CHICAGO, Ill. – Saturday night’s five-set match between No. 1 Wisconsin vs. No. 2 Nebraska delivered 612,000 viewers, the most-watched regular season volleyball broadcast across any network and the most-watched volleyball broadcast in Big Ten Network history.

The previous record was also delivered by Nebraska and Wisconsin on BTN, as 587,000 viewers tuned in on Nov. 25, 2022. The top three regular-season volleyball matches across all networks, and four of the top five, have aired on BTN.

Volleyball broadcasts on BTN are averaging 142,00 viewers this season, a +13% increase over last year’s performance.

The Northern Iowa men are eyeing a bounce back season after an injury plagued campaign that ended with a 14-18 record. The Panthers have nearly their entire roster and better than 90 percent of their scoring returning.

That’s UNI coach Ben Jacobson, who enters his 18th year at the helm. He expects the Panthers to be improved in a number of areas.

Jacobson says roles are being defined in preseason practice.

The Panthers open on the roads on November seventh at North Texas.

Oklahoma State’s Ollie Gordon II (offensive), BYU’s Eddie Heckard (defensive), Oklahoma’s Nic Anderson (newcomer) and Baylor’s Isaiah Hankins (special teams) picked up Big 12 football awards for week eight. Gordon earned his second consecutive accolade while Anderson was also recognized for the second time this season. Additionally, Gordon collected his second straight Doak Walker National Running Back of the Week award.

Gordon rushed for career-highs of 282 yards and four touchdowns on 29 carries in OSU’s 48-34 win at West Virginia. The performance marks the most rushing yards for an FBS player in a game this season. Three of his scores came in the fourth quarter on 16-, 46- and 53-yard rushes. Gordon had five runs that gained more than 25 yards, with his longest carries on the day going for 53, 46, 34, 32 and 27 yards. He is the first Cowboy with four rushing touchdowns in a game since Rennie Childs did so on September 17, 2016, against Pittsburgh. It is the most rushing yards by a Cowboy since All-American Chuba Hubbard scampered for 296 yards against Kansas State on September 28, 2019. Gordon is the first OSU player with four straight 100+ yard rushing games since Jaylen Warren during the 2021 season. The sophomore has eight rushing touchdowns on the season and 10 in his career. He has found the end zone in three consecutive games, with seven total touchdowns during the span.

Heckard led the BYU defense with two takeaways in the Cougars’ 27-14 win over Texas Tech. The senior grad transfer recovered a fumble in the end zone with 2:10 remaining in the first quarter to give BYU a 14-0 early lead. With 2:33 remaining in the second quarter Heckard intercepted a Red Raider pass at the BYU 22-yard line and returned it 38 yards to the TTU 40. Six plays later, BYU kicked a field goal for a 24-7 advantage right before the half. The CB also recorded four tackles, including a tackle for loss and a pass breakup. Heckard earned his bachelor’s degree with a double major of professional sales and mechanical engineering.

Anderson caught five passes for 105 yards and two touchdowns in No. 6/7 Oklahoma’s 31-29 come-from-behind win over UCF. His scores came from 29 and 42 yards as he helped the Sooners improve to 7-0 overall and 4-0 in Big 12 play. The redshirt freshman has eight touchdown catches this season on 16 total receptions. The 50% rate of receiving scores is the highest nationally (min. 5 receiving TDs). Only one FBS player since at least the start of the 1996 campaign finished a season with a higher rate of receiving TDs (min. 8 receiving TDs). Anderson ranks second nationally this year with his 24.2 yards per catch and leads the Big 12 with his eight touchdown receptions.

Hankins was outstanding for the Bears in their 32-29 victory at Cincinnati, making all four of his field goal attempts and adding two PATs. The sophomore Entrepreneurship and Corporate Innovation major hit a career-long 54-yarder in addition to makes from 43, 46 and 43 yards. He became the ninth kicker in school history to connect on four FGs in one game, tying for the Baylor record. His 14 points scored were a career-high, and he also handled kickoff duties for the first time this season, recording three touchbacks in eight attempts.

Big 12 Players of the Week
September 4
Offense: Emory Jones, UC, QB, Sr.
Defense: Jeremiah Cooper, ISU, DB, So.
Newcomer: Emory Jones, UC, QB, Sr.
Special Teams: Ryan Rehkow, BYU, P, Jr. and Gavin Freeman, OU, WR/PR, So.

