1-on-1 with DP – 93.7 The Ticket KNTK - Husker fans takeover Houston: March 24th, 2026, 12:00pm

Episode Date: March 24, 2026

How many Husker fans will be in Houston for the Sweet 16?Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Coming at you live from the heart of Lincoln America, a 93-7-the-ticket and the ticketfm.com. Sponsored by the Downtown Lincoln Foundation. Here is your host, Derek Pearson. Hour number two on a Tuesday, character's back Thursday. I'll be Lionheart live tomorrow, one to three, I will be on the road. I may, if I get to Houston on time, I can stream in as well. But we'll figure that out in the morning, Bach. Right, sir.

We'll figure it out. All right. We'll figure it out. Who knows? Live from Houston. Live from the Sweet 16, words that have never been said in Lincoln, the Brasca on air.

Live from the Sweet 16. Coverage of the Huskers. The Huskers are going down tonight. I believe later today. It was kind of how it was described, vaguely. To get down there, they'll get a practice in today.

Maybe they got it in this morning. They'll get a shoot out in the, in the Toyota Center. It is a necessary thing to acclimate yourself. Different shooting environments, different shooting windows, different backgrounds for shooting

certainly plays into it and being prepared. Remember, you know, it was pointed out to me, and Bach, tell me what you think. It was pointed out to me because some friends, some hoop friends were talking about Cinderella. They were talking about Cinderella. And immediately my head went to the Huskers.

Like, that's the Cinderella story of all Cinderella stories in my mind. But he goes, hey, bro, you all are favored. Like, y'all are favored. and it's Iowa. Not exactly on your level. And it's not like they've been dominating in basketball either. The last time it's been at least 10 years since they've been in the following Sweet 16, right?

Yeah, last time they're in the Sweet 16 was 1999, actually. Right. So it's been a minute. Right. So what's the bigger story? Huskers in the Sweet 16, Iowa being in Sweet 16. Well, I think it's Nebraska because of the history behind it, but I was, I was not one that understood the Fran McCaffrey firing. He struggled there a little bit there at the end to kind of live up to the standard. But he's a guy that had, you know, Luca Garza and Kagan Murray and, you know,

going back for like Peter John, all these, all these different players over the years, national player of the year, all Americans, but he never got to the sweet 16. And so the frustration kind of mounted up there. And then Ben McCollum comes in in one year. After 15 years of Fran McCullough, Fran McCaffer, like I said, with varying levels of success,

but certainly not invisible, getting to the Sweet 16, going beyond what he could do, it's quite a story itself. And obviously defending up, you know, beating the defending national champion as to on the way to do it. Yeah,

I kind of felt like I didn't want to give Iowa credit. And I didn't want to make Thursday about Iowa. Jake Soren is Sorenton is profound in making he was like oh yeah it's about hour I was like no

no it's not like if there was a way to speak about Thursday's Sweet 16 matchup without talking about them that would be my mission the rest of the week to make it not about them it's entirely about the Huskers

entirely about this roster entirely about the movement entirely about the culture entirely about the season, entirely about the opportunity. Bach, is that possible? Is that possible? It's definitely possible. It depends on what way you want to do. I do agree that you can go, like, too far down at the road into the Iowa sphere, I suppose,

because I've seen questions like, you know, if Nebraska loses, isn't that going to be the worst way to lose? Wouldn't that be the worst to lose to Iowa? And I'm thinking, you're still in the sweet 16. I mean, you've exercised all your demons. It's the most, it's the best season in history. If you're in this, at some point you're going to fall. You're not going to love whatever that happens to.

If it happens to be Iowa, then so be it. That's a team that you know can beat you. We've already seen it. But as I said, like exercising your demons, there's a lot of demons from Iowa as a program coming over from Nebraska. So all these demons that have been exercised, maybe there could be just one more. And Nebraska basketball has faced all of these and knocked them down.

so far this year. So this could just be, how about this? Instead of thinking about what if we lose, what if you win? What if you beat Iowa and send them packing in their best season since 1999, or at least closest chance they won a championship since 1999? And just add that as part of the great season that was. Bach, you just, you just captured where my head is entirely about this thing. And I've been saying it for weeks, and it drives me crazy. I said, I'm, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I have zero time and space for the negative Nebraska fan. It's too good to, you've made too good of a suit, man. You've made too good of a meal to just pour salt into it.

It's not necessary. It's not necessary. This season, this team, this culture, this feeling is too good to Iowa it down. Like, don't do it. It's not necessary. A part of the great story that is, think of it. about Indiana and all the ghosts and all the things that they had to chase and people just going, well, they've never beat, you can't beat Ohio City, can't beat Michigan, that,

bah, bah, blah, blah, blah, yeah, you can. Yeah, you can. And yeah, you will. Like, I, to circle this thing, I just needed a place and a space to just celebrate this season, this team, this weekend, this game, this story. Because that's the story. That you don't have to live in the, look, we've got a text line filled with people who three weeks ago told us, just win a game first, how dare you dream about anything bigger than that. Forget about the whole season.

