The colors of red and white shine brightly around the campus. Husker fans cheer loud enough to break the sound barrier. Nebraska sports have always had some sort of legacy in the University.
Sports in Nebraska have left a huge legacy at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. From an underrated football team to a National Championship in volleyball, Husker nation has never failed to keep Nebraskans entertained even when the going gets tough.
As the school year starts at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, a new athletic director has been put in place. Trev Alberts, a former Husker football player, was announced to be the new athletic director at UNL on July 14th. Alberts also has 12 years of experience serving as the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s athletic director.
Not only does Alberts have experience in the director department, but he also has won many trophies and All-American awards. Such awards include the Butkus award, which involves being the nation’s top linebacker. Along with the Butkus award, he also was awarded the Big Eight Defensive MVP and was first-team All American. Alberts was a stud on the field and at the end of his senior year he was the top five pick overall in the NFL draft of 1994. While he was at UNO he was able to move up sports from division two to division one.
Senior Shan Acharya said, “At UNO he made a lot of their sports division one that started off as division two and he was a former Husker football player, so just having that connection to the program is pretty special because the guy knows what Nebraska is all about in the University.”
As a new and returning member of UNL, Alberts comes in with new and old ideas. The start of Alberts success began at UNO. He has been there for 12 years and now he is transitioning to UNL as the 16th athletic director in UNL history.
“I also think that while he’s made some controversial decisions during his time at UNO, I don’t think you can really argue with the success of their athletic programs and kind of what he did to help grow them to where they’re at today,” Sam Stanley, head coach of Elkhorn North football, said.
The name of Trev Alberts will forever touch the hearts of many Nebraskans. He has impacted so many lives along with the Husker nation. From being an 18 year old boy dreaming of being on the best college football team to being the new AD for a division one school has inspired many. Alberts exclaims that he is extremely excited to work at UNL and work with new staff to make a difference in the community.
Nebraska Today states, “Alberts opened his introductory press conference Wednesday by getting a little emotional and saying, ‘I love this place.’”It is clear that Alberts is very passionate about Nebraska. He shows emotion for the state and for the University as if it were already his home. This love for Nebraska gives the fans more trust in him as the new AD.
As Nebraskans, putting trust into the athletic system at schools is very important. cHaving a background in Nebraska is very important knowing how the fans react, how people are treated, and the support systems that this state gives.
“I think that Nebraska is a place where it’s really important that the decision makers and the people in charge understand not just the university, but the state of Nebraska and kind of what’s important here,” Stanley said.
With 12 years under his belt as an athletic director and as a former Husker player. Alberts is bound to make UNL sports as great as they once were.As the sports season arrives, count on the sea of red and white to push Husker nation forward.
