Steven Sipple: Matt Davison believes Nebraska’s main collective is trending toward nation’s top five; one key for NU in 2023 is plainly evident; and Michigan’s talented mass of humanity
Things I know, and things I think I know: It can be difficult to get a strong handle on which schools are performing best in the name, image, and likeness game. As for Nebraska, Matt Davison made a strong case Monday that The 1890 Initiative is trending in the right direction.
In fact, stay tuned for significant news, he says.
“We have some big things we’re going to announce during the next few weeks — next few months, for sure,” Davison said during an interview on 93.7 FM “The Ticket” in Lincoln. “I think the trajectory for our company is really good. I think we can have a top five collective in the country. I think we’re trending that way. I think we’re near there now.”
The key, of course, is fundraising, he said.
It’s also about education.
My read is the average college sports fan doesn’t fully understand N.I.L. or perhaps doesn’t understand it at all.
“I think our number one challenge is probably the educational piece and how it all works,” said Davison, president of The 1890 Initiative. “I think there are probably a lot of people who want to help with N.I.L. and don’t know how. They don’t know exactly what it looks like if they were to help.”
In a recent On3 ranking of the nation’s most ambitious collectives, The 1890 Initiative — Nebraska’s main collective by a long ways — checked in at No. 19. Davison, a former Nebraska standout receiver, partnered with billionaire Nebraska businessmen Tom Peed and Shawn Peed to launch 1890 during the fall of 2022.
Davison leads a staff of four full-time members plus an intern.
What’s more, one of the Peeds’ enterprises — Sandhills Global, an information processing company — plays a key role.
“Out at Sandhills Global, we probably have at least 10 people who wake up every day and think about 1890 before they get to the office, from accounting to legal,” Davison said. “We have an enormous amount of support with this thing, and hopefully that gives comfort to our fan base, to know we’re trying to do things the right way.”
Matt Davison has strong relationship with Matt Rhule
It can be difficult to adequately comfort Nebraska football fans, who’ve endured persistent heartbreak in recent seasons. However, those fans should gain a measure of comfort in knowing Davison has an excellent working relationship with first-year Husker football coach Matt Rhule.
All told, The 1890 Initiative works with eight Husker sports.
“We have 120 athletes on contract right now, and we’ve made payments individually to over 150 student-athletes,” Davison said. “We’re gaining traction. We’re always trying to grow and think of new ideas. It’s an ever-changing industry. We’re still learning. But we have a lot of good things going on right now.”
At that point in the interview, former Nebraska assistant coach Bill Busch — now an “Early Break” show co-host — chimed in, saying, “Several people have reached out to me from other Power 5 schools for information on how they can get in touch with 1890 and Matt.
“They say, ‘I know Nebraska is doing it at the highest level — cutting edge.’”
I know this: Nebraska has obvious disadvantages in the recruiting realm compared to many Big Ten schools. If Nebraska were deficient in the N.I.L. realm, it would be nearly impossible for the program to achieve at a high level.
All I’m trying to impart here is that Nebraska’s top collective operates in a strong manner, a top-20 manner, according to On3.
Davison’s confidence is evident. He understands and embraces his role. It’s about helping with talent acquisition. What’s more important than talent acquisition?
Check out what Tennessee football is doing in the N.I.L. world and how much it’s helped the program.
We heard the mega-N.I.L. news for Nebraska volleyball last week. Yes, John Cook will continue to reel in All-Americans until he’s ready for the rocker.
By the way, nothing is more important than talent acquisition.
Next month, 1890’s offices will move to the 22-story Lied Place building in downtown Lincoln. The 1890 space will be tasteful and handsome, a place where student-athletes and their families will get a strong sense of the seriousness with which Nebraska approaches this element of college sports.
Of course, it guarantees nothing. But if Nebraska football were to continue to fail, it’ll be for reasons other than its commitment to N.I.L.
Nebraska’s close-game woes strike like anvil on the head
If Nebraska football reverses fortunes in coming seasons, it’ll be largely due to a reversal of a godforsaken trend in the eyes of Husker fans.
This team needs to win more close games, plain and simple.
Only it’s not so simple. After all, Pete Thamel of ESPN points out that since 2018 Nebraska is 7-25 in games decided by eight points or fewer.
You perhaps already knew that. If you’re a Nebraska fan, it hits you like an anvil on the head.
“There’s definitely been enough talent here since I’ve been here,” Nebraska senior cornerback Quinton Newsome told Thamel. “It’s always little things.”
It’s why Rhule stresses situational football, including late-game occurrences.
“We’re figuring out ways to be prepared in moments that we weren’t prepared for before,” Husker running back Gabe Ervin said. “We did know what we were doing last year, but not to the fullest and we weren’t really prepared for those moments.”
Tight-knit teams tend to fare well in tense late-game moments.
Teams that are bigger and stronger and more physical tend to win close games. Diet also is a factor that Rhule emphasizes.
One can tell that Rhule is thinking about the importance of winning the close ones.
“When you get to those moments in the fourth quarter,” he told Thamel, “I don’t want our blood pressure to go up. I want us to get to those moments and we have done this so much that we’re comfortable.”
Sounds like a good subject for the Big Ten Media Days.
Michigan’s talent in trenches catches one’s eye
Hide the women and children, and maybe a few defensive backs.
Michigan is gearing up to defend its Big Ten crown.
Jim Nagy, executive director of the Senior Bowl, told On3’s Andy Staples that the Wolverines have seven offensive linemen that likely will be in NFL camps at this time next year.
“Guys who don’t even play are going to be in NFL camps,” Staples says with a sense of wonder.
You might also want to hide a couple of offensive players.
“The interior defensive line is as deep and talented as any I’ve seen since the 1997 national championship team,” according to Chris Balas of TheWolverine.com. “They’re going to be really hard to run on.”
Jim Harbaugh has it figured out. Mass kicks you-know-what.
It’s a Big Ten requirement.
Thank you, Bill Busch, for drilling that into my thick noggin.
The post Steven Sipple: Matt Davison believes Nebraska’s main collective is trending toward nation’s top five; one key for NU in 2023 is plainly evident; and Michigan’s talented mass of humanity appeared first on On3.
