In a Sunday morning interview with WCCO-830 AM radio in Minneapolis, Minnesota hockey head coach Don Lucia discussed the viability of Husker Hockey transitioning from a club sport to a division 1 sport in the Big Ten conference.

You know what, there's been some talk [about Nebraska adding hockey]. Personally, I think it'd be a natural. I think that when you look at how well the junior team has done there (they draw over 4,000 fans a game) I think its a sport that they could add to make money on. And that's gonna be the big thing with hockey, you're gonna have to add a women's sport and a men's sport...but that's an area I think that they have the facility that they could draw. I mean, look what they draw for their women's volleyball team and football and basketball and everything else -- they have very passionate fans there. I think it'd be a natural, and they are within the footprint of junior hockey down there, and I think they could really make it a go...

Husker hockey has been rumored and discussed for years. Back in 2006, I thought there were two hurdles that needed to be cleared before Nebraska could add a hockey program: a facility and Title IX. Fast forward to today, and there seem to be solutions to both hurdles...but does that make a hockey program likely in Lincoln?

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Initial reaction: It could be worse. After digesting it for a few hours, it's really just, meh. I neither like or dislike the trophy. The idea behind the "Heroes Game" is admirable, but i hate that it's called the "Heroes Game". I personally would prefer it to be called the "Nebraska and Iowa Honor the Heroes Game" instead. Why? Well, you can read all about that here.

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I'm at work so, I'll post my thoughts in a story this evening.

I've followed college football in various online forums for over twenty years, starting with Usenet groups on rec.sport.football.college? Not familiar with it? Twenty years ago, it was the only way for college football fans to interact with each other.  Sure, we could read national coverage in Sports Illustrated or the Sporting News, but with this newfangled invention called the internet, fans could actually read what other fans were thinking. And, of course, in the heat of a flame war, fans in these forums used shorthand and abbreviations to refer to teams..which inevitably lead to confusion and indignation.  Was UT Texas or Tennessee?  Is USC South Carolina or Southern Cal?  And then there was my favorite:  Ohio State, Oklahoma State, or Oregon State?  That one got so silly when some Ohio State fans insisted that Ohio State was THE OSU that over time in response, Ohio State became known instead as tOSU.  (Note the lowercase "t" for The.)

Twenty years ago in national college football forums, NU was Nebraska. Or at least that's the way it seemed. In Nebraska, it was NU.  And online, nobody talked about any other schools that began with an N.  But over time, Gary Barnett started working a miracle, and suddenly Northwestern football started to become relevant nationally. And suddenly, posts started appearing online that referenced NU that made absolutely no sense... until you realized that they were talking Northwestern football instead of Nebraska football.

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Hello Corn Nation,

This is Warrior Brad & Admiral Ackbar, S.J. from the SB Nation blog Anonymous Eagle where we write about Marquette basketball.  You may ask why we are writing about Nebraska football and "educating" Corn Nation’s fine readers on Wisconsin football.  Isn’t Marquette in Michigan?  Does Marquette even have a football team?  Those answers are "No" (Marquette University is in Milwaukee) and "No" (Undefeated since 1960!).  We both grew up in Nebraska and have been stuck in enemy territory for 17 years and 12 years respectively.

Over at AE, we host Badgers Hate Week , a yearly ritual reminding the rodents in Madison that college sports didn’t start in 1994.  Since Marquette is clearly Wisconsin’s Creighton, let’s continue with the parallels and tread on some familiar ground to get you guys up to speed on the Wisconsin Badgers.  To do this, cast your Husker eyes west to the fine city of Boulder and let’s count the similarities.

After the jump.....

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This is the longest offseason in the history of college football. We tend to say that every year, forgetting we said it last year because we're sure this year is worse. For Nebraska fans that feeling is true, as it's really been a two-year wait to join a new conference and begin a new era. These last two weeks are like the last few miles of a long journey - the anxiousness of reaching the destination is nearly unbearable.

For the majority of Husker fans joining the Big Ten is like the feeling you get before opening the biggest present under the tree on Christmas morning. Unfortunately, that hasn't happened for me. I have felt disconnected from this joy in a way that I haven't been able to understand.

Then it hit me on the drive home from work last night, something right in front of my face, something so pathetically simple I should have realized it a year ago.

None of this is new to me.

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I've gotten a few inquiries from Husker fans who are living outside the U.S., wondering how they might best access the Big Ten Network, how they might best get access to their Husker football.

Remember the name - BTN2Go.  It's new this season, and will soon become your best digital friend since it'll allow you to watch your beloved Huskers at your (so-called) friend's wedding while using your iPhone.

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Yes, there will be a trophy for the end of season pre-declared rivalry game against Iowa, despite Tom Osborne repeatedly stating that rivalries are organically grown, not manufactured. I guess that's bound to happen given that this is the B1G 

The trophy's name will be announced Friday morning during a breakfast at a Hyatt-Regency in Chicago. Given that invitation has the word "Hero" on it might give an indication as to its name. If they were doing this during lunch, perhaps that could be taken as a menu item, but I can't for the life of me think of anything "Hero" associated with breakfast. 

Some on twitter have suggested that the new trophy might be named the "Nile Kinnick Trophy" since Kinnick has connections with both states, being in the Nebraska Hall of Fame and the namesake of Iowa's Football Stadium. I would have to say that would be incredibly stupid, a good indication that it's exactly what they'll do. 

Seriously (what?) - maybe they could include two names. Maybe George Flippin should be included. He was a hero. Maybe all y'all have some better (or more) suggestions. 

If there's one name that hasn't been mentioned it's "Dead Horse" since this subject has been beaten that badly. Still, they have to make an announcement about it, name the trophy, have another banquet and a breakfast and meet important people. You'd swear they were running for public office. 

It's still over a month to real football! ARGHHHHHH!