UNO Maverick Athletics

[Coyote]

Omaha Hosts Oklahoma State For Season Opener

The Mavericks open the 2022 regular season slate on Thursday, Aug. 18 with Oklahoma State. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Caniglia Field. Both team's earned wins in the exhibition matches. Omaha took a 1-0 win vs. Drake and played to a 0-0 draw with Nebraska. Oklahoma State beat Central Oklahoma, 3-0.

[Coyote]

Durango Days kicks off 2022-2023 school year


Between Convocation, Durango Days and everything inbetween, UNO students, staff and faculty are welcomed to campus for the fall semester.

[Coyote]

Mavericks Stun the Shockers with OT Victory in Home Opener

In their first home game of the 2022-23 season, the Mavericks pulled off a huge, come-from-behind overtime victory over Wichita State as they won 72-67 in one of their biggest non-conference wins in the program's Division I history. Both Omaha and Wichita State are now 1-1 to start their seasons.
Next Up
The Mavericks will continue their home stand with four home matches in a row, starting with Weber State this Wednesday at 5 p.m.

[Coyote]

Omaha Athletics Mourns the Passing of Hockey Titan and Assistant Coach Paul Jerrard

The Omaha Mavericks are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Hockey assistant coach, Paul Jerrard. He was 57.

"It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of assistant coach, Paul Jerrard. Paul had been quietly fighting a long-term battle with cancer. Our program will be forever indebted to PJ for his countless positive impact," Omaha hockey Head Coach Mike Gabinet said. "PJ attacked each day with a team first attitude, vibrant enthusiasm, and an unmatched willingness to help grow and develop our young men. Knowing PJ first as my coach in pro hockey, and now having had the chance to work alongside him each day, I am beyond grateful for the lessons he shared and the loyal friendship we forged.

[Coyote]

Meyer becomes Omaha’s new all-time strikeout leader

On the first batter of the game, Mavericks ace Kamryn Meyer tossed her 699th career strikeout to Western Illinois’ Georgia Rea to become Omaha’s new all-time leading strikeout leader. Former strikeout leader Cheris Kuster was on hand to congratulate Meyer and take the record-breaking ball back to the dugout. Meyer, now in her senior season, immediately struck out the next batter to eclipse 700 strikeouts.

Omaha went on to win the first game of their Saturday double-header 9-1, as well as the second game, 5-2.

[Coyote]

Former UNO athletic director leaving sports

VERMILLION, S.D. -- Former UNO athletic director David Herbster is leaving his current position as the South Dakota AD. Herbster announced this week that he is getting out of sports to join the community relations team for Sanford Health. Herbster has served as USD's athletic director for the past decade. Prior to that, he spent three years at UNO while the Mavericks were still in Division II in most sports. During his time in Omaha, Herbster's UNO teams won three national championships and 14 conference crowns.

[Coyote]

UNO honors 2011 national champion wrestling team



UNO honored its 2011 national champion wrestling team on Oct. 14. The program was infamously cut in 2011 after winning a third national title in a row.

[Coyote]

An Evening with Coach Mike Denney at UNO



Mike Sautter speaks with Coach Mike Denney at UNO's special event honoring wrestling in the Omaha community. They touch on his storied coaching career to the life lessons he's gained through his coaching career

Dual Triumphs: A Journey with Two-Time All-American Jimmy Foster at UNO



Mike Sautter and Chuck Mulligan are joined by two-time All-American and wrestling coach Jimmy Foster to dive into the importance of the event that UNO held honoring wrestling in the Omaha community

[omaha79]

So, in the past year, UNO has sent 4 teams to the NCAA Tournament. This includes Women's Soccer in the 2022 athletic season along with Men's Soccer, Softball, and Volleyball this year.

I can't help but sit back and appreciate how far the program has come since the dark days of D-II and early days of D-I. On other message boards, I used to catch heat saying that the athletic department and fanbase were a hockey program that, at best, tolerated the existence of the other sports. I do feel that has changed.

This feels like an actual athletic department now and hockey is no longer the first and only priority while everyone else is fighting for scraps. I applaud what Trev Alberts built the last decade and what Adrian Dowell has seemingly continued. There really has been recent success across the board, outside of men's basketball in the last few years. Hockey is always in the mix and has a recent 2021 NCAA Tournament berth, baseball went to NCAA's in 2019, men's soccer has a string of appearances in 2017, 2020, and 2023.

I make sure to point all of this out anytime "football and wrestling guy" comes out from under a rock and starts chirping even after more than a decade. D-I has really been a success for UNO in every tangible way.

[Greg S]

So, in the past year, UNO has sent 4 teams to the NCAA Tournament. This includes Women's Soccer in the 2022 athletic season along with Men's Soccer, Softball, and Volleyball this year.

I can't help but sit back and appreciate how far the program has come since the dark days of D-II and early days of D-I. On other message boards, I used to catch heat saying that the athletic department and fanbase were a hockey program that, at best, tolerated the existence of the other sports. I do feel that has changed.

This feels like an actual athletic department now and hockey is no longer the first and only priority while everyone else is fighting for scraps. I applaud what Trev Alberts built the last decade and what Adrian Dowell has seemingly continued. There really has been recent success across the board, outside of men's basketball in the last few years. Hockey is always in the mix and has a recent 2021 NCAA Tournament berth, baseball went to NCAA's in 2019, men's soccer has a string of appearances in 2017, 2020, and 2023.

I make sure to point all of this out anytime "football and wrestling guy" comes out from under a rock and starts chirping even after more than a decade. D-I has really been a success for UNO in every tangible way.

I think the one way it hasn't been as successful as hoped is financially, as we learned in the last few weeks. Hopefully going forward they will eventually be more stable in that regard, but not there yet.

[Louie]

So, in the past year, UNO has sent 4 teams to the NCAA Tournament. This includes Women's Soccer in the 2022 athletic season along with Men's Soccer, Softball, and Volleyball this year.

