Posted at 8:00am -- 6/14/2010Nebraska Cornhuskers added to the Big Ten Conference!
The dominos are falling and leagues are realigning. Certainly Nebraska’s move will be the first of many possible in the Big Ten conference.
Fun Facts:
Academic Profile:
Chartered in 1869
Association of American Universities Member
Land Grant University
Among U.S. News and World Report top 50 public national universities.
Athletic Profile:
One of the top 40 in the Director’s cup standings almost every year.
Athletic Director: Tom Osborne
Varsity sports: 21 (9 men's -- 12 women's)
Unofficial nickname: Big Red
Colors: Scarlet and Cream
Mascot: Herbie Husker
Fight Song: Dear Old Nebraska U
Our thoughts:
Like about everyone else GBMW believes Nebraska will be a great addition to The Big Ten Conference, whether the conference ends up with Twelve, Fourteen, or Sixteen teams.
Nebraska not only brings a rich tradition of winning football, the football program has some super rabid fans that travel well to games (upwards of 30,000 for big games), similar to how Ohio State fans travel.
Those of us old enough to remember still have visions of Johnny Rodgers winning the Heisman, with big corn fed offensive linemen like Dave Remmington leading Nebraska to two NCAA championships. For decades, a bad year at Nebraska was losing 3 games.
As recently as 1997, Nebraska was in the National Title hunt, as many people remember Nebraska and Michigan shared the National Championship that year in football.
Cornhusker fans bleed Scarlet and Cream every bit as much as we Michigan fans bleed Maize and blue.
Nebraska will provide a natural rival for Iowa and hopefully be a featured format for Michigan in the television markets in America’s heartland.
The Nebraska program is on the rise with Bo Pelini in charge of the football program, a coach we really like who may just be itching to make an impression, being from Ohio and attending Ohio State. This might make a becoming a good rival for both Nebraska and Ohio State. This will be one more team that everyone in the Big Ten will have to worry about.
In other sports at Nebraska:
Twenty-one varsity teams (9 men's teams; 12 women's teams)
Fourteen different sports (Football, Basketball, Baseball, Softball, Cross Country, Golf, Gymnastics, Tennis, Track/Field, Wrestling, Volleyball, Soccer, Bowling, Rifle, Swimming/Diving)
Twenty-three National Championships in five sports:
o Football (5): 1970, 1971, 1994, 1995, 1997
o Volleyball (3): 1995, 2000, 2006
o Men's Gymnastics (8): 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1988, 1990, 1994
o Bowling (5): 1999 [IBC], 2000 [IBC], 2004 [NCAA], 2005 [NCAA], 2009 [NCAA]
o Women's Track & Field (3): 1982 [AIAW], 1983 [NCAA], 1984 [NCAA]
Football Success:
o Won 41 MVIAA/Big Eight championships, including 30 outright
o Won two Big 12 Championships and won Big 12 North Division championship six times
Conference Success:
o Other sports have combined to win over 120 conference championships
Three Heisman Trophy Winners:
o Johnny Rodgers - 1972 (Two National Championships - 1970, 1971)
o Mike Rozier - 1983
o Eric Crouch - 2001
Other Notable Athletes:
o Darin Erstad, outfielder/first base - first player in Major League Baseball history to win Gold Glove awards for both infield and outfield positions
o Tommie Frazier, quarterback - Won two National Championships (1994, 1995)
o Sarah Pavan, right-side hitter, volleyball - Honda-Broderick Cup winner in 2007 - Nation's Top Female Student Athlete
o Ndamukong Suh, defensive tackle - 1st-Round, 2nd overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft (Detroit Lions)
Notable Coaches:
o Tom Osborne, Football (1973-1997)
+ Three National Championships (1994, 1995, 1997)
+ Led team to 17 consecutive major bowl games
+ 1999 College Football Hall of Fame inductee
o Bob Devaney, Football (1962-1972)
+ Two National Championships (1970, 1971)
+ 1981 College Football Hall of Fame inductee
o John Cook, Women's Volleyball
+ Two NCAA Championships (2000, 2006)
+ NCAA Runner-up (2005)
+ Five Final Four Appearances since 2000
In conclusion, Nebraska is a great first piece of the Big Ten expansion puzzle, which we believe when all is said and done will increase to the new mega conference standard of sixteen teams!
Written by GBMW Staff
Go Blue -- Wear Maize!
3 comments:
So when do they get scheduled for sports ie, football schedule.
2011
Nebraska was in the national title hunt later than just 1997. They lost in the BCS championship in 2001 to Miami. The year Eric Crouch won the heisman.
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