Friday (August 31)
Futbol Friday Beer Garden and BBQ (4:30-7:00 p.m.)
The Hyperbole Train has left the station. Next stop, Morrison Stadium Friday night, where the #2 Creighton Bluejays host the #7 Akron Zips — those of 2010 National Championship fame — in the nightcap of the first day of the Ameritas Classic.
Some are calling this the most important non-conference men’s soccer game in #FortMorrison’s 10-year history. That’s debatable, surely, but the stakes are clear: with a win in front of a likely large crowd, Elmar Bolowich’s Creighton program will have an early season signature win to tout in November when NCAA Tournament selections and seeding take place.
So, let’s do some pregaming! WBR is co-hosting this beer garden and BBQ with Creighton Dining, IRHG, Creighton Athletics, and the CU Program Board. We’re handing out koozies to keep your suds or sodas cold. Brats and dogs available. Plenty of spirit to go around.
We’ll CU in the event area just outside Morrison Stadium.
Creighton Men’s Soccer vs. Akron (7:30 p.m.; TV: NET)
The Bluejays (1-0-0) and Zips (1-0-0) meet for the second time in the two programs’ histories Friday evening in the Ameritas Classic. The Jays lost 1-0 to the #1 Zips in 2010; a few weeks later Akron won the national championship.
The two teams didn’t square off last season, but they shared a connection. Both saw their seasons end against Charlotte; Akron in the third round of the NCAA Tournament, and Creighton in the semifinals of the College Cup.
The Zips return 8 of 11 starters from last season’s team. They will pose a formidable test for Creighton’s side, in what will likely be (hyperbole coming quickly…) one of the most important non-conference matches in recent CU history.
Oh, and the match is on television locally. Nebraska Public Television will have it live.
Creighton Volleyball vs. Syracuse (6:00 p.m.)
The Bluejays’ season started with a rousing success last weekend. CU claimed the USF Invite championship, defeating UCF, USF, and Wisconsin to travel home from Tampa with trophy in hand.
Kirsten Bernthal Booth’s team starts the home portion of their schedule Friday when they host the Bluejay Invitational. The Jays (3-0) face Syracuse (3-0) in the nightcap; Kansas State and Denver kick things off (3:30 p.m., D.J. Sokol Arena). Creighton’s never won their own Bluejay Invitational, but they enter the weekend with a head of steam.
The Orange and the Jays have never met on the volleyball court.
Creighton Women’s Soccer at Kansas (5:00 p.m.)
Bruce Erickson’s team started slow but claimed their first win Tuesday at South Dakota. The Bluejays take their 1-2-1 record to Lawrence Friday, where they’ll face the Kansas Jayhawks (3-1-0).
KU is fresh off a two-match sweep in the Kansas Invitational, where they beat Georgia and UNLV by a combined score of 4-0. The Jays trail in the all-time series 5-2-0, dropping the last meeting 2-1 in overtime in Omaha last season.
Saturday (September 1)
Creighton Men’s and Women’s Cross Country co-host the Creighton/UNO Invitational (10:00 a.m.)
Come out and enjoy a beautiful morning at Chili Greens, where Chas Davis and the Bluejays will host men’s and women’s races alongside the Mavericks. This is the only “home” event of the fall season for the Jays; don’t miss out!
Creighton Volleyball vs. Kansas State (12:00 p.m.)
Creighton Volleyball vs. Denver (7:30 p.m.)
The Bluejays have never beaten K-State (3-0) in five matches. They’ve never faced Denver (2-1). A win against the Wildcats would be a signature one for Booth’s Bluejays; KSU made a Sweet Sixteen appearance in 2011 and is one of the more successful programs in the Big 12.
Sunday (September 2)
Creighton Men’s Soccer vs. Rutgers (2:30 p.m.)
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights (1-0-0) come to Omaha receiving votes (10) in the NSCAA/Continental Tire National Poll this week. It will be Rutgers’ first trip to Morrison Stadium and the program’s first meeting with the Bluejays.
Creighton Women’s Soccer vs. Arizona (7:00 p.m.)
The Bluejays and Wildcats will meet for the fourth time; Creighton is 0-3-0 against Arizona, last meeting the ‘Cats in 2007.
Arizona is coming off a 1-16-2 season in 2011, and the Wildcats have already matched their win total from last year by posting a 3-0 victory last weekend at Northern Arizona.