I can't help but sit back and appreciate how far the program has come since the dark days of D-II and early days of D-I. On other message boards, I used to catch heat saying that the athletic department and fanbase were a hockey program that, at best, tolerated the existence of the other sports. I do feel that has changed.

This feels like an actual athletic department now and hockey is no longer the first and only priority while everyone else is fighting for scraps. I applaud what Trev Alberts built the last decade and what Adrian Dowell has seemingly continued. There really has been recent success across the board, outside of men's basketball in the last few years. Hockey is always in the mix and has a recent 2021 NCAA Tournament berth, baseball went to NCAA's in 2019, men's soccer has a string of appearances in 2017, 2020, and 2023.

I make sure to point all of this out anytime "football and wrestling guy" comes out from under a rock and starts chirping even after more than a decade. D-I has really been a success for UNO in every tangible way.

I think the one way it hasn't been as successful as hoped is financially, as we learned in the last few weeks. Hopefully going forward they will eventually be more stable in that regard, but not there yet.

I glanced through the report, but didn't see any specifics. I assume higher event attendance and the money from that would be the goal to reverse this?

[omaha79]

So, in the past year, UNO has sent 4 teams to the NCAA Tournament. This includes Women's Soccer in the 2022 athletic season along with Men's Soccer, Softball, and Volleyball this year.

I can't help but sit back and appreciate how far the program has come since the dark days of D-II and early days of D-I. On other message boards, I used to catch heat saying that the athletic department and fanbase were a hockey program that, at best, tolerated the existence of the other sports. I do feel that has changed.

This feels like an actual athletic department now and hockey is no longer the first and only priority while everyone else is fighting for scraps. I applaud what Trev Alberts built the last decade and what Adrian Dowell has seemingly continued. There really has been recent success across the board, outside of men's basketball in the last few years. Hockey is always in the mix and has a recent 2021 NCAA Tournament berth, baseball went to NCAA's in 2019, men's soccer has a string of appearances in 2017, 2020, and 2023.

I make sure to point all of this out anytime "football and wrestling guy" comes out from under a rock and starts chirping even after more than a decade. D-I has really been a success for UNO in every tangible way.

I think the one way it hasn't been as successful as hoped is financially, as we learned in the last few weeks. Hopefully going forward they will eventually be more stable in that regard, but not there yet.

Very few athletics programs are self sustaining. Not really the measuring stick of success.

[Greg S]

So, in the past year, UNO has sent 4 teams to the NCAA Tournament. This includes Women's Soccer in the 2022 athletic season along with Men's Soccer, Softball, and Volleyball this year.

I can't help but sit back and appreciate how far the program has come since the dark days of D-II and early days of D-I. On other message boards, I used to catch heat saying that the athletic department and fanbase were a hockey program that, at best, tolerated the existence of the other sports. I do feel that has changed.

This feels like an actual athletic department now and hockey is no longer the first and only priority while everyone else is fighting for scraps. I applaud what Trev Alberts built the last decade and what Adrian Dowell has seemingly continued. There really has been recent success across the board, outside of men's basketball in the last few years. Hockey is always in the mix and has a recent 2021 NCAA Tournament berth, baseball went to NCAA's in 2019, men's soccer has a string of appearances in 2017, 2020, and 2023.

I make sure to point all of this out anytime "football and wrestling guy" comes out from under a rock and starts chirping even after more than a decade. D-I has really been a success for UNO in every tangible way.

I think the one way it hasn't been as successful as hoped is financially, as we learned in the last few weeks. Hopefully going forward they will eventually be more stable in that regard, but not there yet.

Very few athletics programs are self sustaining. Not really the measuring stick of success.

Not saying they have to be fully self sustaining, but they obviously need to be less reliant on these unplanned cash infusions. The move to D1 was supposed to provide some relief from that and as we have learned, so far it has not.

[omaha79]

So, in the past year, UNO has sent 4 teams to the NCAA Tournament. This includes Women's Soccer in the 2022 athletic season along with Men's Soccer, Softball, and Volleyball this year.

I can't help but sit back and appreciate how far the program has come since the dark days of D-II and early days of D-I. On other message boards, I used to catch heat saying that the athletic department and fanbase were a hockey program that, at best, tolerated the existence of the other sports. I do feel that has changed.

This feels like an actual athletic department now and hockey is no longer the first and only priority while everyone else is fighting for scraps. I applaud what Trev Alberts built the last decade and what Adrian Dowell has seemingly continued. There really has been recent success across the board, outside of men's basketball in the last few years. Hockey is always in the mix and has a recent 2021 NCAA Tournament berth, baseball went to NCAA's in 2019, men's soccer has a string of appearances in 2017, 2020, and 2023.

I make sure to point all of this out anytime "football and wrestling guy" comes out from under a rock and starts chirping even after more than a decade. D-I has really been a success for UNO in every tangible way.

I think the one way it hasn't been as successful as hoped is financially, as we learned in the last few weeks. Hopefully going forward they will eventually be more stable in that regard, but not there yet.

Very few athletics programs are self sustaining. Not really the measuring stick of success.

Not saying they have to be fully self sustaining, but they obviously need to be less reliant on these unplanned cash infusions. The move to D1 was supposed to provide some relief from that and as we have learned, so far it has not.

UNO athletics have always suffered from budgetary issues and even poor to negligent accounting. This is not a quick fix but we are light years beyond the buck belck days. This is also essentially a separate issue from the d1 move and more about systemic university problems. D1 has at least upped the profile of athletics and the university and made fixing the back end issues at least feasible with more community interest and facilities they control.

[Greg S]

So, in the past year, UNO has sent 4 teams to the NCAA Tournament. This includes Women's Soccer in the 2022 athletic season along with Men's Soccer, Softball, and Volleyball this year.

I can't help but sit back and appreciate how far the program has come since the dark days of D-II and early days of D-I. On other message boards, I used to catch heat saying that the athletic department and fanbase were a hockey program that, at best, tolerated the existence of the other sports. I do feel that has changed.

