Latest news with #UniversityofNebraskaBoardofRegents
USA Today
31-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Nebraska football to sell alcohol at Memorial Stadium during Saturday's Big Red Preview
The Nebraska football team is one step closer to the 2025 season with its annual Fan Day, followed by its Big Red Preview on Saturday. Nebraska athletics also announced that fans can purchase alcohol during the Big Red Preview. This is the first time ever that alcohol is being sold at a Nebraska football event and just the third time ever at Memorial Stadium. A Garth Brooks concert and Volleyball Day in Nebraska sold alcohol at Memorial Stadium with approval from the school. The University of Nebraska Board of Regents approved the sale of alcohol at Memorial Stadium and the Devaney Center this past October, expanding beyond Nebraska basketball, baseball, and softball. The Big Red Preview is an open practice for the team, their sixth practice of the preseason camp. It is also the team's first practice in full pads, and fans will see the team in action on Memorial Stadium's brand-new playing surface. Concessions and drinks, including beer, will be available on the main concourse of West Stadium and on field level in North Stadium during the Big Red Preview. The event is set to begin at 6:30 p.m. Prior to the open practice, the team is holding its annual Fan Day in the afternoon, where fans can interact with the players in a free event and receive autographs. Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes, and opinions.
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Nebraska education commissioner announces 2026 bid for NU Board of Regents
Nebraska Education Commissioner Brian Maher is the second announced 2026 candidate for the District 1 seat on the University of Nebraska Board of Regents held by Regent Tim Clare of Lincoln, who says he will not seek a fourth term on the board. (Candidate photo courtesy of Maher campaign | University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus photo by Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN — Nebraska's state education commissioner officially jumped Thursday into the 2026 race for a vacant seat on the University of Nebraska Board of Regents. Commissioner Brian Maher of Lincoln, 63, a lifelong educator who has served as state commissioner since July 2023, said his 'vision' for NU is 'a report card for the future' focused on achievement, alignment and a pathway for students to enter and succeed in NU, affordability in tuition and taxpayer dollars and enhancing NU's appeal for in-state and out-of-state students. Maher also said he would prioritize helping NU gain reinstatement into the prestigious American Association of Universities, a similar goal of Regent Tim Clare of Lincoln, whom Maher is seeking to succeed. NU had been a member of the AAU for more than 100 years until it was voted out in 2011 for not meeting certain membership criteria. 'I'm running for the Board of Regents to ensure the next generation of Nebraskans has access to an affordable, high-quality education — and the opportunity to thrive here in our great state,' Maher said in a statement. 'The University of Nebraska has given so much to my family. It's time for us to give back.' The District 1 seat Maher is running for is held by Regent Tim Clare of Lincoln, who told the Lincoln Journal Star in April that he would not seek a fourth six-year term next year. The district includes the northern half of Lincoln, as well as the surrounding communities of Emerald, Malcolm, Agnew, Raymond and Davey. Maher is a first-generation college graduate who was born and raised in Hooper as the youngest of seven children. Maher and his wife Peg raised three children who were all educated at NU and competed in varsity athletics. Across a 40-year career in education, Maher's tenure includes being a teacher at Elkhorn and Clarks Public Schools; a school administrator at Waverly, Elkhorn and Johnson-Brock Public Schools; superintendent of Kearney and Centennial Public Schools in Nebraska; as well as at the Sioux Falls School District in South Dakota and as CEO of the South Dakota Board of Regents (the Nebraska equivalent of NU president). Maher earned a doctorate in educational administration from NU. In 2015, he was awarded the 'Nebraska Superintendent of the Year,' his final year in Kearney. Maher enters the race with the endorsements of all eight members of the officially nonpartisan State Board of Education that selects an education commissioner. The members are four Republicans and four Democrats. The state board last month unanimously voted to extend Maher's contract one more year, to July 2027. He was appointed in March 2023 on a 5-3 vote at a time when the board also was split 4-4, with one Republican joining Democrats. The Republican members of the state board endorsing Maher are Elizabeth Tegtmeier of North Platte (chair), Kirk Penner of Aurora, Sherry Jones of Grand Island and Lisa Schonhoff of Bennington. The Democratic board endorsing him are Deb Neary of Omaha (vice chair), Kristin Christensen of Lincoln, Maggie Douglas of Bellevue and Liz Renner of Omaha. Former Lincoln Public Schools Superintendent Steve Joel also endorsed Maher. Maher's immediate predecessor, former Education Commissioner Matt Blomstedt now works for NU as its associate vice president for government relations. Campaign spokesperson Derek Oden said Maher 'fully intends to continue faithfully serving' as commissioner through the campaign. If elected, Maher does intend to step down 'to fully commit himself' to the NU Board of Regents. That means the State Board of Education could be searching for a new ed commissioner in 2027, and the 2026 election could decide the partisan split of the board and the ease with which a new commissioner is selected. In 2026, the seats of three Republicans (Jones, Penner and Tegtmeier) and one Democrat (Neary) are up for election. Maher joins the officially nonpartisan race for regent with Lincoln entrepreneur Brent Comstock, 29, who announced his candidacy in early June. Clare is a registered Republican, and so is Maher. Comstock is a registered nonpartisan. The NU board is currently 6-2 majority Republican. Clare ran unopposed in 2014 and 2020 and won in 2008 with 58% of the vote. New district boundaries took effect in 2021 and match those of State Board of Education District 1, which elected newcomer Christensen with 58% of the vote in a highly watched election in November. She succeeded former State Board of Education member Patsy Koch Johns, a Democrat first elected in 2016. The top two vote-getters in the May 2026 NU regents race will advance to the November 2026 election. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lincoln entrepreneur running for open NU Board of Regents seat in 2026