Forget about the second seed. Forget about the 20-game win streak. Forget about all those things. None of it's going to matter. None of this matters. If you don't win the first round game. No, it mattered then. And that's why it matters now.

The 20 wins was a reason why you could get all behind. And then it's, well, you're, you know, I won't mention names. But there were taxes who are like, DP, you're setting everybody up for heartbreak. We're going to lose in the first round and none of this is going to be egger on our faces. No, you're not. No, you're not. That's how the universe works. And there are no promises to it.

And there's no commitment to it. But why would you not just spend your time? You have, there are 16 programs in the country who have the opportunity to play Thursday and Friday. Eight of them will advance to this weekend. Eight. I can allow everybody else. How many teams are there in Division I, Bob? Oh, boy, 300 plus.

Right? 300 plus, and you're in the top percentage. Right. Ride, ride, ride. Textor says this, how do you feel the fans will travel to Houston compared to OKC, especially with Iowa being our opponent Thursday evening? I don't know. I'm going to ask the text line, how many of you on the text line,

just tell me where you're going to be watching Thursday's game? Tell me where you're watching. Are you flying to Houston nine hours from Lincoln, Houston? are you driving to Houston, are you flying to Houston, are you watching at home, are you watching at a bar? What do you do? Bach, will you watch it at home out of comfort or do you want to be around people? It depends, especially with the Saturday.

If it's the spring game, you know, just make it a whole social type of day and go out. But I generally like to watch it, you know, one of those weird guys. I guess I like broadcasting a little bit. like to listen to the broadcast. So I, you generally like to watch Thursday. Where were you watched Thursday? Probably at home. At home, right?

What's the, what's the perfect meal? What do you? What's the perfect beat Iowa meal? Yeah, yeah. Maybe, yeah, you probably got to include the Hawkeyes in there. So maybe some sort of chicken or something. Texas, I'll be at home. 77 inch screen.

Is that the biggest? What's the biggest screen? I've seen like there's like 84s aren't there yeah anybody tell you you know anybody with an 84 I don't they're it's crazy you know expensive how expensive

those giant TVs used to be now they're not so bad anymore so they're pretty affordable folks yeah I think it's their bone says this if they are Nebraska fans there's nothing to be negative about it's a season no one will forget I mean that's that to me makes all the sense in the world

that makes all the sense of meaning the world because this is this is this is the type of season that folklore is built up like this is I mean we have to remember Hoosers didn't win a national title they just want a state title

bro but remember that right it's really a thing Right? No, Eric, there is no if. They're not going to. You don't get to do that. That's just it. Now, again, Eric, I say this, I don't know who hurt you. Therapy is, is okay. Go get counseling. Go get counseling. Talk it out with somebody. Find a couch. Close your eyes and just find your pain. Find the source of your pain. What I'm interested in, though, is because I know a couple buddies that went down to OKC.

At the absolute time of their life, I asked them, hey, top five sports event, they said number one, not even close. This was the best. Then I asked them if they're going to Houston. No, you know, you got jobs. You know, there's affordability levels for different people. And so this is kind of the middle ground. Like, if the Rasker makes the final four, there's people that I'll quit my job, take out money from our retirement and I'll go to the final four. There's a once in a lifetime opportunity, right?

And then there's the opening round, which was, you know, obviously history was going to be made, all that sort of stuff. this is kind of in the middle ground. Nothing's guaranteed. But if, you know, if you have to be choosy about where you're going to go, I wonder if there are folks waiting back and saying, you know what, I'm going to, I'm going to hold my breath, see if they make the final four. I will do that. But, you know, maybe you can't afford to do it all.

Where's the final four of this? Let me look at it. It's reachable. It's reachable. It's drivable. It's actually drivable. And this is why I say, yeah, that that I hate to think about it that way because I do not want

buckets on the bracket. Oh, it is. It's an indie. Okay. I kept waiting for you just to grab the paper. Yeah, I can do that. Yeah. That it's an indie, right? Yeah. Driveable. How far is to drive to Indy? Not the long one, but yet drivable. No, we we had people drive the ticket van to Indy for Big Ten Media. Several years. So driving. Nine hours and 45 minutes. Yeah. We drove to Indy. So we understand that. Like, I think it's in the space. So how many people are going is the question.

And you have to make sure that you don't oversell and overshoot, right? Okay, C. That's why they wanted the Huskers in. an okayc so they can drive to it. I don't know that it's that much difference driving the five and a half hours. Well, here's the problem with the box deserve the press pass, send him. Here's the, here's how this works and people don't understand how it works. So the NCAA events now. These are not Husker athletic events.

These are NCAA events. And the NCAA, the credential portal for that requires that, you attend the majority of games in your home market under their watch and their approval first before they will approve you for National for NCAA. So now, I can say this. I'm not that far away from putting more people in the credential pool locally, but I don't control who Nebraska athletics lets cover events. I can send them a list and they will tell you that's too many, that's, you know, perfect or otherwise.