This feels like an actual athletic department now and hockey is no longer the first and only priority while everyone else is fighting for scraps. I applaud what Trev Alberts built the last decade and what Adrian Dowell has seemingly continued. There really has been recent success across the board, outside of men's basketball in the last few years. Hockey is always in the mix and has a recent 2021 NCAA Tournament berth, baseball went to NCAA's in 2019, men's soccer has a string of appearances in 2017, 2020, and 2023.

I make sure to point all of this out anytime "football and wrestling guy" comes out from under a rock and starts chirping even after more than a decade. D-I has really been a success for UNO in every tangible way.

I think the one way it hasn't been as successful as hoped is financially, as we learned in the last few weeks. Hopefully going forward they will eventually be more stable in that regard, but not there yet.

Very few athletics programs are self sustaining. Not really the measuring stick of success.

Not saying they have to be fully self sustaining, but they obviously need to be less reliant on these unplanned cash infusions. The move to D1 was supposed to provide some relief from that and as we have learned, so far it has not.

UNO athletics have always suffered from budgetary issues and even poor to negligent accounting. This is not a quick fix but we are light years beyond the buck belck days. This is also essentially a separate issue from the d1 move and more about systemic university problems. D1 has at least upped the profile of athletics and the university and made fixing the back end issues at least feasible with more community interest and facilities they control.

I agree the move to D1 was in the best interest of UNO (although it was handled poorly at the time). They did tout it as to helping the budgetary woes and so far that has proven not to be the case. It will be interesting to see how they attempt to stabilize it going forward.

I have UNO hockey season tickets. Have been a fan since day 1 of the program. There's been some talk recently on the Mavpuck facebook group about certain aspects. One is concession prices have dramatically jumped. Sounds like popcorn there is several dollars cheaper than CHI. Beer and alcohol has really gone up too. They've also offered parking for $500 a season in the prime lot. Which to me is crazy considering the free parking in the garages at Ak Sar Ben. They also went from letting you spread your season tickets from 9 payments to only 3. You also don't get a credit anymore when they don't qualify for home ice in the first round of the playoffs (which has been extremely rare lately).

I really debated renewing my season tickets this year since my son that goes with me is now at KU for college. If they make anymore negative changes or price increases, I might not renew for next season.

Greg

[omaha79]

So, in the past year, UNO has sent 4 teams to the NCAA Tournament. This includes Women's Soccer in the 2022 athletic season along with Men's Soccer, Softball, and Volleyball this year.

I can't help but sit back and appreciate how far the program has come since the dark days of D-II and early days of D-I. On other message boards, I used to catch heat saying that the athletic department and fanbase were a hockey program that, at best, tolerated the existence of the other sports. I do feel that has changed.

This feels like an actual athletic department now and hockey is no longer the first and only priority while everyone else is fighting for scraps. I applaud what Trev Alberts built the last decade and what Adrian Dowell has seemingly continued. There really has been recent success across the board, outside of men's basketball in the last few years. Hockey is always in the mix and has a recent 2021 NCAA Tournament berth, baseball went to NCAA's in 2019, men's soccer has a string of appearances in 2017, 2020, and 2023.

I make sure to point all of this out anytime "football and wrestling guy" comes out from under a rock and starts chirping even after more than a decade. D-I has really been a success for UNO in every tangible way.

I think the one way it hasn't been as successful as hoped is financially, as we learned in the last few weeks. Hopefully going forward they will eventually be more stable in that regard, but not there yet.

Very few athletics programs are self sustaining. Not really the measuring stick of success.

Not saying they have to be fully self sustaining, but they obviously need to be less reliant on these unplanned cash infusions. The move to D1 was supposed to provide some relief from that and as we have learned, so far it has not.

UNO athletics have always suffered from budgetary issues and even poor to negligent accounting. This is not a quick fix but we are light years beyond the buck belck days. This is also essentially a separate issue from the d1 move and more about systemic university problems. D1 has at least upped the profile of athletics and the university and made fixing the back end issues at least feasible with more community interest and facilities they control.

I agree the move to D1 was in the best interest of UNO (although it was handled poorly at the time). They did tout it as to helping the budgetary woes and so far that has proven not to be the case. It will be interesting to see how they attempt to stabilize it going forward.

I have UNO hockey season tickets. Have been a fan since day 1 of the program. There's been some talk recently on the Mavpuck facebook group about certain aspects. One is concession prices have dramatically jumped. Sounds like popcorn there is several dollars cheaper than CHI. Beer and alcohol has really gone up too. They've also offered parking for $500 a season in the prime lot. Which to me is crazy considering the free parking in the garages at Ak Sar Ben. They also went from letting you spread your season tickets from 9 payments to only 3. You also don't get a credit anymore when they don't qualify for home ice in the first round of the playoffs (which has been extremely rare lately).

I really debated renewing my season tickets this year since my son that goes with me is now at KU for college. If they make anymore negative changes or price increases, I might not renew for next season.

Greg

I can't disagree with anything you've said here honestly. Some of the pricing and ticket choices have been...peculiar. Some of it feels like they are trying to throw certain ideas at the wall to see what sticks, but there isn't clarity to the fanbase in the process.

Without being on the inside, this feels like a concerted plan between Adrian Dowell and Mike West. This is certainly straight out of the Mike West playbook. Back in the late 90's through early 00's, he took CU athletics, which was floundering without much of a fanbase and decided he was going to make it an event. I remember ticket deals were plentiful. There were giveaways all around the city. Going to a catholic high school around that time, you could often get CU basketball tickets for free. They prioritized a full house over profit on tickets in the short term, and that seems to be what UNO is doing here. I'm seeing two for one deals on hockey almost every weekend. They are getting big crowds and the atmosphere is better than at any point in the Baxter Arena era.

But, they are making it a weird balancing act. I noticed all of the concessions went up $2-$3 this year. There was almost nothing I was willing to spend money on concession wise as most items were falling in the $10-$12 range and beer was insane at $9 a can. That's pro sports prices and just not what UNO has typically offered.

