This is the online version of our daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Subscribe to get irreverent and incisive sports stories, delivered to your mailbox every morning. Here’s Mike Sykes.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock (or off of the internet), you’ve probably seen some photos from Nebraska’s epic Volleyball Day.
This has to be one of the coolest things we’ve ever seen in sports. A volleyball match between Nebraska and Omaha drew a world-record crowd for a women’s sporting event, bringing 92,003 people together to watch the matchup between the two sides (which Nebraska won 3-0).
The event result was secondary, though. For once, it took a back seat to the moment at hand. Nearly 100,000 people gathered together and took a stadium beyond its original capacity (of 83,406) to watch a women’s volleyball game.
That’s special. It’s something that we’ll never forget. And, most importantly, it’s something the sports world has to learn from.
RELATED: See Nebraska’s epic Volleyball Day in photos.
There’s a huge lesson that sports executives should be taking from this. It’s a simple one. A no-brainer. One that we should’ve already known. And that lesson is “if you build it, they will come.”
I’ve seen so many people online simply praising the fact that a women’s volleyball event could push a stadium to a Super Bowl-esque capacity. Don’t get me wrong. It’s incredibly impressive. But it also kind of feels like we’re missing the forest for the trees with this thing.
Of course, all of those people showed up for this event. Do you know why? Because Nebraska actually invests in its women’s volleyball team.
This wasn’t an event that popped up out of nowhere. Nebraska has been a dominant force in the sport for a long time. The team has won five national championships under John Cook, who has been coaching at the school for 24 years now.
Since the American Volleyball Coaches Association created rankings in 1982, the Cornhuskers have been included in every single poll. They’ve been No. 1 in that poll a record 102 times, which is a Division 1 record, per The Athletic’s Mitch Sherman.
Do you see what I’m getting at here? This is a successful program. That success can’t come without investment. Nebraska is invested in this program being successful. And when you put that sort of investment into a program, people will naturally come.
It shouldn’t be shocking that Nebraska sold out a stadium. I mean, they sold this thing out in three days. That’s just what they do.
Here’s more from Sherman that proves it.
“When not filling Memorial Stadium, the Huskers play at the 7,907-seat Bob Devaney Sports Center, repurposed 10 years ago as a volleyball arena after Cook’s team outgrew the Nebraska Coliseum, its home for 33 seasons in the heart of campus. The Huskers have sold out an NCAA-record 306 consecutive matches — the primary factor in the volleyball program’s ability to produce more than $4 million in annual revenue and turn a profit yearly.”
It’s simple, man. This is what happens when you invest in women’s sports. People show up and support it. People care. It’s really that easy.
Every executive out there in the sports world should take note.
San Francisco’s bigger problem
While everyone has been glued to their seats watching the Trey Lance era in San Francisco flame out before it could ever begin, we’ve hardly thought about the other glaring problem the team has right now.
RELATED: Who won the Trey Lance deal?
The team’s best player hasn’t actually shown up yet. Literally.
Nick Bosa is a contract holdout right now. He’s been missing for the entirety of both training camp and the NFL preseason. The team seems to have no idea when he’ll be back.
The star defensive end is in the fifth and final year of his deal looking for an extension. John Lynch says he thinks Bosa will be signed and back by week 1 of the season. Kyle Shanahan doesn’t seem to have that same confidence with him. We do know, however, that the team is not entertaining the idea of trading him. So take solace in that, 49ers fans.
I must say, though, I feel for y’all. This is a team with Super Bowl expectations. Why does it already feel like things are running off the rails? I’ve said “Yikes” way too many times about things surrounding this squad.
Of course, Bosa could be back and none of this would matter in a few days time. But, man. The vibes just don’t feel good.
Did he really say that?
Colts GM Chris Ballard really put his foot in his mouth on Wednesday.
In talking about the situation the team is going through with Jonathan Taylor, Ballard was asked if he thought the team missing its best player would be a hindrance to Anthony Richardson’s rookie season.
Instead of just answering regularly and saying “no, we think Anthony will be fine and we’ll take it one day at a time,” he invoked the name of Andrew Luck.
#Colts GM Chris Ballard says he doesn't think Jonathan Taylor's situation will hinder Anthony Richardson's growth.
"Did it stunt Andrew Luck's growth without a special back?"pic.twitter.com/rHksHLLTom
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) August 30, 2023
“Well, look, when you don’t have a great player, I mean…But, I don’t think it stunts his growth. No, not at all. But, it doesn’t…I mean, I don’t know. Did it stunt Andrew [Luck]’s growth without a special back?”
I’m unsure if anyone actually answered that question, but I think we all know the proper response here. If the team had found a special back to put behind Luck, who was indeed special himself, maybe he wouldn’t have felt the need to retire at 29 years old.
Just a thought. Of course, that’s not all those Colts teams needed. But anything to take the pressure off of Luck would’ve been nice.
I’d say the Colts should probably make that note for Richardson here, but the team has already lit the relationship with its best player on fire. So ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.
Quick hits: Ranking QBs against the spread … College Football’s Top 25 in sketches… and more
—Ben Fawkes talked to eight different oddsmakers in the U.S. to determine each quarterback’s impact against the spread. This is so fascinating. Chiefs fans, you’ll love this.
— Matt Scalici compared each of college football’s top 25 teams to I Think You Should Leave sketches. Yeah, I don’t feel like I need to say more.
— Something fishy is going on with the Eric Lewis situation and the NBA. What that fishiness is, we may never know.
—Charles Curtis has 5 excellent tips to help you win your fantasy football league. Always listen to Charles.
That’s all, folks. Happy Thursday.