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Can WNBA get even more eyes on Caitlin Clark? Yep, host a game at Lucas Oil or Wrigley Field

Published

6 months ago

July 18, 2025

Can WNBA get even more eyes on Caitlin Clark? Yep, host a game at Lucas Oil or Wrigley Field

One of the buzzwords often heard in sports media today is “eventize.” But the word is far from new. For instance, a 2004 New York Times Magazine piece on the explosion of DVDs as a marketing play reveals that “eventize” is a word the writer has been hearing a lot around Los Angeles. From the piece: “As in, ‘We really need to eventize the hell out of this release. For the ‘Star Wars’ debut on DVD, that meant parties, paparazzi, robots and a red-carpet treatment that mimicked in miniature the fanfare accompanying a big-screen theatrical opening. A boffo event, in short.”

The word pops up frequently these days when discussing Netflix’s sports ambitions or a broadcaster’s desire to make something feel big. The sports content marketplace is crowded and one way to separate yourself is making a broadcast feel like an event. That will be case this weekend in Indianapolis as the WNBA descends on the city for All-Star Weekend, even without Caitlin Clark participating in the event because of injury. The league made a smart move by anointing Napheesa Collier and Caitlin Clark team captains and having them select teams. That mini-event delivered a ton of earned media, which is always a bigger win than a paid marketing campaign.

The most successful sports leagues steal ideas from other leagues — or simply use their might to swipe them — and here is where the WNBA should swipe from the NFL, NHL, MLB, college football and other leagues.

The WNBA needs to “eventize” more regular-season games, and a priority for the 2026 season should be using the popularity of Caitlin Clark by scheduling the Fever to play a game at either Lucas Oil Stadium, the home of the Colts in Indianapolis, or a unique outdoor venue in the Midwest, such as Wrigley Field. (Clark is a lifelong Cubs fan.)

A beautiful night for baseball at Wrigley Field! pic.twitter.com/p3vD9avOcT

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) August 23, 2022

The proof of concept already exists in a number of forms for women’s sports:

The Crossover at Kinnick (Stadium) was a preseason exhibition in 2023 between Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes and DePaul at the home stadium of Iowa football. The game set the global women’s basketball single-game attendance record of 55,646.

Two months earlier, Nebraska women’s volleyball drew 92,003 fans to Memorial Stadium— home of the Cornhuskers’ football team — to set the U.S. attendance record at a women’s sporting event.

When I interviewed former Iowa women’s basketbal coach Lisa Bluder last March, she used the word “magical” to describe being part of the The Crossover.

“We had 55,646 people show up, and there were women crying in the stands because this had been done for women’s athletics,” Bluder said. “Some of these women never got to play sports. They didn’t have the opportunity. They were so excited and so emotional to see this happen for women.”

These were creative ideas from people at those colleges, and they became unforgettable events.

Are there issues that come with playing basketball outside? Of course. The weather needs to come through. But history suggests the positives outweigh the negatives if you can get scale, even if the game itself isn’t great. Such an event will guarantee a new WNBA attendance record. The current one was set last September, when 20,711 watched the Fever and Mystics at Capital One Arena.

If the Fever want to keep the game close to home, Lucas Oil Stadium has proven multiple times it can set up a basketball venue. The facility hosted the 2025 Midwest Regionals for the men’s NCAA Tournament and will host the 2026 men’s Final Four. (The Indianapolis Capital Improvement Board operates several facilities, including Lucas Oil Stadium, Gainbridge Fieldhouse and the Indiana Convention Center).

In an email, CIB Executive Director Andy Mallon said that Lucas Oil Stadium can host approximately 72,000 for basketball depending upon the setup. “We have more than 350 days when we are not hosting Indianapolis Colts home football games, so we offer ample opportunities to host non-NFL events,” Mallon said.