You are right. I can't see premier parking being a winner due to the abundance of parking at Ak village. They'd be better off charging $5 per car for general parking for those that can't make that walk. And, the idea of not getting a credit on unplayed NCHC games is insane. They are just pocketing that money. There is little incentive to be a season ticket holder either if you are seeing BOGO and $10 ticket deals every weekend. Full disclosure, we dropped our tickets a few years ago.

Same time, I'm seeing the same lack of clarity on other sports. Basketball dropped the $5 tickets, it seems, but the schedule is full of schools like York, Doane, Bellevue, etc. I have no interest in going to those for $12 a game. $5 seems right. Baseball was charging something like $12 or $15 a game last year for single game tickets, which is well beyond what the market charges for things like Storm Chasers.

they need to figure this out. Do you have any other insight on any of the problems people are seeing?

[Greg S]

Not saying they have to be fully self sustaining, but they obviously need to be less reliant on these unplanned cash infusions. The move to D1 was supposed to provide some relief from that and as we have learned, so far it has not.

UNO athletics have always suffered from budgetary issues and even poor to negligent accounting. This is not a quick fix but we are light years beyond the buck belck days. This is also essentially a separate issue from the d1 move and more about systemic university problems. D1 has at least upped the profile of athletics and the university and made fixing the back end issues at least feasible with more community interest and facilities they control.

I agree the move to D1 was in the best interest of UNO (although it was handled poorly at the time). They did tout it as to helping the budgetary woes and so far that has proven not to be the case. It will be interesting to see how they attempt to stabilize it going forward.

I have UNO hockey season tickets. Have been a fan since day 1 of the program. There's been some talk recently on the Mavpuck facebook group about certain aspects. One is concession prices have dramatically jumped. Sounds like popcorn there is several dollars cheaper than CHI. Beer and alcohol has really gone up too. They've also offered parking for $500 a season in the prime lot. Which to me is crazy considering the free parking in the garages at Ak Sar Ben. They also went from letting you spread your season tickets from 9 payments to only 3. You also don't get a credit anymore when they don't qualify for home ice in the first round of the playoffs (which has been extremely rare lately).

I really debated renewing my season tickets this year since my son that goes with me is now at KU for college. If they make anymore negative changes or price increases, I might not renew for next season.

Greg

I can't disagree with anything you've said here honestly. Some of the pricing and ticket choices have been...peculiar. Some of it feels like they are trying to throw certain ideas at the wall to see what sticks, but there isn't clarity to the fanbase in the process.

Without being on the inside, this feels like a concerted plan between Adrian Dowell and Mike West. This is certainly straight out of the Mike West playbook. Back in the late 90's through early 00's, he took CU athletics, which was floundering without much of a fanbase and decided he was going to make it an event. I remember ticket deals were plentiful. There were giveaways all around the city. Going to a catholic high school around that time, you could often get CU basketball tickets for free. They prioritized a full house over profit on tickets in the short term, and that seems to be what UNO is doing here. I'm seeing two for one deals on hockey almost every weekend. They are getting big crowds and the atmosphere is better than at any point in the Baxter Arena era.

But, they are making it a weird balancing act. I noticed all of the concessions went up $2-$3 this year. There was almost nothing I was willing to spend money on concession wise as most items were falling in the $10-$12 range and beer was insane at $9 a can. That's pro sports prices and just not what UNO has typically offered.

You are right. I can't see premier parking being a winner due to the abundance of parking at Ak village. They'd be better off charging $5 per car for general parking for those that can't make that walk. And, the idea of not getting a credit on unplayed NCHC games is insane. They are just pocketing that money. There is little incentive to be a season ticket holder either if you are seeing BOGO and $10 ticket deals every weekend. Full disclosure, we dropped our tickets a few years ago.

Same time, I'm seeing the same lack of clarity on other sports. Basketball dropped the $5 tickets, it seems, but the schedule is full of schools like York, Doane, Bellevue, etc. I have no interest in going to those for $12 a game. $5 seems right. Baseball was charging something like $12 or $15 a game last year for single game tickets, which is well beyond what the market charges for things like Storm Chasers.

they need to figure this out. Do you have any other insight on any of the problems people are seeing?

Not off the top of my head but if I come across anything will post here.

[omaha79]

UNO athletics have always suffered from budgetary issues and even poor to negligent accounting. This is not a quick fix but we are light years beyond the buck belck days. This is also essentially a separate issue from the d1 move and more about systemic university problems. D1 has at least upped the profile of athletics and the university and made fixing the back end issues at least feasible with more community interest and facilities they control.

I agree the move to D1 was in the best interest of UNO (although it was handled poorly at the time). They did tout it as to helping the budgetary woes and so far that has proven not to be the case. It will be interesting to see how they attempt to stabilize it going forward.

I have UNO hockey season tickets. Have been a fan since day 1 of the program. There's been some talk recently on the Mavpuck facebook group about certain aspects. One is concession prices have dramatically jumped. Sounds like popcorn there is several dollars cheaper than CHI. Beer and alcohol has really gone up too. They've also offered parking for $500 a season in the prime lot. Which to me is crazy considering the free parking in the garages at Ak Sar Ben. They also went from letting you spread your season tickets from 9 payments to only 3. You also don't get a credit anymore when they don't qualify for home ice in the first round of the playoffs (which has been extremely rare lately).

I really debated renewing my season tickets this year since my son that goes with me is now at KU for college. If they make anymore negative changes or price increases, I might not renew for next season.

Greg

I can't disagree with anything you've said here honestly. Some of the pricing and ticket choices have been...peculiar. Some of it feels like they are trying to throw certain ideas at the wall to see what sticks, but there isn't clarity to the fanbase in the process.