Brent Comstock of Lincoln is the first announced 2026 candidate for the District 1 seat on the University of Nebraska Board of Regents held by Regent Tim Clare of Lincoln, who says he will not seek a fourth term on the board. (Candidate photo courtesy of Comstock campaign | University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus photo by Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN — A Lincoln entrepreneur born and raised in Auburn announced his 2026 candidacy Wednesday for an open seat on the University of Nebraska Board of Regents. Brent Comstock, 29, is the CEO of the Lincoln-based marketing firm BCom, which he started a decade ago, after having thought up the idea for the business while he was in school. The District 1 seat Comstock is running for is held by Regent Tim Clare of Lincoln, who told the Lincoln Journal Star in April that he would not seek a fourth six-year term next year. NU Board of Regents District 1 includes the northern half of Lincoln, as well as the surrounding communities of Emerald, Malcolm, Agnew, Raymond and Davey. Comstock said it's important to preserve Clare's legacy of being principled and that he hopes to continue Clare's ability to bring all Nebraskans to the table. 'With the current political climate and the current budget environment, I think the next decade is going to shape how future generations choose to work and live here in the state,' Comstock told the Nebraska Examiner. 'All of that future depends on a strong, forward-thinking university system that brings everyone to the table and recognizes that every Nebraskan is impacted by what happens through the university system.' Comstock said NU is the 'most important public institution in the state,' from Nebraska Extension and 4-H in rural communities to degree programs across NU campuses and world-class research at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. 'I think it touches every person in Nebraska,' Comstock said. Comstock, the son of a plumber and a former special education teacher, is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He said he made his own college decision similar to other small town Nebraska kids: on finances, dreams and aspirations. A scholarship made it more economically viable to go to school in North Carolina, Comstock said he returned home and invested in BCom, which partners with start-up companies, a bipartisan group of candidates and other causes or organizations. Comstock's campaign announcement included endorsements from Nebraskans, including Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird, community leader and philanthropist Connie Duncan, former State Sen. Matt Williams of Gothenburg (who ran for the regents in 2022) and former U.S. Sens. Bob Kerrey and Ben Nelson, who both also served Nebraska as governor. In a statement, Gaylor Baird said Comstock 'helped put Lincoln on the map' and has played a key role in shaping Lincoln's 'growing entrepreneurial ecosystem.' He lives and works in the downtown and Haymarket space in Lincoln. 'Brent understands that the success of the university and the success of Lincoln are deeply connected. He brings people together — across politics, industries and generations — to focus on what really matters: education, opportunity and progress,' Gaylor Baird said. 'He's exactly the kind of regent we need right now.' Jeff Raikes, the former Microsoft executive and Nebraska native who co-founded the Raikes Foundation, also endorsed Comstock. The Jeffrey S. Raikes School of Computer Science and Management at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is named after Raikes, the former CEO of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Raikes said in a statement that Comstock understands that NU 'is not only a world-class institution, but also a vital economic engine for our state.' 'His ability to work across sectors and across the aisle makes him exactly the kind of regent we need to lead with vision, integrity and purpose,' Raikes said. Clare ran unopposed in 2014 and 2020 and won in 2008 with 58% of the vote. New district boundaries took effect in 2021 and match those of the State Board of Education District 1, which in November elected newcomer Kristin Christensen. Races for the education boards are officially nonpartisan, and Comstock is a registered nonpartisan, while Clare is a registered Republican and Christensen is a registered Democrat. Christensen won with 58% of the vote in a highly watched election in November, succeeding former State Board of Education member Patsy Koch Johns, a Democrat first elected in 2016. Comstock said that while he would bring a 'fresh perspective,' he also brings a decade of leadership in building a company in the Cornhusker State. 'I told people, if I were ever to seek elected office, I would want it to be in a place that we can make impact that touches as many people as possible,' Comstock said. 'I think that this is the moment to do that.' The top two vote-getters in May 2026 will advance to the November 2026 election. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