To be clear, individual franchises are going to have to drive this idea. Per a league source, WNBA franchises can bring such venue ideas to the league for review, and approval is based on a number of factors including venue requirements. The WNBA can advocate for such an idea but ultimately two teams would have to be on board with everything that comes with such an event (travel, logistics, tickets, etc.) to get it done.

Clark has proven to be a catalyst for teams changing arenas. We saw this again last week when the Dallas Wings announced they will move the Aug. 1 game against the Fever to American Airlines Center in downtown Dallas. The game that was initially scheduled for College Park Center.

The Across The Timeline website tracks WNBA data, and the Fever far and away outpace the rest of the league when it comes to away attendance. Any Fever opponent would obviously need incentivizing to play in an NFL or MLB stadium, but it would be massive publicity for both teams. Every one of the WNBA’s media rights-holder partners would want the game, and it would easily have a shot at being the most-watched regular-season game of the year.

ENCORE 🤩 The Dallas Wings will officially host the Indiana Fever for another A Night in Dallas at American Airlines Center on August 1 presented by @albertapp!

🎟️ Tickets go on sale to the public on Friday, July 11! pic.twitter.com/59CN1gJTjI

— Dallas Wings (@DallasWings) July 7, 2025

“I like the idea,” said ESPN WNBA analyst Rebecca Lobo. “The W actually did something similar in 2008 when the Liberty played the Fever at Arthur Ashe Stadium. It would be pretty spectacular to see a massive venue full of W fans watching the Fever play. I think they could get a crowd close to what the game at Kinnick drew. Chicago or Dallas would be attractive opponents since Angel (Reese) and Paige (Bueckers) are big draws as well, especially against Caitlin. It would be a rare WNBA tailgating opportunity as well.”

Lobo is correct, and as she notes, the history of “eventized” WNBA games already includes the Fever: The Liberty and Fever played a regular-season outdoor game on July 19, 2008, at Arthur Ashe Stadium, the first non-tennis sporting event to take place at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. (Game-time temperature was a steamy 87 degrees.) The game drew 19,393 to the then-23,226-seat stadium. Two years later, Los Angeles hosted Seattle at the 8,000-seat Home Depot Center’s tennis stadium in Carson, Calif. (That game had some air quality issues given a fire at an auto scrap yard about six miles south of the Home Depot Center.)

If you ask people within the sports business industry, most would jump on board with the idea because they understand eventizing is the currency of the moment.

“There is a whole concept in sports of creating bigger events and more spectacles,” said John Kosner, the former ESPN executive vice president for digital media, who now advises sports media and tech start-ups. “Why is the NFL so big? Because it’s weekly spectacle. What makes NASCAR unique? It’s a spectacle.” Ed Desser, a former NBA media executive and the president of the consulting firm Desser Sports Media, said he would advise the WNBA to go beyond Indianapolis and Lucas Oil Stadium to take advantage of the Clark brand.

“I don’t know that a regular-season game at Lucas Oil Stadium reaches the level needed to make it a spectacle,” Desser said. “There are going to be lots of chances for those Indiana fans to to watch the Fever during the course of the season in Indianapolis, so is playing at the football stadium enough in order to be a bona fide spectacle, to make it really special? I think of the outdoor game the NHL did in Lake Tahoe. You just had this pristine, gorgeous backdrop. Now that made it a special occasion.”

Clark and Aliyah Boston running a pick-and-roll at the Edgewood Tahoe Resort would be lovely but unlikely to happen. Lucas Oil Stadium, though, is very doable.

When asked last Wednesday by The Indianapolis-based “The Fan Morning Show” if the Fever would ever play a game at Lucas Oil Stadium — my colleague at The Athletic, James Boyd, who co-hosts the sports radio show and made the ask for this piece — Joey Graziano, the executive vice president of strategy and new business ventures at Pacers Sports & Entertainment, said: “I’m really excited about bringing the Fever around the world. We’ve seen interest from Asia. We’ve seen interest from Australia. Teams wanting to make sure that the Fever have an opportunity to play in their market. Obviously, this year we played in Iowa. I think what we’ve seen from our team is that they’re excited to be able to use the platform to get into new places. So, I wouldn’t put anything past us.”

