Shatel: Is Omaha big enough for two professional volleyball teams?

First downs and second guesses: Volleyball season in Nebraska isnt over.

In fact, its just beginning.

On Monday the Omaha Supernovas announced their draft class, including Creighton All-America Kendra Wait and Nebraskas Lindsay Krause.

They join former Husker Ally Batenhorst, Briana Holman and Kayla Caffey on the roster of the defending Pro Volleyball Federation champions.

A couple hours later, the Love Volleyball League announced the signing of its LOVB 6, a rookie class that includes Lexi Rodriguez (Omaha) Jess Mruzik (Houston), Sarah Franklin (Madison), Sophie Fischer (Salt Lake), One Ofoegbu (Atlanta), and Madisen Skinner (Austin).

Rodriguez joins a LOVB Omaha roster that already is loaded with local star power in Jordan Larson, Justine-Wong-Orantes, Madi Kubik, Lauren Stivrins and Jaali Winters.

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The Supernovas open their season on Jan.

10 at the CHI Health Center.

Two weeks later, on Jan 24., Omaha LOVB (team name?) opens its inaugural season at Liberty Credit Union First Arena (Ralston), where it will play four matches and two more at Baxter Arena.

The level of play in both leagues will be incredible.

But are there enough fans to go around? The Novas averaged 9,656 fans last year in 12 matches at the CHI Health Center.

They led the rest of the teams by a lot.

Now add local heroes Wait, Krause and Batenhorst and attendance should improve.

But what if fans also want to go see Larson, Rodriguez, Stivrins and Winters, along with familiar opponents like Franklin and Mruzik? How will it all play out? Apparently, LOVBs pockets run deep.

For old San Diego Chargers fans like myself and John Cook, an easy comparison is the National Football League and American Football League wars in the 1960s.

Which resulted in the creation of the Super Bowl and then a merger.

This winter should be a blast.

But I can already see a couple of questions that might need asking come April.

Shouldnt these two pro volleyball leagues have a championship series at the end? Wouldnt a merger be the best possible thing for the sport of volleyball? See you next month, ladies.

I can still sense a Nebraska volleyball hangover with Husker fans.

Thats the impact that team had on folks.

Those ladies reached in and grabbed them by the heart.

It was an incredible ride and they celebrated all the joys.

But that pain at the end is going to leave a mark.

The four College Football Playoff quarter final match-ups look terrific.

Like, get-me-to-a-TV on Dec.

31 and Jan.

1 terrific.

So, is eight the right number? Don't give up on 12 yet.

I still like 12.

Im a brand name sports guy.

I like watching the big boys battle for championships.

But I also want the non-brands, the little guys, in there.

Underdogs bring a lot to the postseason.

They bring the "what if" factor.

What if the long shot gets on a roll? That's why we watch.

You wouldn't just want a playoff with all SEC and Big Ten teams would you? That's not a national championship.

The first-round blowouts werent good.

But it happens, and it happened in the four-team playoff era.

But one day there will be upsets, too.

Football can't be basketball.

But upsets are the magic in the NCAA tournament.

When the field was announced, I thought Indiana and SMU belonged.

A loss on an opponent's home field can't change that.

Alabamas problem was its loss to Oklahoma.

And who would have imagined that OU would drag mighty Bama out of the playoff? Im real tired of the SEC whining.

It just hurts more.

Hey, you guys wanted OU and Texas.

You got em.

There has been arguing and debates over college football's national champion forever.

Expansion to 12 was never going to change that.

Until the college game goes to 32 teams and puts them into divisions, ala the NFL, with equal scheduling, there's going to be arguing.

I would only change one thing with the first weekend: no first-round byes.

The campus atmospheres were fabulous.

Give me more of em.

One of the great things about the transfer portal is when an athlete settles in and makes the community better.

Creighton senior Steven Ashworth is doing that.

Ashworth is headlining a local charitable initiative called Light The World.

The unique project features vending machines, or Giving Machines, which are located in Westroads Mall near Von Maur.

The machines offer items (10 Blankets for $50 for a homeless shelter) that people can swipe a credit card and donate the item of their choice.

The machines will be at Westroads until Dec.

31.

Ashworth and a group of Creighton athletes from mens and womens basketball and volleyball will be at Westroads on Dec.

28 between 5-8 p.m., to visit and sign autographs.

Bill Belichick is used to coaching the best of the best.

The majority of college football players are not NFL players.

They work hard, and they can make mistakes.

Belichick will recruit well at North Carolina, but hes not going to have an NFL roster.

There are going to be mistakes.

How will he deal with that? I bet this caught Belichicks attention: Tulane redshirt quarterback Darian Mensah hit the portal and wound up at Duke.

According to CBS Sports, Mensah received an NIL deal at Duke reportedly worth $8 million over two years.

When did North Carolina and Duke start spending like Ohio State and Alabama for football? The New Year is upon us.

Im taking nominations for top sports stories in 2024.

Send them my way this week.

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