University of Nebraska regents amend bylaws to comply with federal anti-DEI mandate
FILE — The University of Nebraska Board of Regents meets Oct. 5. 2023, at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) OMAHA — The University of Nebraska Board of Regents approved multiple bylaw changes Friday in response to President Donald Trump with some opposition from students, faculty and two elected regents. In two 6-2 votes, the NU Board of Regents amended various policies, including those on 'equal opportunity' in employment, admission of students and cultural diversity in setting nonresident tuition remission programs. NU's four student regents did not support the changes, though their votes are non-binding under the Nebraska Constitution. The changes came after the Trump administration in February warned colleges and universities that federal funding could be at risk if they didn't end diversity, equity and inclusion programs. NU Regent Elizabeth O'Connor of Omaha, who opposed the changes along with Regent Barbara Weitz of Omaha, said the decision 'weighed heavily' on her after an emergency Feb. 25 meeting, less than two weeks after the Trump letter, to let the bylaw changes to come up for a vote in time. O'Connor said the federal action against DEI didn't specifically define the targeted programs. She noted DEI isn't just race or ethnicity but is also about women, first-generation college students, nontraditional students, veterans, low-income students and students with disabilities. 'The practices targeted are often research-based practices with decades of education research that indicates numerous benefits to individuals, community and society,' O'Connor said. Student Regents Elizabeth Herbin (University of Nebraska-Lincoln), Ishani Adidam (University of Nebraska at Omaha) and Pranita Devaraju (University of Nebraska Medical Center) said they publicly opposed the changes on behalf of their student bodies. Herbin and Adidam have spoken out on past actions on their campuses to shut down DEI-related offices. Zackary Bursh, a 19-year-old sophomore at UNL, said the regents had a choice to decide how to respond and show they care. UNL faculty Stephanie Bondi and Crystal Garcia, who said they study higher education and the proposed changes on students, told the regents Friday that amending the bylaws could hurt students. Garcia said the Trump 'anti-civil rights guidance' wasn't law and that other universities that have complied in response to similar threats have still lost federal funding. 'Complying with this administration will not save us,' Garcia said. 'It will only open our campus communities to years of continued scrutiny, surveillance and coercion.' Adidam, whose UNO campus hosted the regents Friday, said there has been a 'culture shift' since the closure of DEI offices. She and Herbin said the policies were more than 'language.' 'Yes, this is language, but language is the first step to creating more action that could potentially have negative consequences for students,' Adidam said. 'I personally don't think UNO students would want that.' The fourth student, Sam Schroeder (University of Nebraska at Kearney), abstained from one of the votes but opposed the second. He will return as UNK's student regent next year, while this is the last scheduled meeting for the three other student regents. Regent Jim Scher of Norfolk said he didn't necessarily disagree with the students or O'Connor but that he was concerned about the 'extent of damage' that inaction could cause. 'I don't want to cause a financial problem that is much greater than the verbiage problem that we're talking about,' Scheer said. Noting the groundswell for underrepresented students that the students and O'Connor defended, Scheer said it could be the same students who lose Pell Grants or federal funding. 'The same students that we're talking about being recognized and feeling inclusive or important and helpful, without those Pell Grants, wouldn't be here,' Scheer said. 'I'm not going to be cavalier enough to say I'm going to take a stand symbolically because when those people, those students, don't get their Pell Grants and their funding, they're no longer students.' He continued: 'I think the education of those students outweighs the value of this symbolic vote to withstand the pressures put on us.' Regent Kathy Wilmot of Beaver City echoed Scheer that her 'overarching responsibility' was to ensure NU could continue to offer educational opportunities. O'Connor said she recognized those arguments but disagreed with Scheer that she was being 'cavalier.' She said that seemed 'rude.' Scheer said he was only talking about himself. 'Reasonable minds can have different votes here,' O'Connor said in response. Devaraju said she understands concerns that without the changes NU could lose funding but said she wanted to use even her 'symbolic' vote to speak out. She added that the 'intentionally unclear guidance' came after NU had made many DEI-related changes to appease the federal government and seemed to be leaning toward potential 'over compliance.' 'I also feel that in 50 years we will look back and wonder why we didn't protest at all as our hand was being forced,' Devaraju said. O'Connor said she worried Friday's action wouldn't be the end. 'While today is just one piece of unraveling support for students in research supported by DEI,' O'Connor said, 'I believe that it is just the beginning, and it will be hard to reverse the damage done in the future.' Regents on Friday also approved: Establishing the Nebraska Children's Justice and Legal Advocacy Center in the Nebraska College of Law on UNL's campus. Creating a graduate certificate for emergency nurse practitioners at UNMC. Approving collective bargaining agreements for unionized employees at UNK and UNO. Naming the volleyball court in the Bob Devaney Sports Center the 'John Cook Arena' and putting up a bronze statue of the former Huskers volleyball head coach outside. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
