The UNK football team will play four non-conference games this fall. UNK, Missouri Western State and Pittsburg State have announced a nonconference scheduling alliance that allows the three Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) members to play a partial 2020 schedule beginning in late October. The Lopers, Griffons and Gorillas will each play two games against each other while filling the remainder of their schedules with other NCAA Division II and Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) institutions. The Lopers, will host Chadron State (Nov. 7th) and Missouri Western State (Nov. 21st) and travel to Pittsburg State (Oct. 31st) and South Dakota Mines (Nov. 14th). Both Chadron and South Dakota Mines are members of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC). The alliance among MIAA member schools in football also allows MIAA cross country teams to run in several meets this fall. That schedule will be announced soon. Later this fall the MIAA league office will announce spring schedules for both volleyball and soccer. Those sports will play a conference schedule followed by an MIAA Championship tournament.
2020 UNK Football Schedule
Oct. 10 Blue/Gold Scrimmage 3 p.m. Kearney
Oct. 31 @ Pittsburg State 1 p.m. Pittsburg, Kansas
Nov. 7 Chadron State 3 p.m. Kearney
Nov. 14 @ South Dakota Mines 2 p.m. (CST) Rapid City, South Dakota
Nov. 21 Missouri Western State 1 p.m. Kearney
Nebraska Athletic Director Bill Moos said Tuesday on the Husker Sports Network that NU’s 375-game sellout streak will have an “asterisk” in 2020 because Big Ten rules won’t allow fans — outside of player and staff families — to attend league games in October. Moos says it won’t change NU’s streak, because all of the season tickets were sold before the season.
Bill Moos also says he and Iowa Athletic Director Gary Barta have requested the Huskers-Hawkeyes rivalry game be played on Black Friday, Nov. 27. The two teams are scheduled to meet the weekend of November 28th.
Governor Pete Ricketts proclaimed Saturday, September 26th as National Hunting and Fishing Day in Nebraska during a ceremony at the State Capitol. The proclamation recognizes the contributions Nebraska’s sportsmen and women make to the state’s conservation efforts and economic well-being.
The University of Nebraska at Kearney is partnering with College Park at Grand Island to bring expanded educational opportunities to central Nebraska. College Park was created to establish a pathway for adult learners to earn degrees and address the need for skilled workers in the region. Through its College Park location, UNK will work with Grand Island-area businesses and high schools, Central Community College and other community organizations to provide education and training that prepares students to begin or advance in their careers. This includes academic advising, undergraduate and graduate courses, certificate programs, workshops and seminars. Other opportunities include fine arts performances and community engagement activities. UNK had offered educational programming there from 1992 until 2003. UNK is taking over space that was previously occupied by Doane University, which ended its partnership with College Park in July. Along with UNK, current partner institutions at College Park are Central Community College, Rural Enterprise Assistance Project, Hall County Extension Office, Grand Island Little Theatre and Leadership Tomorrow.
High School Sports State Champions in Nebraska will now receive a newly designed state championship trophy from the NSAA. The new design includes a new oval base and a metal emblem of the NSAA’s logo over the wooden Nebraska panhandle, while the figurines that used to sit to the left of -and on top of -the trophy have been removed. More changes include a different outline of the state of Nebraska, with a slightly elongated state and more rounded edges.