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Nebraska football will open the 2025 campaign under the lights.
The Huskers and Cincinnati Bearcats will square off at Arrowhead Stadium on Aug. 28. The game will kick off at 8 p.m. CDT and be televised on ESPN.
This will be Nebraska's first contest in the stadium since the 2006 Big 12 Championship game and NU’s first regular-season game in Kansas City since 1998. The matchup was originally scheduled as a Cincinnati home game before being moved to a neutral site. It marks just the second all-time meeting between the schools and the first since a 1906 matchup in Lincoln.
This decade has seen the Huskers open at a neutral site twice in four seasons, including the 2022 season-opener in Dublin against Northwestern. This also marks the fourth time in the past five seasons Nebraska has opened the season either in Week Zero or on a Thursday night.
Tuesday’s announcement is the first kickoff time set for the Huskers’ 2025 season. Additional game times and television designations for the upcoming season are expected to be announced by the end of May.
Nebraska is entering year three of the Matt Rhule era. The first year saw the Huskers go 5-7 while last season the Big Red went 7-6, including the first bowl appearance since 2016 and first bowl victory since 2015.
Nebraska Football 2025 Schedule
- Aug. 28 vs. Cincinnati (Kansas City) 8 p.m. CDT on ESPN
- Sep. 6 vs. Akron TBA
- Sep. 13 vs. Houston Christian TBA
- Sep. 20 vs. Michigan TBA
- Oct. 4 vs. Michigan State TBA
- Oct. 11 at Maryland TBA
- Oct. 18 at Minnesota TBA
- Oct. 25 vs. Northwestern TBA
- Nov. 1 vs. USC TBA
- Nov. 8 at UCLA TBA
- Nov. 22 at Penn State TBA
- Nov. 28 vs Iowa TBA
Home games are bolded.
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New details emerge on why Notre Dame named CJ Carr starting QB
No. 6 Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman initially delayed naming his starting quarterback for the Aug. 31 season opener at No. 10 Miami. However, on Tuesday, it was learned that redshirt freshman CJ Carr would start against the Hurricanes at Hard Rock Stadium. He beat out sophomore quarterback Kenny Minchey for the job. The Athletic's Pete Sampson provided more detail as to what might have led to Freeman waiting to name Carr the starter. "Although Carr’s leadership has been lauded internally from the start, his ability to protect the football had become a topic of conversation after he threw three interceptions to Minchey’s one in Notre Dame’s first practice," Sampson wrote. "During last weekend’s closed scrimmage to end training camp, Carr’s ability to protect the football was again an issue, leading to at least a couple interceptions. Of course, the secondary Carr and Minchey faced throughout camp may rate among the best in the nation." While Carr committed his fair share of turnovers this summer, Freeman believes the young quarterback made better decisions throughout training camp. “It’s about decision making," Freeman said. "Because there’s so many different aspects that go into the outcome of a play. I always say it, we’ll give the quarterback credit when things are good, we’ll blame him if things are bad. But the one thing they control is their decision making and the ability to get everybody on the same page.” Last week, the Irish were leaning toward naming Minchey the starter. He seemed to be more of a natural fit for offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock, who prefers running quarterbacks like he had with Jayden Daniels at LSU and Riley Leonard in 2024. Notre Dame believes Carr can give the offense "some dual-threat" this season. He has a better arm, which can benefit a unit where one of the strengths is at receiver. The turnover problems are more worrisome for the Irish this year, given their early schedule. Carr has little margin for error going against two great defensive lines in Miami and No. 19 Texas A M on Sept. 13.