Without being on the inside, this feels like a concerted plan between Adrian Dowell and Mike West. This is certainly straight out of the Mike West playbook. Back in the late 90's through early 00's, he took CU athletics, which was floundering without much of a fanbase and decided he was going to make it an event. I remember ticket deals were plentiful. There were giveaways all around the city. Going to a catholic high school around that time, you could often get CU basketball tickets for free. They prioritized a full house over profit on tickets in the short term, and that seems to be what UNO is doing here. I'm seeing two for one deals on hockey almost every weekend. They are getting big crowds and the atmosphere is better than at any point in the Baxter Arena era.

But, they are making it a weird balancing act. I noticed all of the concessions went up $2-$3 this year. There was almost nothing I was willing to spend money on concession wise as most items were falling in the $10-$12 range and beer was insane at $9 a can. That's pro sports prices and just not what UNO has typically offered.

You are right. I can't see premier parking being a winner due to the abundance of parking at Ak village. They'd be better off charging $5 per car for general parking for those that can't make that walk. And, the idea of not getting a credit on unplayed NCHC games is insane. They are just pocketing that money. There is little incentive to be a season ticket holder either if you are seeing BOGO and $10 ticket deals every weekend. Full disclosure, we dropped our tickets a few years ago.

Same time, I'm seeing the same lack of clarity on other sports. Basketball dropped the $5 tickets, it seems, but the schedule is full of schools like York, Doane, Bellevue, etc. I have no interest in going to those for $12 a game. $5 seems right. Baseball was charging something like $12 or $15 a game last year for single game tickets, which is well beyond what the market charges for things like Storm Chasers.

they need to figure this out. Do you have any other insight on any of the problems people are seeing?

Not off the top of my head but if I come across anything will post here.

I've gotten another BOGO email for hockey today. I'm loving it and it's making it affordable to go. I also get the idea of wanting to grow the fanbase and make hockey the event it was in the Civic days. same time, I just shake my head and think what would be the motivation to be a season ticket holder right now? I've had season tickets sporadically from the Civic days as a student, to a couple years with Qwest, and then a few years with the opening of Baxter. There were never enough STH perks to overcome walk up Bogos. Unless you really love your seats and the people around you, I can't see buying season tickets at this moment in time.

[Greg S]

UNO athletics have always suffered from budgetary issues and even poor to negligent accounting. This is not a quick fix but we are light years beyond the buck belck days. This is also essentially a separate issue from the d1 move and more about systemic university problems. D1 has at least upped the profile of athletics and the university and made fixing the back end issues at least feasible with more community interest and facilities they control.

I agree the move to D1 was in the best interest of UNO (although it was handled poorly at the time). They did tout it as to helping the budgetary woes and so far that has proven not to be the case. It will be interesting to see how they attempt to stabilize it going forward.

I have UNO hockey season tickets. Have been a fan since day 1 of the program. There's been some talk recently on the Mavpuck facebook group about certain aspects. One is concession prices have dramatically jumped. Sounds like popcorn there is several dollars cheaper than CHI. Beer and alcohol has really gone up too. They've also offered parking for $500 a season in the prime lot. Which to me is crazy considering the free parking in the garages at Ak Sar Ben. They also went from letting you spread your season tickets from 9 payments to only 3. You also don't get a credit anymore when they don't qualify for home ice in the first round of the playoffs (which has been extremely rare lately).

I really debated renewing my season tickets this year since my son that goes with me is now at KU for college. If they make anymore negative changes or price increases, I might not renew for next season.

Greg

I can't disagree with anything you've said here honestly. Some of the pricing and ticket choices have been...peculiar. Some of it feels like they are trying to throw certain ideas at the wall to see what sticks, but there isn't clarity to the fanbase in the process.

Without being on the inside, this feels like a concerted plan between Adrian Dowell and Mike West. This is certainly straight out of the Mike West playbook. Back in the late 90's through early 00's, he took CU athletics, which was floundering without much of a fanbase and decided he was going to make it an event. I remember ticket deals were plentiful. There were giveaways all around the city. Going to a catholic high school around that time, you could often get CU basketball tickets for free. They prioritized a full house over profit on tickets in the short term, and that seems to be what UNO is doing here. I'm seeing two for one deals on hockey almost every weekend. They are getting big crowds and the atmosphere is better than at any point in the Baxter Arena era.

But, they are making it a weird balancing act. I noticed all of the concessions went up $2-$3 this year. There was almost nothing I was willing to spend money on concession wise as most items were falling in the $10-$12 range and beer was insane at $9 a can. That's pro sports prices and just not what UNO has typically offered.

You are right. I can't see premier parking being a winner due to the abundance of parking at Ak village. They'd be better off charging $5 per car for general parking for those that can't make that walk. And, the idea of not getting a credit on unplayed NCHC games is insane. They are just pocketing that money. There is little incentive to be a season ticket holder either if you are seeing BOGO and $10 ticket deals every weekend. Full disclosure, we dropped our tickets a few years ago.

Same time, I'm seeing the same lack of clarity on other sports. Basketball dropped the $5 tickets, it seems, but the schedule is full of schools like York, Doane, Bellevue, etc. I have no interest in going to those for $12 a game. $5 seems right. Baseball was charging something like $12 or $15 a game last year for single game tickets, which is well beyond what the market charges for things like Storm Chasers.

they need to figure this out. Do you have any other insight on any of the problems people are seeing?

Not off the top of my head but if I come across anything will post here.

I've gotten another BOGO email for hockey today. I'm loving it and it's making it affordable to go. I also get the idea of wanting to grow the fanbase and make hockey the event it was in the Civic days. same time, I just shake my head and think what would be the motivation to be a season ticket holder right now? I've had season tickets sporadically from the Civic days as a student, to a couple years with Qwest, and then a few years with the opening of Baxter. There were never enough STH perks to overcome walk up Bogos. Unless you really love your seats and the people around you, I can't see buying season tickets at this moment in time.

Yep, I saw the Omaha Hockey Club is posting codes for BOGO's next weekend. As a season ticket holder it's making it harder and harder to justify renewing next year.

