A bonus for finishing inside the top 30 of the Learfield Director’s Cup appears to be coming Trev Alberts’ way.
With one sport — baseball — still left to score, NU stands in 29th place in the Director’s Cup with 734.25 points. The five schools directly behind the Huskers — Northwestern, Minnesota, Louisville, Arizona State and BYU — did not have baseball teams make NCAA regionals, while Auburn and South Carolina — in 35th and 36th place — can’t make up enough points to catch Nebraska.
Alberts’ contract — like that of his predecessor, Bill Moos — triggers a bonus if NU finishes inside the Top 30 of the Director’s Cup. A 26-to-30 finish would give Alberts a $160,000 bonus. If Nebraska stays in 29th, it would be the Huskers’ best finish since 27th in 2015-2016. Since then, NU has finished no better than 35th, with the Cup in 2019-2020 getting canceled due to COVID.
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The Cup awards points to each school that makes the postseason of a given sport. The national champion is awarded 100 points, and points descend incrementally from there. Schools can score in up to 19 sports, four of which must be men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball and baseball. Schools with more sports, especially niche Olympic sports, tend to do better.
In 2022-2023, Nebraska did quite well with track and field, which scored points for NU in both indoor and outdoor events. Last week, the women finished eighth at nationals, while the men finished 17th. The Huskers made the top 30 despite four of its best-funded sports — football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball and baseball — failing to reach the NCAA postseason.
Should standings hold, Nebraska will finish fifth in the Big Ten behind Ohio State (currently third), Michigan (sixth), Penn State (12th) and Wisconsin (27th). Iowa currently sits 54th overall and 12th in the Big Ten, but will pass both Illinois and Michigan State after baseball points are added.
Stanford clinched the national Director’s Cup title Monday night with its Super Regional baseball win over Texas, which will finish second. Had UT won the game, then won the College World Series, the two schools would have been close to a virtual tie.
USC and UCLA, soon to join the Big Ten, are 4th and 11th, respectively, in current standings. The Bruins won the men’s volleyball national title.
Top Journal Star photos for June 2023
Scott Copeland (Left) and Donnette Thayer (right) play Irish folk music with friends during the Hub Farmers Market at Union Plaza park on Wednesday. The markets are Wednesdays, from 5-7 p.m., through Sept. 20.
Open Harvest employees shovel gravel at the Open Harvest ground breaking in the Telegraph District, Wednesday, June 14, 2023, in Lincoln.
Dynasty Volleyball players Abigail Mullen (bottom left), Reese Messer (left), Claire Cisneros (top right), and Skyler Pierce (right) share snacks and stories with one another as they rest on the catwalk overlooking the volleyball courts ahead of their next match during the Midwest PreNationals tournament on Friday, June 9, 2023, at the Sports Pavilion Lawrence in Lawrence.
Fisherman Salem Alsareni, catches a 24 inch carp, weighing in at six and a half pounds at Holmes Lake, Monday, June 12, 2023, in Lincoln.
Angela Gebhardt walks next to Star City Chorus during the Star City Pride Parade Saturday at the Nebraska state Capitol.
Foster Care Closet employee Brooke Horton lifts boxes of diapers onto the bus before departing for Norfolk on Friday.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln chancellor candidate Rodney Bennett answers questions from students and staff who are part of the College of Law on Thursday at the Office of the President.
Terrance McIntyre gets his hair cut by Treveon Phinney at 402 Fades Barber Shop on Thursday at Gateway Mall.
Eliana Athena Vargas Smith, 2, plays in the fountain at Union Plaza park on Wednesday, when temperatures reached 88 degrees in Lincoln.
Children extend their arms outward as they reach for bubbles to pop during a family fun night ice cream party on Tuesday, June 6, 2023, at the Charles H. Gere Branch Library in Lincoln.
Harper Trumble (top right) dances with her cousin Keegan VanDeWater (right) while Alexis Arai y Su Grupo perform as part of the Jazz in June concert series on Tuesday, June 6, 2023, at in the Sheldon Sculpture Garden at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in Lincoln. The first performers for Jazz in June drew a sizable crowd on Tuesday. The free concert series, held each Tuesday in June, will feature two sets of music from 7-7:45 p.m. and 8-8:45 p.m. Beyond the performances, the series will include education outreach coordinated by community centers and artists. A market offered food and drinks to hungry patrons. And a bike Valet will provided free, secure parking for bicycles from 5 p.m. until the end of the performance in the market.
The Rev. T. Michael Williams signs the petition to repeal LB753 during Support our Schools Nebraska petition drive kickoff at the state Capitol on Tuesday.
Mia Masch, 5, has her hair adjusted by her father Ian while his pet parrot Mango rests atop his shoulder during an animal blessing ceremony at First-Plymouth Church.
Shriner clowns cover their hearts for the invocation before the Nebraska Shrine Bowl on Saturday at Cope Stadium in Kearney.
A rainbow is seen near Ralston High School stadium during the Nebraska High School Soccer Senior Showcase on Friday.
Grace Jacobson of Lincoln holds a rainbow umbrella over a coffin prop in front of the Governor’s Mansion on Thursday, the final day of the legislative session.
Nikita (black) jumps into the dog pool as Pearl chases after her at Off Leash Dog Bar on Wednesday.
Lincoln East’s Carter Mick (10) poses for portrait , Monday, May 29, 2023, in Lincoln.
Rebecca Rager greets her grandfather Alfred Zieg (from left) during a celebration before his birthday on Wednesday, in the Gramercy dining room on Saturday, May 27, 2023, at The Residence at Gramercy in Lincoln. ‘It has been a life for sure,” Alfred Zieg said during the celebration. “And on Wednesday I get to start all over again, right?”
Muggs, a 6 year-old chocolate lab fetches his toy from the water following his dive on Saturday at Paws 4 Fun in Lincoln.
Fire fighters clear out hot debris pulled off of 411 Mulder Dr home after alert two back yard fire, Friday, May 26, 2023, in Lincoln.
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