No Longer the Only One
A Memorable Nebrasketball Season Has Come to a Close
We have this thing in Nebraska that we love to call Nebrasketball. It has sort of a cult/hipster-like following, especially for those of us that live in Omaha. Let me explain. Husker Football dominates the attention (it’s about all they dominate nowadays). Husker Volleyball is a powerhouse. Then there is Basketball, Nebrasketball. Well, not exactly if we are being honest. For over half of my life, Husker Basketball has been overshadowed by the team in Omaha, Creighton. Then you can throw in the annual College World Series, which everybody loves. So that puts Nebrasketball in this little niche community of fans in the state.
What makes Nebrasketball so unique is the lack of historical success, but they have these fans that keep supporting and believing every single year. There is a 1996 NIT Championship which is really sicko and hipster when you think about it, but it is still not March Madness. There is also the 2025 Crown Tournament Championship, but again, not the one that matters. For the longest time, it was “Nebrasketball has never won an NCAA Tournament game.” And then Northwestern won their first March Madness game in 2017 and the statement evolved into, “Nebrasketball is the only power conference team to win an NCAA Tournament game.”
The only one…
And then 2014 happened. No Sit Sunday. Nebrasketball upsets Wisconsin to clinch their first ever NCAA Tournament appearance since 1998. Kent Pavelka’s radio call of “It’s time to twerk! Let’s go dancing!” still plays in my mind today, but sadly…
After the 2014 Tournament, Nebrasketball was still the only one….
Then 2017 happened. I remember this season vividly because it’s the year I met my wife and she loves Kansas Basketball. Kansas and Nebrasketball played early in the season and it was a groin kick ending for the Huskers. Nebrasketball won 22 games and missed the Tournament.
Still the only one…
Basketball Guru, Fred Hoiberg was hired after that season and this was our guy. He was going to take us to the promised land.
Three disastrous seasons followed.
Still the only one…
When it looked like Coach Hoiberg might lose his job, a few miracles happened. He got a second chance, changed how he built the roster, made a few coaching staff changes, and evolved the team’s playing style to be more gritty. Sam Griesel transferred back home and Nebrasketball upset Creighton that year. It was a really fun season, but…
they were still the only one…
We had the joy of experiencing Keisei-Mania. Nebrasketball was officially fun and really cool. They made the Tournament in 2024. The team entered the Dance as an 8-seed, but this felt like The One. Keisei and the Boys were going to make history. The season ended in tears.
Nebrasketball was still the only one…
…until 2026.
Before the season, Nebrasketball was predicted to finish 14th in the Big Ten Conference. They finished 2nd. A 20-0 start. A domination of in-state rival, Creighton. Memorable victories against the likes of Michigan State and Illinois. Getting ranked in the Top 5. It was a season to remember, but the accolades would matter a lot less if they did not get that one win in March.
March 18, 2026. It is the night before the NCAA Tournament officially begins. A bunch of Nebrasketball fans gathered online and left voicemails about what getting that elusive win would mean for them. It was a two-hour experience that showed this meant so much more than just Basketball. It was about Family, Hope, and Community. Tears were shed. The I-80 Club is a special place.
March 19, 2026. Nebrasketball defeats Troy 76-47.
No longer the only one.
Watch Kent Pavelka make the final call.
It’s about more than basketball.
But there was another game to play and a Sweet 16 bid to clinch.
March 21, 2026. Nebraska vs Vanderbilt.
I’m still at a loss for words about what happened besides being able to say I died and came back to life and it was the single greatest sports moment of my entire life.
And now it is over. Nebrasketball lost tonight. No surviving and advancing to the Elite 8. The magical season is over.
It hurts because it is still fresh, but what a season for the ages. Never going to forget it.
So…
Fred Hoiberg, Nate Loenser and the rest of the assistants, Pryce Sandfort, Sam Hoiberg, Rienk Mast, Jamarques Lawrence, Berke, Braden Frager, Cale Jacobsen, Jared Garcia, Leo Curtis, Kendall Blue, Connor Essegian, and everyone else.
Thank you.
It feels so good to say that we are no longer the only one.
Thank you for the awesome article Josh! So sad and yet so proud at the same time! They played their hearts out and absolutely showed they deserved to be there! But in the end, it just wasn’t our day. What an amazing group of guys and coaches-I know they are sad, as we all are, but they have so much to be proud of and they definitely made us fans proud to be Husker Nation! GO BIG RED!