[Coyote]

UNO Athletic Hall of Fame Adds Five Inductees to 2023 Class

Omaha Athletics will welcome five inductees into the UNO Athletics Hall of Fame class of 2023. This year's inductees include Baseball alum, Bruce Benedict, Football alum, Danny Fulton, Hockey Alum Greg Zanon, Track and Field Alum, Sandy Derby Higdon and former Omaha Volleyball coach Janice Kruger. The induction will be held on Thursday, Nov. 30, at the UNO Alumni Association's Night of Honor.

BRUCE BENEDICT

DANNY FULTON

GREG ZANON

SANDY DERBY-HIGDON

JANICE KRUGER

[SkyWarrior55]

Good clip that popped up on YouTube a few days ago. Thoughts?

[Greg S]

Mike Kemp is retiring:

[Greg S]

[Brad]

What a great career in Omaha!

Many highlights marked the history of Maverick hockey under Kemp's direction. The 2000-01 team posted 24 wins, the most in a single season in UNO hockey history and a record that still stands today. The 17-5-0 home record that the team achieved is also the best home record in program history. The team ended the season ranked 13th in the nation, one spot from a berth in the NCAA Tournament. In 2003, the program closed out its six-year run at the Omaha Civic Auditorium having sold out 131 consecutive games at 8,314 people per game. In 2005-06 - the Mavericks ninth season - the team made its initial appearance in the NCAA Tournament which, at the time, was the fastest a team had qualified for the NCAA Tournament from program inception.

[Coyote]

Mike Kemp is retiring:

Omaha Hockey Hall of Fame Coach and Long-Time Administrator Mike Kemp Announces Retirement

Omaha Hockey Hall of Fame coach and long-time administrator has announced his retirement from the department effective May.

[Coyote]

2/21/24 - Omaha Hockey Press Conference: Mike Kemp



Omaha Hockey Hall of Fame coach and long-time administrator Mike Kemp has announced his retirement from the department effective May. Coach Kemp addressed the media following this announcement.

[Coyote]

Omaha Hockey’s Mike Kemp Retirement Announcement —
Memories, Legacy, and the Future



The Omaha Maverick Hockey program announced that former Coach Mike Kemp (currently UNO’s Executive Associate Athletic Director) will be retiring in May. The press conference was held in conjunction with the athletic departments "weekly media availability" on Feb. 21, 2024. Kemp has been with the university since shortly after the announcement by the University of Nebraska at Omaha that it was starting a D-1 hockey program in 1996.

[Brad]

Nice article by the Omaha World Herald

Opting out of revenue sharing is Omaha Athletics' step toward — not away from — new NCAA era

https://omaha.com/sports/college/uno/ar ... 0d786.html

Omaha is confident it can do that within the old parameters, the ones it has operated under since making the jump from Division II to Division I in 2011. The Mavericks wanted to fully commit to what they’ve been doing before diving into something else.

As hard as it was, Dowell said, UNO took a sobering look in the mirror during the initial conversations more than a year ago. Long before any details about the House Settlement, the Mavs had to be realistic in understanding where they are, where they could go.

“To be very blunt,” Dowell said, “we had room to grow.”

But Omaha has expanded the number of scholarships it offers, now covering cost-of-attendance stipends for all of its revenue sports — hockey, men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball, men’s and women’s soccer, softball and baseball.

Effective this year, UNO is more widely offering Alston awards — education-related scholarships, capped at $5,980 per year, stemming from Supreme Court case NCAA v. Alston (2021).

[iamjacobm]

Frankie Fidler is going to be on the Milwaukee Bucks summer league roster.

[iamjacobm]

Was just announced that Mavs Hockey will travel to Belfast in 2028 and play Notre Dame, Dartmouth, and Maine.

[omaha79]

It's going to be interesting to see how things develop for UNO athletics on the Summit League side over the next few years. There is a general lack of stability in the league among many members. It doesn't sound like anyone is necessarily happy with the Dakota centric summit, it's tv deal, the tournament always being in Sioux Falls. The cracks are showing and with leagues like the Mountain West being pilfered for the new PAC 12, chair shuffling seems inevitable.

I've scoured some Summit fan forums and also listened to some chatter regarding the league. Don't take any of this as gospel, but this is where I think the schools stand....


1. Omaha: Investing heavily in facilities. Probably wary about the long term viability of the league. Has never been enamored with basketball being in Sioux Falls every year. Feels that with a metro the size of omaha is well positioned to find another home should the dominoes fall. Omaha must find a way to grow the fanbase for basketball in the metro and sell more tickets. Winning is key. Facilities are key. In my opinion, having a media home where locals can watch the games is also important. I think Omaha should be looking to move up if possible, and probably coinciding with the new basketball facility opening. The business community in Omaha is invested in Omaha athletics, which helps, but hockey will always be #1 which hurts the other sports.

2. St. Thomas: Not seen as a long term member of the league. The Summit is a marriage of convenience considering they helped them move up. But, strong endowment and private catholic school isn't necessarily a fit with the Summit long term and they have much higher aspirations. Short term, I could see them eyeing the Valley. Long term, I could see them eyeing the Atlantic-10. Some have speculated they want to be in the Big East, but I do not see them having the endowment for that.

3. Denver: Announced they are leaving the Summit for the WCC.

4. North Dakota St: Leaving the Mo Valley football conference for MWC. Reading a few sources online, it sounds like they don't get a full dispersment from the college football playoff until 2032? And, may not get full share in the MWC for a few years. Some concern over what the MWC contract will look like after it's renegotiated with the schools leaving for the PAC 12 being replaced by lesser brands. Lots of uncertainty, but long term, I feel it would be foolish to believe the Bison will keep the non football sports in the Summit when their brand exists in the MWC. Feel the MWC will want them there eventually too. I look for something to happen around 2028 to 2032 on that front unless the league implodes earlier. The only benefits of staying in Summit are traditional rivalries, less cost of travel, a close basketball tournament location, and lower necessary budget for other sports in Summit vs. MWC.