Asked specifically about the prospect of hosting a WNBA game at Lucas Oil Stadium, the CIB’s Mallon understandably was diplomatic.

“Gainbridge Fieldhouse is a premiere professional basketball venue — I would argue that it’s the best in the country — and the Indiana Fever and their fans love being there,” Mallon said. “While Lucas Oil Stadium has a terrific basketball resume with success hosting past Final Fours and 2024’s NBA All-Star Saturday night, and we’ve been tapped to host the 2026 and 2029 men’s Final Fours, we tip our hat to Gainbridge Fieldhouse when it comes to hosting Indiana’s game.”

History is a valuable tour guide, and Bluder said it herself: The Iowa Crossover was a magical day and one of the highlights of her five decades coaching career. Opportunity is knocking here for the WNBA and its franchises. Let’s hope they grab it in 2026.

(Photo of Caitlin Clark: Matthew Holst / Getty Images)

Sports

Second School Record Falls; Sewell Succeeds in World Championships on Saturday – University of Cincinnati Athletics

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5 minutes ago

January 11, 2026

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CINCINNATI — One day after Juliette Laracuente-Huebner broke the long-jump record, the Cincinnati track and field team witnessed a youth movement with the 4×400 relay team taking over the top spot, a group with two freshmen and a sophomore.

That foursome included Ade Lloyd (who in his debut claimed the school’s 300-meter crown), John Apel, Camden Beatty and Romaro Knight, notching a 3:12.70 mark.

Gianni Allwein captured the mile title with a 4:08.17 mark, giving UC three on the weekend after Annika Kinley and Kya Epps on Friday.

Also in action, though straight down south in Tallahassee, Fla., was Abby Sewell in the World Athletics Cross Country Championships. She finished 33rd in the field, and third among all Americans, at 21:23 in her 5K.

Not to be outdone by the men, the women’s 4×400 team produced the No. 9 time of the season, en route to third in the Bearcats record books, with a 3:39.78 clip. Davenae Fagan, Morgan Komolafe, Kya Epps and Macaela Walker keyed that bunch.

Gwen Stare (3,000m) and Omolola Kuponiyi (shot put) also reached ninth and 10th in the school record books on Saturday.

Freshman Rafiq Washington was also 10th in the triple jump in his college debut. Sarah Madix and Mackenzie Steele’s miles were also PRs, giving UC three for the week.

Overall, the Bearcats netted seven top-10 record book entries.

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Giles Breaks Shot Put Program Record at Tryon International Collegiate Opener

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21 minutes ago

January 10, 2026

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TRYON, N.C. – The High Point University women’s track and field team traveled to the western part of the state to compete at the Tryon International Collegiate Opener hosted by Big South Conference foe UNC Asheville. The Panthers used this meet as practice for the Big South Indoor Championships that will take place at the same facility at the end of February.

High Point had a group of throwers and combined events student-athletes make the trip.

In the throwing events, Ashlyn Giles broke her own program record in her second meet as a Panther in the shot put. She threw a 15.43m throw for first place which was 0.43m farther than her previous record. She also competed in the weight throw and launched the weight 15.32m for third place.

Vanessa Kobialka placed in second behind Giles in the shot put with a 13.27m throw. Jill Stroup placed fourth in the weight throw and matched Giles’ throw with a 15.32m launch.

Jhanelle Thomas and Mya Hines competed in the 60m hurdles and crossed the finish line in back-to-back times as Thomas registered a 9.08 time and Hines posted a 9.25 time for fourth and fifth place respectively. Thomas also competed in the high jump and cleared 1.47m for a six-way tie for third. Kaitlyn Green was right there with Thomas in the high jump also clearing 1.47m for third place.

UP NEXT: High Point travels to Blacksburg, Virginia for the Virginia Tech Invitational on January 16-17.