To tell you that, okay, so case and point, I will not be credentialed for Houston. By Nebraska. By Nebraska. Because we were told that we had to max out at two. Now, on a personal level and professional level, I say openly and freely that 93-7th ticket does and has covered Nebraska basketball with more man-hours and resource than everybody else combined, period. 18 hours a day, seven days a week.

There are folks who are just getting into the Nebraska basketball post game business. Bach, how long have we, you, how long has the ticket been in the Nebraska basketball post game business? Quite a bit of time. Six years? Yeah. Six years. And now, oh, oh, now that they're winning, they love you. Now that they're winning their people, there are folks from all over.

over the state. There are all sorts of people who are all about the postgame show. We were there when you weren't good, when it wasn't going well, wasn't easy, it wasn't celebratory, it wasn't fun. But we did it because Husker fans deserve a place to meet and whether it's to commiserate or celebrate, they could do either in one place. And then we were consistent about it. We have been consistent about it. Now here come the podcasters. Now you're come the content creators now. Here come the writers that want to be talkers. Just because you can write doesn't mean you can talk it.

Storytelling is a different deal, but we're told we can only do two. Okay. So my being, my thing is this. Austin Orman has done an exceptional job covering Husker basketball. Nick Sainer does a great job as well. Jake Sorensen has done a great job to round up support for the coverage, right, for the coverage. So being the boss, it made more sense for me to get out of the way. Now, I chose to put my credential name in wrestling.

And by the way, but how many of the same folks who swear, that they are Husker true and true. Through and through. How many of them, how many media folks of these, all these, husker this and husker this and husker that, and we are big red this and big red that, how many of them were at Nebraska Big Ten,

we're at Big Ten wrestling and NCAA wrestling? What number comes to mind? Yeah, you love them that much. The one-on-one? How much of the Husker media that exists across the state talks tennis, men's and women, gymnastics, soccer, bowling, something of diving. They couldn't name, they couldn't identify the people in a lineup. But we get restricted because of you wanting friends and family in?

Okay, cool, none of my business. but the fans deserve that and the people deserve it. So I'm getting out of the way for it. Jake and Austin will be the credentialed media. I'll be there hanging out. But here's the thing. It makes some sense that in a perfect world next year, you know who I'd like to send to games?

J. Foreman, Bill Bush, Adam Kerker. Just to have those conversations. Different. We would get different information, wouldn't we? But is there anything you or I could see that Jay, Adam, and Bill Bush and Farley would see? Different levels. Different lens, yeah. Different lens, right?

Wouldn't that be ideal? It definitely would be interesting. Yeah. Full, in full. So, yeah, I would love to send it. We'd love to send it. We're sending the folks we can. Right?

Shane says this, oh man, can you imagine a big red takeover of the final four, our fan base would just be locked number one and disputable best fans forever. Depends who else is there. Duke shows. Duke ain't going to let you have it.

If they get there, Duke's not going to go on quietly. Arizona's not going quiet. Is there enough? I don't, you know, I know all the focuses on Iowa. There is a chance of Nebraska wins there, they're going to be playing Houston in Houston. Do we, is there, I haven't heard a whole lot about it. So, having been a resident of Houston, been in that space, I've gone to way too many Houston

Cougain basketball games. I've had players, I've had Kelvin Samson in my high school gym at practice watching players and talking basketball. I've been at his camp, I've worked his camps, the whole Shabak. Their fans get down in their own way. And listen, they're not, that Houston basketball game is long, man. You got to go back. Do you know the greatest coach in Houston basketball history?

Not the top of my head. Oh, Bach. He was a dressy gentleman, known for his, his, his plaid Houston Cougar, red and white. Blazer. He was the force behind Fislamma-jamma. Houston basketball. They played in the greatest college game ever. You know that's the greatest game ever, right? UCLA, Houston, Lou Alcender

versus Elvin Hayes in the old Astrodome. The first of the satellite broadcasts. in the big arena, killing the greatest winning streak in college basketball history. That's Houston Coug. That's where you're walking into. They've hosted the national championship several times. They know their basketball, they know the hoops, and they love it.

They are not going to go easy into this good night. They are not going to play second fiddle to Nebraska. Nebraska will have some work to do to get ownership of that building, even with a win. So imagine. Now, I can see Houston rooting for Nebraska Thursday.

But Houston beats Illinois, sir, Saturday night's going to be something, something. I'm rooting for that. A part of me also wants to see Nebraska to Illinois in the elite eight. I'm okay. either way. But Houston is not going quietly, my friend. That basketball history in Houston, it's a real thing.

We'll talk ticket prices when we come back because those are some numbers, Bach. Those are some numbers. More one-on-one. We'll be right back. Download our app by searching 93.7, the ticket in your app store. You're listening to one-on-one with DP on 93-7 the ticket and the ticketfm.com. Thank you.