5. SDSU: Strong football brand. basketball was good, but now in flux. Brookings isn't enticing for other conferences as it doesn't have that many eyes. But, a generally engaged fan and alumni base make them attractive. Daktronics and Sanford money help them. I wonder if the Mo Valley could want them for all sports to stem the tide of possible losses on the football side? Mo Valley for SDSU feels like a huge stretch compared to St. Thomas or Omaha unless Denny Sanford greases the wheels and football is a big factor.

6. South Dakota: new arena, not much else. Not a ton of support and Vermillion brings nothing to the table for other leagues. Wouldn't want to be in their shoes. I could see them in the Big Sky or WAC if everything falls apart.

7. UMKC: Just hired Mark Turgeon for basketball. Looking to move back to Municipal Arena in downtown KC vs. their terrible rec center to try to capitalize on the hire. Great get. Jury is out on whether it will help at all as UMKC has always been a non-factor in the KC metro. They've never been happy in the Summit, considering they left for the WAC a while back, but are now back. UMKC and the Summit are a total marriage of proximity and neither side having a better option. They only way their fate changes is if Turgeon wins big and even then that would likely be temporary. They'd love to join the Valley, but I don't see them as a fit for the Valley.

8. North Dakota: Has been in Big Sky previously. Legitimately, it is their only option if the Summit implodes, but are there hard feelings from them leaving last time? I don't know. I'm not sure they love the summit, but I'm also not sure they care about the sports that aren't hockey either. It's a much more extreme hockey first school than even Omaha.

9. Oral Roberts: Rumored to be unhappy in the Summit. Looking to leave, but hit a dead patch in basketball at the worst time. Won conference titles a few years ago and the wheels totally fell off while falling to last place. The private school situation isn't an advantage if they aren't winning. Not a geographical fit in the Summit long term, but not sure where else they can go? They'd jump to the Valley in a heartbeat, but would the Valley want them over St. Thomas or Omaha?


The problem is that there just aren't any geographical fits to add to the Summit. Have heard rumors of Southern Utah, UT Arlington, or Utah Tech. None of those move the needle. None of the Dakota Schools have ever wanted to add Augustana. Mankato St has been talked about as a school possibly that could move up, but that doesn't help the league any mor than Augustana.

There is also a problem of exposure in the Summit with all of the leagues inventory not on ESPN+ but locked behind the Summit League Network pay wall which hinders schools like Omaha from growing the fanbase even in NCAA tournament years like last year.

Ultimately, if I had to guess: I believe the Summit League will not exist by 2030-2032. I believe there will be some sort of consolidation and mergers. I think someone will end up in the Mo Valley, but likely not more than one Summit School. The rest will end up in some sort of mergers/consolidation with some combination of Ohio Valley, Big Sky, and WAC.

Just my thoughts. I know this is massively long, but would love any other thoughts.

[jag42]

Tom Shatel of the OWH suggested UNO could move to the Missouri Valley Conference (Creighton's former longtime home).

[omaha79]

Tom Shatel of the OWH suggested UNO could move to the Missouri Valley Conference (Creighton's former longtime home).

I wonder if that's born out of any reality or just Shatel wishcasting? I have found lots of Creighton fans sort of want UNO in the Valley for old times sake, but these are people that are not UNO fans per se. But, the MO Valley, while absolutely a step up from the Summit, is not the Valley of the Altman days as Wichita St, Missouri St, and a few others are gone. But, I'd be ecstatic to have regular games against a few old Mo Valley faces in Drake, Illinois St, Bradley, Northern Iowa, Indiana St, Southern IL, and Evansville along with Valparaiso, UIC, and Belmont.

I'd be ecstatic but I'm not sure Omaha currently adds enough or captures enough of the Omaha market to make it a reality at this time. Winning and facilities will help decide this. If the Valley loses any more schools, it could force their hand as well.

Interesting times.

[Greg S]

Tom Shatel of the OWH suggested UNO could move to the Missouri Valley Conference (Creighton's former longtime home).

I wonder if that's born out of any reality or just Shatel wishcasting? I have found lots of Creighton fans sort of want UNO in the Valley for old times sake, but these are people that are not UNO fans per se. But, the MO Valley, while absolutely a step up from the Summit, is not the Valley of the Altman days as Wichita St, Missouri St, and a few others are gone. But, I'd be ecstatic to have regular games against a few old Mo Valley faces in Drake, Illinois St, Bradley, Northern Iowa, Indiana St, Southern IL, and Evansville along with Valparaiso, UIC, and Belmont.

I'd be ecstatic but I'm not sure Omaha currently adds enough or captures enough of the Omaha market to make it a reality at this time. Winning and facilities will help decide this. If the Valley loses any more schools, it could force their hand as well.

Interesting times.

I'd actually prefer to stay where we are. Geographically it works better and longer rivalries.

[omaha79]

Tom Shatel of the OWH suggested UNO could move to the Missouri Valley Conference (Creighton's former longtime home).

I wonder if that's born out of any reality or just Shatel wishcasting? I have found lots of Creighton fans sort of want UNO in the Valley for old times sake, but these are people that are not UNO fans per se. But, the MO Valley, while absolutely a step up from the Summit, is not the Valley of the Altman days as Wichita St, Missouri St, and a few others are gone. But, I'd be ecstatic to have regular games against a few old Mo Valley faces in Drake, Illinois St, Bradley, Northern Iowa, Indiana St, Southern IL, and Evansville along with Valparaiso, UIC, and Belmont.

I'd be ecstatic but I'm not sure Omaha currently adds enough or captures enough of the Omaha market to make it a reality at this time. Winning and facilities will help decide this. If the Valley loses any more schools, it could force their hand as well.

Interesting times.

I'd actually prefer to stay where we are. Geographically it works better and longer rivalries.