September 11
Offense: Quinn Ewers, UT, QB, So.
Defense: Danny Stutsman, OU, LB, Jr.
Newcomer: Adonai Mitchell, UT, WR, Jr.
Special Teams: Colton Boomer, UCF, K, So.

September 18
Offense: Dillon Gabriel, OU, QB, Sr.
Defense: Tyler Batty, BYU, DE, Jr.
Newcomer: Nic Anderson, OU, WR, Fr.
Special Teams: Matthew Golden, UH, KR/WR, So.

September 25
Offense: DJ Giddens, K-State, RB, So.
Defense: Cobee Bryant, KU, CB, Jr.
Newcomer: Parker Jenkins, UH, RB, Fr.
Special Teams: Chase Contreraz, ISU, K, Sr.

October 2
Offense: Jonathon Brooks, UT, RB, So.
Defense: Caden Jenkins, BU, CB, Fr.
Newcomer: Adonai Mitchell, UT, WR, Jr.
Special Teams: Loic Fouonji, TTU, WR, Sr.

October 9
Offense: Dillon Gabriel, OU, QB, Sr.
Defense: Beau Freyler, ISU, DB, Jr.
Newcomer: Cameron Epps, OSU, CB, Fr.
Special Teams: Trevor Wilson, KU, WR/PR, Jr.

October 16
Offense: Josh Hoover, TCU, QB, Fr. and Ollie Gordon II, OSU, RB, So.
Defense: Kobe Savage, K-State, S, Sr.
Newcomer: Avery Johnson, K-State, QB, Fr.
Special Teams: Chase Contreraz, ISU, K, Sr.

October 23
Offense: Ollie Gordon II, OSU, RB, So.
Defense: Eddie Heckard, BYU, CB, Sr.
Newcomer: Nic Anderson, OU, WR, Fr.
Special Teams: Isaiah Hankins, BU, K, So.

DES MOINES, Iowa – Drake women’s basketball opens the 2023-24 season slotted in second place in the MVC Preseason Poll. Individually, a trio of Bulldogs were named to the Preseason All-MVC teams including First Teamers Katie Dinnebier and Grace Berg as Second Team selection Anna Miller.

The Bulldogs garnered 482 total points in the preseason poll with 12 first-place votes

Berg played in all 32 games for the Bulldogs last season, averaging 12.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game. Dinnebier also played in all 32 games, averaging 11.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game. She also finished with 185 total assists, which led the Missouri Valley Conference. Berg and Dinnebier were both named Third Team All-MVC and All-MVC Tournament Team, with the latter being named All-MVC Defensive Team. 

Miller played in all 32 games last season, with an average of 10.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game. She finished with 72 blocks, good for second in the MVC. Miller was named the MVC Defensive Player of the Year, MVC Sixth Player of the Year, an All-Defensive Team member, and the Elite 17 Award recipient. 

UNI was picked to win the league for the first time in program history with 33 first-place votes and 517 overall points. Two of the Bulldogs’ opponents in last year’s MVC Tournament rounded out the top four as Illinois State received two first-place nods and Belmont got one. The entire MVC Preseason Poll and Preseason All-MVC teams are listed below.

The Bulldogs will look to build on a 22-10 season with a fourth-place regular season conference finish, MVC Tournament, title and a berth into the NCAA Tournament last year. Fans can check out the Drake women in two exhibition contests on Sunday, Oct. 29 and Wednesday, Nov. 1 before the 2023-24 regular season tips off on Monday, Nov. 6.

Team (First-place votes)    Points

1. UNI (33)                             517

2. Drake (12)                         482

3. Illinois State (2)                433

4. Belmont (1)                       401

5. Missouri State                  382

6. UIC                                      311

7. Murray State                     308

8. Southern Illinois               295

9. Indiana State                    200

10. Valparaiso                       162

11. Evansville                        137

12. Bradley                            116

PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR:  Grace Boffeli, UNI

FIRST TEAM
Grace Boffeli, UNI

Grace Berg, Drake

Katie Dinnebier, Drake

Maya McDermott, UNI

DeAnna Wilson, Illinois State

Katelyn Young, Murray State

SECOND TEAM
Tuti Jones, Belmont

Jade Masogayo, Missouri State

Jaida McCloud, UIC

Anna Miller, Drake

Kennedy Taylor, Missouri State