Omaha Westside reschedules, the defending Class A champion, has shifted its September 20th game against Bellevue West to Thursday, September 19th. This change is to avoid clashing with Nebraska’s home game against Illinois on the same Friday night.
“It’s a no-win situation for us,” said Westside Athletic Director Tom Kerkman. “We want fans to be invested in our game, but we know how much interest there is in Nebraska football.”
The decision came swiftly after the Huskers announced their schedule on Wednesday. Kerkman immediately reached out to Bellevue West’s Athletic Director Jon Mauro, and they agreed to the change for their high-profile matchup.
“That’s a big game for both our schools,” Kerkman noted. “We want to see a great crowd because the gate and concessions are important to us.”
While the move is practical, it does present challenges. “It makes for a short week and gets everyone out of their routine,” Kerkman explained. “We’ve played games on Thursdays before, and it’s not ideal, but we’ll see how it goes.”
Kerkman anticipated fewer conflicts with the rescheduled game. “A lot of people have Nebraska season tickets and would probably be in scramble mode that night,” he said. “We’re just trying to do what we feel is right for us.”
He also mentioned that the change would likely not have occurred if Nebraska were playing away. “Home games are different,” Kerkman said. “I guess time will tell if we made the right decision or not.”
Kerkman wanted to act quickly, predicting that other schools might also reschedule to avoid Nebraska’s Friday night game. “That might lead to a shortage of officials,” he said. “I have a feeling that Thursday is going to be a popular game day.”
Expressing his disappointment, Kerkman commented on Nebraska’s Friday game. “It’s disappointing that the Big Ten is making Nebraska play on Friday, and I’m a huge Husker fan,” he said. “But we’ll try to make the best of a tough situation.”
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