Now+don%E2%80%99t+you+talk+about+me+during+the+game.+These+people+aren%E2%80%99t+tuning+in+to+hear+about+me.+Talk+about+the+game.%22&amp;source=bl&amp;ots=eKTwjyO0aa&amp;sig=ACfU3U0RPFLsb-840mAH9SYnTQ8e10yLOQ&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjBsqDXg7D5AhWthIkEHSHWAt0Q6AF6BAgCEAM#v=onepage&amp;q=%22Now%20don%E2%80%99t%20you%20talk%20about%20me%20during%20the%20game.%20These%20people%20aren%E2%80%99t%20tuning%20in%20to%20hear%20about%20me.%20Talk%20about%20the%20game.%22&amp;f=false">told a reporter</a>
 that he was preparing to announce the fourth game of the World Series 
when he first learned of Red’s death. After absorbing the sad news, he 
began hearing his old mentor chiding him: “Now don’t you talk about me 
during the game. These people aren’t tuning in to hear about me. Talk 
about the game.”James Walker is
 Past Executive Director of the International Association for 
Communication and Sport and Emeritus Professor of Communication at Saint 
Xavier University. Judith R. Hiltner is Emeritus Professor of English at Saint Xavier University.<div><iframe src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/188264/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" width="1" height="1"></iframe></div>