NEWS ALERT: Shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic school leaves 3 dead, including the shooter, and 17 injured, police say
The Associated Press
August 27, 2025, 12:27 PM
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Cincinnati will likely be enjoying a house sport in Nebraska’s personal yard Thursday evening. The gang, most of which will likely be making a comparatively quick drive south to Arrowhead Stadium, will likely be virtually completely behind the Huskers.
So, why did the Bearcats comply with play in Kansas Metropolis, Missouri?
Cash, for one factor, and that’s no small factor in an period of NIL offers and revenue-sharing in school athletics.
The sport between the Large 12 and Large Ten faculties initially was slated for Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, a couple of two-hour drive from Cincinnati and tons of of miles away from Lincoln, Nebraska. However it was placed on the back-burner by the pandemic, and when it was resurrected, the panorama had shifted as cash started to funnel straight to varsity athletes.
On the periphery of those modifications was Mark Donovan, the visionary president of the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs. They’ve hosted school video games at Arrowhead Stadium for many years, however much less so lately, as TV started to dictate the when and the place.
“Now they’re all again on the desk due to NIL,” Donovan mentioned of faculty video games, “so it’s type of opened the enjoying discipline.”
Donovan went to his manufacturing crew and mentioned, “Let’s attempt to create one thing cool.”
Not only a sport however an occasion.
“We went to Nebraska and mentioned, ‘Whose deal is that this?’ They usually’re like, ‘Properly, the house crew is Cincinnati,’” Donovan recalled in an interview with The Related Press. “So we went to Cincinnati and had been like, ‘OK, effectively, what if we paid you extra?’
As a result of make no mistake: Whereas school soccer has all the time been a enterprise, it has by no means been been extra true.
“So now we have a deal the place we mentioned, ‘OK, we’ll take extra danger as a result of now we have to ensure you an even bigger quantity, however we predict we will make it work from a enterprise perspective.’ That is an funding danger. That’s what it’s,” Donovan mentioned.
“But when we will make this occur, and it really works, we will create our personal expertise round this, and it turns into a platform.”
Thus far, the chance has been well worth the reward. Nebraska followers wanting to see their season opener have snapped up tickets shortly, and new tools and attire firm Battle Sports activities has change into the title sponsor of the Kansas Metropolis Traditional.
“If it’s a house sport, I’d moderately be enjoying right here in Nippert, for positive, in your individual stadium, along with your folks,” Bearcats coach Scott Satterfield admitted. “They’re three-and-a half hours away. We’re about eight hours away, in order that they’re a bit nearer.”
Satterfield isn’t complaining, simply stating the info.
“We’re each going to be in resorts. We’re each going to be having to cope with that. In that respect, it’s the identical,” he mentioned. “There is no such thing as a benefit both means. It comes right down to who’s going to return out with the most effective sport plan. Who’s going to execute?”
Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby understands all of that. However the venue nonetheless is a giant purpose why the Huskers, who’re persevering with to construct in coach Matt Rhule’s third season, are 6 1/2-point favorites, in accordance with BetMGM Sportsbook.
“We really feel like we will go in there and compete with anyone,” Sorsby mentioned. “It’s our job to go in there and show ourselves proper, and go in there and discover a solution to win a sport. We’re not paying an excessive amount of consideration to it, however positively use it as motivation.”
There may be ample motivation for the Chiefs to placed on a Thursday evening spectacle, too.
In addition to the underside line that comes with internet hosting this sport, the Chiefs are endeavoring to create an occasion that resonates far past Nebraska-Cincinnati. The NFL franchise is within the midst of deciding whether or not to renovate growing older Arrowhead Stadium or to construct anew — probably even a domed stadium — and what that would imply for enterprise going ahead.
“It’s one thing to think about,” Donovan mentioned. “In case you get a dome, that places you within the sport for giant occasions. And now we have to have a model in place, as a result of we’re going to be competing. A dome, most probably that’s getting us a Tremendous Bowl. We’re on the checklist for a Last 4. However we’ve received to go to work. That’s a aggressive bid. So all this components into that.”
When the Chiefs landed World Cup video games for subsequent summer season, they put collectively a presentation that highlighted their success in internet hosting the AFC title sport and NFL draft, and the neighboring Royals having hosted the World Collection and All-Star Sport.
The sport between Nebraska and Cincinnati is one other instance that they will put ahead.
“We blew the doorways off with tickets. We’re worthwhile. It is smart for each groups,” Donovan mentioned. “Now we’re going to go loopy on the expertise, loopy with influencers and social media, and spotlight every little thing else. We’re going to have a platform that persons are going to look and see, you understand, three months from now after we’re speaking to different groups about enjoying right here, we will level and say, ‘Have a look at what we did.’ And hopefully we do it on an annual foundation.”
___
Get ballot alerts and updates on the AP Prime 25 all season. Join right here. AP school soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
Copyright © 2025 The Related Press. All rights reserved. This materials might not be printed, broadcast, written or redistributed.
5425 Wisconsin Ave
Chevy Chase, MD 20815
hello@wtop.com
202.895.5000
Copyright © 2025 by WTOP. All rights reserved. This web site just isn’t meant for customers positioned throughout the European Financial Space.