#GoHPU x #OnTheProwl

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Ufodiama Sets Program Record at Rod McCravy Memorial

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53 minutes ago

January 10, 2026

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LOUISVILLE, Kentucky – East Carolina opened the indoor season with several strong performances at the Rod McCravy Memorial Meet, hosted by the University of Kentucky at the Norton Healthcare Sports & Learning Center, highlighted by a program-record run from Kelly Ufodiama and multiple finals appearances across the two-day competition.

Ufodiama delivered the standout performance of the meet for the Pirates, setting a new ECU program record in the women’s 60-meter dash semifinals with a time of 7.14. The mark further cemented her place atop the record book, as she now holds the top eight performances in program history in the event.

On the men’s side, East Carolina made a strong statement in the sprints. Tyson Tippett finished runner-up in the men’s 60-meter dash finals, clocking 6.85, while Jace Coleman added a fourth-place finish at 6.89 to give the Pirates two top-four finishes in one of the meet’s deepest events.

The Pirates also found success in the hurdles, where Kailey Elliott advanced through the rounds to place fourth in the women’s 60-meter hurdles finals with a time of 8.27. Her performance marked one of ECU’s top technical-event finishes of the weekend.

Abrielle Schweitzer continued her strong indoor campaign with a third-place finish in the women’s mile, crossing the line in 4:52.34. On the men’s side, Alex Sawyer placed ninth in the mile with a time of 4:14.67, while Elliott Kleckner followed closely in 11th at 4:21.33.

Additional solid efforts came in the 300 meters, where Brianna Clayton finished 13th in the women’s race at 38.70, and in the men’s 600 meters, where Jordan Good narrowly missed the podium with a fourth-place finish in 1:18.34.

In the field events, Shakiel Dacres led the way for East Carolina with a sixth-place finish in the men’s shot put with 16.66m. Dacres’ performance marked the Pirates’ top result in the throws.

East Carolina finished strong over the weekend and will look to carry their victories toward the Dick Taylor Challenge, hosted by North Carolina starting January 16.

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Track & Field Wins Six Events, Topples School Record in Excellent Close to Rod McCravy Memorial – Ole Miss Athletics

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1 hour ago

January 10, 2026

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LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Ole Miss men’s and women’s track & field wrapped their first full meet of the season in superb fashion, winning six event titles and receiving several impressive performances – including a school record – to close out Kentucky’s Rod McCravy Memorial on Saturday.

All-American sophomore Jordan Urrutia, fresh off a strong freshman campaign, set right to work on his second season with the Rebels. Urrutia clocked the fastest proper 300-meter race in Ole Miss history (trailing only a converted 300-yard time on an oversized track by Olympian Tony Dees in 1984), finishing second overall in a blistering 33.06 seconds. That time dropped nearly three-quarters of a second off his freshman best 33.71, and trailed only a 32.89 by Indiana’s Trelee Banks-Rose.

Fellow sophomore Wesley Todd clocked a PR of his own, finishing 10th at 34.07.

The duo were not done there, though, as Ole Miss would close the day with an excellent opening 4×400-meter relay for the 2026 season. The quartet of senior Joshua Knox, Todd, senior Cade Flatt and Urrutia passed the stick in 3:08.85 – which ranks fourth-best in Ole Miss history indoors and is the fastest by any Rebel relay indoors since the 2004 record of 3:06.83.

Ole Miss was particularly excellent on the back half, with Flatt dropping a 46.93 third leg and then Urrutia blazing a 45.45 anchor leg.

The success on the track did not stop there for the Rebels. Earlier in the day, Patchnalie Compere ran the fastest time ever by an Ole Miss freshman in the women’s 300-meter dash, winning the event overall at an eye-opening 37.40. Olympian and three-time NCAA Champion McKenzie Long set the Ole Miss record in the event at 37.38 in 2023 on Vanderbilt’s oversized track.