Chicago Bears looking at bringing back familiar face at running back
The Chicago Bears don’t appear satisfied with their running back room with one week left to decide the 53-man roster. The Bears have until Aug. 26 to make their final cuts before preparing for the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1. The Bears entered training camp with questions at running back. Veteran D’Andre Swift had a down year in 2024. Roschon Johnson isn’t a long-term solution, and seventh-round pick Kyle Monangai will have a steep learning curve when the regular season begins. The Chicago Bears worked out a former running back Per Aaron Wilson of KPRC, the Bears worked out running backs Royce Freeman, undrafted rookie Kylin James and former Carolina Panthers practice-squad player Dillon Johnson. Royce Freeman played with the Bears in 2024 Of the three, Freeman is the only running back with stats at the NFL level. Freeman, a third-round pick by the Denver Broncos in 2018, has appeared in 79 games and started nine games. He’s rushed 471 times for 1,472 yards and 10 touchdowns. The Bears signed Freeman to the practice squad in December. He was then signed to the Los Angeles Rams practice squad in January. He last played a regular-season game in 2023, when he added 319 yards and two touchdowns in 14 games for the Rams. The Bears are signaling their need for a running back this summer. There are other options available in the trade market, as the Washington Commanders are shopping Brian Robinson Jr. during the preseason. More running backs will be available after other teams trim their rosters to 53 players, but they might not be the type of athletes to make a significant boost for the offense early in the regular season.
Shaquille O'Neal makes peace with longtime enemy — mostly
Shaquille O'Neal and Dwight Howard patched things up Sunday after years of feuding. But even while describing their rapprochement, O'Neal couldn't keep from teasing his longtime nemesis. The "Big Aristotle" was at the BIG3 playoffs Sunday to watch Howard's L.A. Riot play the Chicago Triplets. In the middle of describing to Rachel Nichols how he and Howard had made peace, O'Neal broke off his explanation to make fun of Howard for missing a dunk. The two Hall of Fame centers had sparred for years, despite their common ground as former members of the Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Lakers. Some of the tension seemed to be due to Howard adopting O'Neal's "Superman" nickname, though O'Neal claimed to Nichols that he was simply being tough on Howard to motivate him. That explanation doesn't account for the time O'Neal mocked Howard for playing basketball in the Taiwanese league or the decade-plus he's spent roasting Howard on his podcast, in public appearances and on "Inside the NBA." Still, it appears that the two have made peace. Despite O'Neal being left off the original list of presenters, he insisted that he'll be among a group of Hall of Famers inducting Howard Sept. 6, including Dominique Wilkins, Robert Parish, Dennis Rodman and Patrick Ewing. It means that two of the most dominant big men of their eras have finally buried the hatchet. It's added a new level of interest to the Hall of Fame ceremonies, and it should be a sweet moment between O'Neal and Howard. As long as Howard doesn't mention Superman.
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Russell Westbrook already made his biggest free-agency mistake
A first-ballot Hall of Famer whenever he decides to hang it up, Russell Westbrook has long been revered as one of the NBA's premier point guards, both with his aggressive play and infectious energy. Despite the former MVP's impressive resume, though, he remains unsigned nearly two months after free agency opened on June 30. It's no secret that Westbrook is no longer an All-Star-caliber player, but it's certainly jarring to see his name alongside the summer's other leftovers. Over the last two seasons, Russ has willingly accepted a bench role and shown his ability to contribute even without being the offense's focal point. He finished top-10 in Sixth Man of the Year voting with both the Los Angeles Clippers in 2023-24 and the Denver Nuggets in 2024-25. The Nuggets may have been Westbrook's most seamless fit since the 36-year-old left the Oklahoma City Thunder, which brings us to the key mistake he made this offseason: He decided to bet on himself when his career was trending south. It's understandable why Westbrook decided to decline his player option with Denver. $3.5 million is pocket change relative to today's NBA salaries, so it's possible the nine-time All-Star expected to land a bigger payday on name brand alone. But that's no longer the case with Westbrook. The Nuggets, like several teams before them, took a chance on Westbrook, whose play has been nothing short of a wild card in recent years. Alongside Nikola Jokic, though, he found success operating off-ball by utilizing his natural explosiveness, a sensible calling card for one of basketball history's most athletic playmakers. It seemed like the perfect spot for Westbrook to finish out his career. Instead, he has continued to seek out a more lucrative deal with a team that is looking to give him more offensive freedom. While the Sacramento Kings and New York Knicks are both reportedly interested in adding his services, neither team can offer both a higher salary and an expanded role. It also seems unlikely that Westbrook will find a more seamless fit for himself than what he had in Denver. Whether it's due to his erratic offensive tendencies or his relentless determination to involve himself in every action, it's easy to see why teams have to talk themselves into Westbrook at this point in his career. It appears that Russ will finally be picked up soon, but the damage has already been done. The two-time scoring champion already gave up his best chance at winning a title once he departed from Denver.
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