I'm not against the Summit League, but it will always be one of the lowest D-1 leagues, and that's even if the current membership stays, which isn't likely. The tea leaves have been indicating for a while that the league is on the verge of implosion. I do not believe anyone outside of a couple of the Dakota schools are truly happy in the league, let alone trust each other to do things in the other members best interests. There are no schools beating down the Summits door trying to join because the league is considered Dakota centric and a media rights black hole.

The fact the games are on The Summit League Network is a point of contention for many schools from what I'm reading online. Not being on ESPN+ and putting your product behind a pay wall hurts the growth of programs like omaha much more than it does South Dakota, SDSU, and North Dakota as they are much more capped out on market share than Omaha is.

While I like a few of the rivalries, if you have the opportunity to move to a league like the Mo Valley, you absolutely have to take it if you're Omaha. It is absolutely an upgrade. Otherwise, you could sit back, let a school like St. Thomas move to the Mo Valley, the Dakota schools dictate everything and probably see a couple of them leave anyway, and next thing you know, you're fighting for a spot in the WAC.

[PobodysNerfect]

I think Omaha to the Valley would be awesome. It's definitely a step up. With NDSU moving to the Mountain West for FB I could start to see a shakeup happening. Omaha needs more exposure, The Summit (and NCHC honestly) have fallen behind the times in terms of exposure with relying on pay streams, if you want eyes on your product, you need 90% of them to get on ESPN+. On any given Friday night there's ton of college hockey on there yet NCHC is still behind a paywall. Same with the Summit, you'd get random eyes on your teams if someone browsing just saw them live.

I don't hate the idea of the Summit or any of the schools, but the Valley being more Midwestern based and less upper midwest I think would be better for Omaha fans.

[Greg S]

I think Omaha to the Valley would be awesome. It's definitely a step up. With NDSU moving to the Mountain West for FB I could start to see a shakeup happening. Omaha needs more exposure, The Summit (and NCHC honestly) have fallen behind the times in terms of exposure with relying on pay streams, if you want eyes on your product, you need 90% of them to get on ESPN+. On any given Friday night there's ton of college hockey on there yet NCHC is still behind a paywall. Same with the Summit, you'd get random eyes on your teams if someone browsing just saw them live.

I don't hate the idea of the Summit or any of the schools, but the Valley being more Midwestern based and less upper midwest I think would be better for Omaha fans.

I would not be surprised to see some sort of merger with the Summit and NCHC.

[omaha79]

I think Omaha to the Valley would be awesome. It's definitely a step up. With NDSU moving to the Mountain West for FB I could start to see a shakeup happening. Omaha needs more exposure, The Summit (and NCHC honestly) have fallen behind the times in terms of exposure with relying on pay streams, if you want eyes on your product, you need 90% of them to get on ESPN+. On any given Friday night there's ton of college hockey on there yet NCHC is still behind a paywall. Same with the Summit, you'd get random eyes on your teams if someone browsing just saw them live.

I don't hate the idea of the Summit or any of the schools, but the Valley being more Midwestern based and less upper midwest I think would be better for Omaha fans.

I would not be surprised to see some sort of merger with the Summit and NCHC.

I'm not even sure how that would work.

You have Miami and Western in the MAC for all other sports. Arizona St in the Big XII. Denver is leaving the Summit.

Colorado College, Duluth, and St. Cloud are DII and I've heard no specific rumors of them moving up. St. Cloud gets talked about here and there, but the general consensus is that the MN state college system is too broke to have teams moving to D-1 in other sports and not sure the Gophers necessarily want it.

That leaves North Dakota and Omaha who are already in the Summit. Where would such a merger go from there? I guess it could merge in as much as the Mo Valley football and all other sports conferences are some loose affiliation that shares office space, but none of that solves the Summit League and Omaha's problems.

Right now, with Denver leaving, you're already looking at the Sumit maybe having to add additional affiliate members in certain sports.

The Summit is already running with Delaware and UMass in Men's soccer. Denver leaving drops them to 6. Should St. Thomas bolt, they'd need another affiliate.

Summit baseball is running at 6 currently with Northern Colorado as an affiliate. Should NDSU take all sports to the MWC eventually, you'd be looking at adding at lease one more affiliate to maintain NCAA Championship status.

Basketball had 10 schools not so long ago. Next year, it will have 8. That sounds fine, but when they were at 10, you could play a 20 game round robin schedule. This year was 18. Next year would be 16. That means finding more schools to schedule you on the road, which Omaha is finding increasingly difficult since the NCAA Tournament berth. Or, you have to pay to have regional non-conference schools come to Omaha, which is hard since there are few D-1 schools within bus trip distance. In reality, this is why you see more NAIA schools on the schedule. There were 4 this year. You simply cannot sell tickets to those games.

Ultimately, I don't know what a Summit/NCHC merger accomplishes outside of maybe some media rights/streaming deal. I'd be ok with that, but it solves none of Omaha's issues with conference membership logistics/size/scheduling. It will take either finding some free agent schools, of which there aren't many, a merger with another league, or having schools like Augustana pay to move up. Augustana adds nothing to the league in terms of media market, etc. There just aren't any good answers, IMO, outside of Omaha just finding a better fit as a home themselves and I firmly believe that's what the increased in facility spending is intended to do.

[omaha79]

Gary Sharp weighed in on the Summit League situation as well. the only part of this that I hadn't heard was that the Summit approached Lindenwood and Western Illinois and was told no. I'd read chatter in a few places that the Summit approached Southern Utah and Utah Tech, but those schools are going to the Big Sky instead. Denny Sanford wants Augustana in the league and has for a number of years, but really no one in the league is interested in that.

No great options for the Summit left on the board.

The remaining WAC schools have their own thing going with the ASUN. I hadn't even read about that. It all moves so fast.

[Linkin5]

The Utah schools not joining makes sense due to geography but being told no by W Illinois and Lindenwood is definitely concerning. Personally I think Augustana would be a great fit for the Summit, however I could see USD and SDSU blocking it.