Senior Cassie Williamson, in her final year of competition this indoor season, took the crown in the women’s 800-meter at an Ole Miss career-best 2:08.51 – which ranks her seventh in school history indoors. Freshman Owen Kelley rounded out the track wins for Ole Miss with a victory in the 3K, clocking in at 8:16.11 in his collegiate debut.

Other notable runs on the track included a runner-up finish by senior Chase Rose in the 800-meter (1:49.56), a third-place finish and PR by Samuel Ferguson in the 3K (8:21.18), and a third-place 3K finish by freshman Leah Penick in her collegiate debut (9:45.89).

In the field, reigning NCAA Indoor shot put champion Tarik Robinson-O’Hagan began his title defense in earnest. Robinson-O’Hagan – a member of the preseason watch list for The Bowerman, college track & field’s version of the Heisman Trophy – won on a sixth-round blast of 20.76m/68-01.50 for his first win of the season, the best mark by an collegiate shot putter this early into the season (Jan. 10) in available records since at least 2008.

Freshman Ashton Hearn began his Ole Miss career with an impressive heave of his own, finishing third at 17.84m/58-06.50 – already good for No. 6 in school history indoors.

In the women’s edition, All-American junior Akaoma Odeluga had her best-ever season opening performance as well, winning on a blast of 17.92m/58-09.50. Freshman Natalie Brown also made the final, finishing ninth at 13.71m/44-11.75 in her first college shot put competition.

In the men’s triple jump, two key portal additions for the Rebels – juniors Sterling Scott (Missouri) and Kyle Johnson (UConn) – had great opening performances to their Ole Miss careers. Scott, a three-time NCAA qualifier with the Tigers, took runner-up honors at 15.97m/52-04.75 – already making him the sixth-best triple jumper in Ole Miss history indoors. Johnson was fourth at 15.67m/51-5, good for No. 12 in the Rebel record books.

Fellow junior Mikoy Holmes made the final as well, finishing eighth at a career-best leap of 14.81m/48-07.25.

Ole Miss will next head to Nashville for the Vanderbilt Invitational, which is set to run Jan. 16-17.

REBELS IN DAY TWO COMPETITION

Women’s 300-Meter Dash
1. Patchnalie Compere – 37.40 – Collegiate Debut, Ole Miss Freshman Record
51. Royannah Farmer – 41.04 – Division I Debut, First Career 300

Men’s 300-Meter Dash
2. Jordan Urrutia – 33.06 – PR, Ole Miss Proper 300-Meter Record
10. Wesley Todd – 34.07 – PR

Women’s 800-Meter
1. Cassie Williamson – 2:08.51 – Ole Miss Best, No. 7 Ole Miss History Indoors

Men’s 800-Meter
2. Chase Rose – 1:49.56
DNF Cade Flatt

Men’s Mile
2. John Shoemaker – 4:10.39 – Collegiate Debut

Women’s 3K
3. Leah Penick – 9:45.89 – Collegiate Debut
6. Hannah Doyle – 9:55.25 – Collegiate Debut
10. Brooke Preputnick – 10:09.99 – PR
11. Madison Archdale – 10:10.22 – Collegiate Debut
12. Addy Mitchell – 10:11.94 – Collegiate Debut

Men’s 3K
1. Owen Kelley – 8:16.11 – Collegiate Debut
3. Samuel Ferguson – 8:21.18 – PR

Men’s 4×400-Meter Relay
1. A Relay: Joshua Knox, Wesley Todd, Cade Flatt, Jordan Urrutia – 3:08.85 – No. 4 Ole Miss History Indoors
11. B Relay: Tarique Wright, Dekell Minor, Jonathan Stock, Chase Rose – 3:18.47

Men’s Pole Vault
5. Logan Kelley – 5.00m/16-04.75

Women’s Triple Jump
10. Indya Dotson – 11.94m/39-02.25 – PR, No. 15 Ole Miss History Indoors
11. Bayli Major – 11.83m/38-09.75 – Collegiate Debut
FOUL Madison Martinez

