by Tom Cudd 0 comments

Football has recently had much press about the head injuries in players during their playing days and afterwards.  The medical concerns are very important to consider in the future of football.  But there is another much grayer area that the recent attacks on football have lived in.  Is the student-athlete being exploited by universities making millions of dollars in television deals, licensing, and ticket sales?  And other than the schools making a profit from the football programs, what value do the programs bring to the school? Continue →

by Steve Hanway 6 comments

Despite having three candidates in line to be elected to the College Football Hall of Fame, none of the three Nebraska candidates were enshrined.  In some cases, it appeared that professional football success trumped college football success.  Unless voters think the Liberty Bowl ought to trump the national championship game.  Continue →

by Steve Hanway 0 comments

We know three things about today's College Football Hall of Fame class. Ty Detmer will be announced as part of it and linebackers Brian Bosworth and Rod Shoate will not. The fate of former Husker greats Trev Alberts, Eric Crouch, and Tommie Frazier will be unknown until 11:30 ET today. It's not clear from press releases, whether it is thirteen or fourteen additional players being selected along with Detmer, though the previous reports would suggest the latter. In addition, three coaches will be selected. Continue →

by Steve Hanway 8 comments

These days, it can be hard to keep track of which schools are in which conference. The Big 12 is set to lose Texas A&M and Missouri to the SEC this year, after losing Nebraska to the Big Ten and Colorado to the Pac-12 a year ago. TCU and West Virginia are set to begin playing in the Big 12 in July of this year, which will keep the Big 12 at ten teams. That's short of the number required to play a conference championship game. With members of the ACC silently fuming over their recent TV deal, it's now possible that the Big 12 could add Florida State and Miami to their league. That's a more desirable tandem from a football perspective than the tandem of Cincinnati and Louisville, that's been thrown around. But how likely is it to happen and does it make sense for the teams involved? Continue →

by Tom Cudd 8 comments

On many occasions, Bo Pelini discusses football in terms of attacking and being aggressive on the field.  But as to threats against football off the field, he cannot defend against those as easily.  A quick glance at sports sections would reveal a number of popular topics that threaten the football status quo, both professional and collegiate.  The medical issues do merit the most concern and are valid, but other areas are attacks against the institution of football in general. Continue →

by Steve Hanway 5 comments

We at the Big Red Network didn't expect to be writing so much about NU basketball, but then it's been a while since there's been this much to write about. In the past week or so, we've seen ESPN weighing in that Tim Miles is one of the best hires nationally, we've see the Huskers land a 7'1" player for next year, and we've learned a little more about how Miles has turned up the heat on conditioning. Continue →

by Steve Hanway 0 comments

Say what you will about former Nebraska (and current Texas A&M) Athletic Director Bill Byrne, but there are a few things that are inarguable. Byrne inherited a program at Nebraska that was in the red financially. He made some moves that were unpopular with fans (earning him the nickname "Dollar Bill"), but left the program in much better financial shape than he found it. Certainly, he had the benefit of good timing. He arrived in 1992, just as Tom Osborne's unprecedented five year run of 60 wins, four national championship game appearances, and 3 national titles was about to happen. In addition, NU won five national championships in other sports and a total of 82 conference championships (both Big 8 and Big 12) in his time at the school. Continue →

by Steve Hanway 4 comments

So much for all that talk about Nebraska no longer being able to recruit in the state of Texas after leaving the Big 12. Last year the Huskers signed two players from the state. And now the sixth commitment for the class of 2013 also comes from Texas. Christian Lacouture, a four-star defensive end prospect (per Scout.com) from College Station, committed to NU over the weekend. Continue →

by Steve Hanway 5 comments

Whether your first exposure to "moneyball" was watching Brad Pitt or if you'd followed the improbable run of the Oakland A's a decade ago, chances are you've had some exposure to the concept. The idea is to figure out what other teams overlook to gain an advantage on the field. College football players aren't paid salaries (insert SEC joke here), so there may be some question as to how it could be useful in the sport. But already there are coaches starting to apply this kind of outside of the box thinking to gain an edge on the competition. Continue →

by Tom Cudd 5 comments

Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany is again talking about possible 4 team playoff scenarios.  His latest suggestion is that the top four ranked conference champions in the top six qualify for the playoff, or if less than 4, it's filled out by the highest ranked non-champion or independent.  Last year would have had LSU v. Oregon and Alabama v. Oklahoma State.  But others are worried about the complications already. Continue →

by Steve Hanway 4 comments

The Omaha World-Herald's Sam McKewon recently shared some predictions for Husker players in the 2013 NFL draft.  It doesn't make 2013 look like a banner draft year for Nebraska. It raises the question, if NU is lacking high draft picks, what might that suggest about the prospects for the 2012 season. Continue →