Men’s Triple Jump
2. Sterling Scott – 15.97m/52-04.75 – Ole Miss Debut, No. 6 Ole Miss History Indoors
4. Kyle Johnson – 15.67m/51-5 – Ole Miss Debut, No. 12 Ole Miss History Indoors
8. Mikoy Holmes – 14.81m/48-07.25 – PR
11. Solomon Finley – 13.96m/45-09.75 – Ole Miss Debut

Women’s Shot Put
1. Akaoma Odeluga – 17.92m/58-09.50
9. Natalie Brown – 13.71m/44-11.75 – Collegiate Debut, No. 15 Ole Miss History Indoors
12. Temidayo Owoyemi – 13.27m/43-06.50 – Collegiate Debut

Men’s Shot Put
1. Tarik Robinson-O’Hagan – 20.76m/68-01.50
3. Ashton Hearn – 17.84m/58-06.50 – Collegiate Debut, No. 6 Ole Miss History Indoors
26. Caughran Fowler – 10.91m/35-09.50
28. William Numnum – 10.56m/34-07.75 – Collegiate Debut

—–

REBELS IN DAY ONE COMPETITION

Men’s 60-Meter Dash – Prelims
7. Tarique Wright – 6.79q – PR, T-No. 11 Ole Miss History

Men’s 60-Meter Dash – Semifinals
11. Tarique Wright – 6.79 – Ties PR

Women’s 200-Meter Dash
27. Lizzie Hatton – 25.22 – Indoor PR

Women’s 400-Meter Dash
13. Patchnalie Compere – 59.17 – Collegiate Debut

Men’s 600-Meter
6. Jonathan Stock – 1:19.51 – PR

Men’s 1000-Meter
2. Stone Smith – 2:28.65 – Event Debut

Women’s 60-Meter Hurdles – Prelims
35. Bayli Major – 8.90 – Collegiate Debut
40. Carmela Coulter – 9.15 – Collegiate Debut
44. Nyajah Gordon – 9.38

Men’s 60-Meter Hurdles – Prelims
12. Caughran Fowler – 8.46q – PR
17. William Numnum – 8.80q – Collegiate Debut

Men’s 60-Meter Hurdles – Semifinals
12. William Numnum – 8.66 – PR
17. Caughran Fowler – 8.67

Women’s High Jump
NH Carmela Coulter

Men’s High Jump
1. Arvesta Troupe – 2.23m/7-03.75 – Indoor PR, No. 3 Ole Miss History Indoor

Women’s Pole Vault
5. Lily Beattie – 4.05m/13-03.50
T6. Mary Cate Doughty – 3.90m/12-09.50
11. Katie McFarland – 3.75m/12-03.50
13. Aly Francolini – 3.75m/12-03.50
T14. Rachel Homoly – 3.75m/12-03.50 – Ole Miss Debut, No. 15 Ole Miss History Indoors
NH Katelyn Hulsey

Women’s Long Jump
10. Indya Dotson – 5.73m/18-09.75
25. Nyajah Gordon – 5.19m/17-00.50
FOUL Lizzie Hatton

Women’s Weight Throw
1. Akaoma Odeluga – 22.95m/75-03.50 – 5-foot PR, No. 5 Ole Miss History
2. Skylar Soli – 22.21m/72-10.50 – PR, No. 6 Ole Miss History
4. Nyah Edwards – 20.50m/67-03.25 – Ole Miss Debut, 4-foot PR, No. 9 Ole Miss History
9. Natalie Brown – 18.87m/61-11 – Collegiate Debut, No. 13 Ole Miss History
13. Naomi Woolfolk – 17.90m/58-08.75 – PR, No. 15 Ole Miss History
16. Temidayo Owoyemi – 16.66m/54-8 – Collegiate Debut

Men’s Weight Throw
2. Tarik Robinson-O’Hagan – 23.78m/78-00.25 – Top Collegiate Finisher
3. Bryson Smith – 22.11m/72-05.50 – PR, No. 2 Ole Miss History
4. Mason Hickel – 21.27m/69-09.50

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Streit and Godfred Shine at Minnesota Open

Published

1 hour ago

January 10, 2026

Your Sports Nation

MINNEAPOLIS – The University of Minnesota track and field team secured 16 event wins at the Minnesota Open on Saturday to kick off the 2026 calendar at the University Fieldhouse. The Maroon and Gold were led by performances from Hadley Streit in the weight throw and Charles Godfred in the 60m against the likes of Northern Iowa, Milwaukee and Augsburg.

Streit secured her first lifetime best in the weight throw since February of 2025 (Gopher Classic) to finish second on Saturday behind only teammate Anthonett Nabwe (22.82m | 74-10 1/2). Streit, a 2025 weight throw First Team All-American, moved up from No. 5 all-time at Minnesota to No. 4 with the performance and now is No. 3 in the NCAA this season.

On the men’s side it was Godfred who captured the attention of the crowd with his two runs in the 60m. The two-time Big Ten outdoor long jump champion, running unattached, posted lifetime bests of 6.65 and 6.62 to secure the event win in Minneapolis. Godfred’s previous lifetime best in the event was 6.70 (2024 M City Classic) and would rank the Nigerian inside the top three nationally among men’s NCAA sprinters in 2026.

The other seven event wins for the in-uniform Gophers on Saturday included: Victory Godah (60m – 7.58), LauBenra Ben (200m – 25.09), Zeal Kuku (400m – 55.68), Kitania Headley (800m – 2:13.00), Charlotte Lange (3000m – 9:54.82), Sofia Condon (Pole Vault – 4.01m) and Nabwe (Shot Put – 16.11m).

Eight other Minnesota victories on Saturday came from unattached student-athletes. Jordan Dunigan capped the day off with a lifetime best in the weight throw at 20.52m (67-4) while teammates Precious Opinion (Triple Jump – 15.25m), Brooke Moore (Triple Jump – 12.49m) and Waukeem Walters (Long Jump – 7.27m) also picked up wins in field events at the Minnesota Open. On the track Minnesota’s unattached runners won three other events, which included: Joseph Manser (400m – 48.84), Ramy Ayoub (600m – 1:18.37) and Nontokozo Ncube (600m – 1:30.55).

The ‘U’ will head out to Lincoln, Neb., for the Graduate Classic, the first road meet of 2026, from January 16-17. Minnesota will not return home until January 30, at the Jack Johnson Classic.

For more information on the Gophers, continue to check back with GopherSports.com. Keep up with the University of Minnesota cross country and track and field team on X.com (Twitter) and Instagram (@GopherCCTF) and on Facebook, so you do not miss any content during the season.

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Men’s Volleyball Continues Homestand Against Wildcats

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1 hour ago

January 10, 2026

Your Sports Nation

MALIBU, Calif. – The Pepperdine men’s volleyball team (1-0) plays the second match of the weekend in Firestone Fieldhouse against the Daemen Wildcats (0-1) Sunday afternoon.

LAST TIME OUT
•Pepperdine opened the 2026 campaign with a three-set sweep over St. Thomas Aquinas Friday night in Malibu.
• The Waves are coming off an incredible season with the farthest run in the NCAA tournament since 2019, losing to eventual National Champion Long Beach State in the semi-finals.
• Pepperdine finished 4th in the MPSF, making a run in the conference tournament hosted in Malibu, beating higher-seeded USC and UCLA to win the whole thing.

GAME NOTES
• This season marks the 56th and final season with Firestone Fieldhouse as the home for Pepperdine Men’s Volleyball
• Pepperdine will move into the Mountain at Mullin Park for the 2026-27 season.
• The Mountain is a new 3,600-seat arena that will give Pepperdine a state-of-the-art competition venue, complete with a 360-degree high-definition scoreboard, VIP and hospitality spaces, and custom team locker rooms.
• Owning 5 NCAA titles and 18 MPSF titles, with the most recent being earned last year, the Waves are no stranger to what it takes to put together a championship-level team.
• With one of the toughest schedules in the NCAA, Pepperdine is setting the season up for success with a NCAA quarterfinal rematch against Loyola Chicago, a semifinal rematch with Long Beach State and a trip to the islands, taking on No. 2 Hawai’i in March.
• Opening No. 4 in the AVCA preseason poll, the Waves are only behind LBSU, Hawai’i, and conference-foe UCLA.
• Ryan Barnett, James Eadie, Cole Hartke, and Jacob Reilly all return as All-Americans for the Waves.
• Barnett, Hartke, and Reilly all played on some level of the national team this summer.
• Ryan Barnett earned a silver medal with the U23 team at the Pan American Cup while also playing on the senior USA team with Jacob Reilly in the Pan American Cup.
• Cole Hartke earned a bronze in the FIVB World Championship with the U21 team, the farthest the USA has ever gotten in the tournament.
• Redshirting last season, Grant Lamoureux is a player to keep an eye out for on this star-studded roster.
• Named the Junior Male Indoor Athlete of the Year this past year, the redshirt freshman brings plenty of experience regardless of never logging collegiate minutes.
• This summer, Lamoureux was a captain of the U19 World Championship squad with team USA where he led the team in kills nearly every time out.
• Redshirt Ford Harman transferred into Pepperdine from national-champion Long Beach State.
• This summer, Harman earned a Silver medal at the 2025 Men’s Beach Collegiate Challenge for team USA.
• Harman is originally from Santa Barbara, playing at Santa Barbara HS before college.
• Outside of the United States, the Waves represent three other countries in Cuba, Serbia, and Switzerland.
• Andrej Polomac, a transfer from Purdue Fort-Wayne, is the sole Serbian on the squad, brings elite experience as a setter with an average of just under 9 aces per set last season.
• The Waves add even more international experience next year with two of the three commits coming from overseas, bringing another Serbian to Malibu as well as a middle blocker from the Czech Republic.
• In his fourth year at the helm, Winder is coming off his most successful season last year with a run to the final four in the NCAA tournament.
• Last season, Winder led the Waves to an MPSF title, the program’s first since 2019.
• As the ninth coach at the helm, Winder is an alum of the program himself, earning a National Title with Pepperdine in 2005.

SERIES HISTORY WITH DAEMEN
• In two matches against the Wildcats, Pepperdine holds the 2-0 advantage.
• Two seasons ago, in the most recent meeting between the squads, Pepperdine took the 3-0 victory in Firestone Fieldhouse.
• The only other matchup came in 2020 on the road, where the Waves swept them 3-0.

SCOUTING THE WILDCATS
• Daemen dropped the opening match of the 2026 season against No. 10 UC Irvine 3-1.
• Last season, the Wildcats went 15-13, including 4-4 in conference play.
• The Wildcats are back-to-back Northeast Conference champions, winning their tournament as the three seed last season.
• Daemen has four All-conference players returning in Maverick O’Neill, Billy Wieberg, Kyle Zelasko, and Jariel Giraud

First serve is scheduled for 3 p.m. The game can be streamed on B1G+ (subscription required) with live stats available on pepperdinewaves.com

ABOUT PEPPERDINE MEN’S VOLLEYBALL
Pepperdine men’s volleyball boasts one of the richest histories in collegiate volleyball, with five NCAA National Championships. Four of those championships came under the direction of Hall of Fame coach Marv Dunphy who totaled 612 victories in 34 seasons at the helm. With 19 NCAA Appearances and 63 All-Americans, the program has consistently been a destination for top talent across the country. Under current head coach Jonathan Winder, the Waves reached the NCAA Final Four in his third season at the helm in 2025.

TICKETS
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FOLLOW
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