“Big Red Rebuild,” as the project is called, would be funded by a mix of $250 million in philanthropic support and $350 million in private bond financing. Completion is targeted for the start of the 2028 football season. University regents will consider the proposal at its meeting in Lincoln next Friday.

“Memorial Stadium is one of the most iconic venues in all of college sports and this project ensures that our stadium is well-positioned for future generations,” athletic director Troy Dannen said. “We have listened intently to Nebraska fans and are building a best-in-class fan experience that will also drive revenue for the University of Nebraska, create exciting new year-round programming for Nebraskans, create new opportunities for our student-athletes, and position Nebraska to compete and lead at the highest level in a rapidly evolving college athletics landscape.”

The Cornhuskers have played at Memorial Stadium since 1923 and will enter this season with an NCAA-record sellout streak of 410 games dating to 1962.

The proposal would upgrade amenities throughout the stadium and create a 360-degree main concourse connecting the east and west sides. Capacity would be 80,000, including 20,000 new chairback seats.

Officials said the stadium would host concerts and other events year-round and annual stadium revenue would increase 40%, to an estimated $95 million.

Construction would begin after the 2026 football season.

Incremental stadium improvements have been made over the years, including luxury suites in 1999 and an expansion to more than 85,000 seats in 2013. A $450 million renovation was approved in 2023 but did not go forward because school leaders wanted to review the scope, strategy and costs.

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AMERICAN LEAGUE

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NATIONAL LEAGUE

Today’s games:

INTERLEAGUE

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AMERICAN LEAGUE

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NATIONAL LEAGUE

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Today’s playoff games:

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One of the biggest storylines of this year’s playoff push has been the end of a long and arduous drought. For the first time in 14 seasons, the Buffalo Sabres have punched their ticket to the postseason. Adding onto it, they won the Eastern Atlantic Conference for the first time since the 2009-10 season. After a plethora of different head coaches, former coach Lindy Ruff was brought back onto the staff and delivered one of the teams best regular seasons in over a decade.

Other teams, like the Minnesota Wild, have been to the playoffs plenty but have not won a round itself in over a decade, the last time coming in 2015 when they beat the St. Louis Blues 4-2 in the first round.

Then you have your mainstays, the “blue bloods” to steal a term from the recently wrapped up NCAA tournament. The Pittsburgh Penguins, Dallas Stars, Colorado Avalanche, Vegas Golden Knights (just to name a few); all teams that have played in the Stanley Cup Finals in the last 10 years.

All of these teams start with a blank slate in one of the best postseason tournaments we have in the four major North American sports. The NHL postseason delivers the most raucous of crowds, the best enviroments and some of the best contests. In the playoffs, every shift matters. Guys are putting their bodies on the line and diving in front of pucks with zero regard for their own safety. It just means more in the pursuit of the cup.

Here’s the full weekend schedule for the first round of the playoffs:

(1) Carolina Hurricanes vs. (WC2) Ottawa Senators

Game 1: Saturday, April 18 | at CAR | 2 p.m. | ESPN

(2) Dallas Stars vs. (3) Minnesota Wild

Game 1: Saturday, April 18 | at DAL | 4:30 p.m. | ESPN

(2) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (3) Philadelphia Flyers

Game 1: Saturday, April 18 | at PIT | 7 p.m. | ESPN

(1) Colorado Avalanche vs. (WC2) Los Angeles Kings

Game 1: Sunday, April 19 | at COL | 2 p.m. | TNT

(2) Tampa Bay Lightning vs. (3) Montreal Canadiens

Game 1: Sunday, April 19 | at TB | 4:45 p.m. | TNT

(1) Buffalo Sabres vs. (WC1) Boston Bruins

Game 1: Sunday April 19 | at BUF | 6:30 p.m. | ESPN

(1) Vegas Golden Knights vs. (WC1) Utah Mammoth

Game 1: Sunday, April 19 | at VGK | 9 p.m. | ESPN

Nathanal Benoist, age 26, was sentenced to 14 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, ordered to forfeit a firearm and ammunition, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Benoist was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2025. He pleaded guilty on July 28, 2025.

The conviction stems from Benoist breaking into a store in Eagle Butte, South Dakota, in the Cheyenne River Sioux Indian Reservation on November 1, 2024, while the store was closed. Benoist shot out the front window of the store, entered the store through the broken window, and stole ammunition.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

This case was investigated by the FBI and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne Venhuizen prosecuted the case.

Benoist was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

Each year, Community Banking Month recognizes the industry’s relationship-driven model, which combines personalized service with modern financial tools to meet the evolving needs of consumers, small businesses, and farmers. Community banks provide nearly 60 percent of the nation’s small-business loans and over 80 percent of the banking industry’s agricultural loans, and they are the only physical branch presence in one in five counties nationwide, underscoring their outsized impact on economic growth and opportunity.

“Community banks are the economic engines of Main Street, delivering trusted financial guidance and fueling the growth of local businesses and families,” ICBA President and CEO Rebeca Romero Rainey said. “They provide capital, reinvest in the communities they serve, and build lasting relationships that help individuals and small businesses navigate challenges, seize opportunities, and achieve long-term financial success.”

Community banks are often the only physical banking presence in many communities and play a vital role in expanding access to credit and financial services. Their commitment to reinvesting local deposits back into local neighborhoods helps create jobs and sustain economic vitality across urban, suburban, and rural America.

“Community banking is about showing up every day for the people and places we serve,” said ICBA Chair Alice Frazier, president and CEO of Potomac Bank in Charles Town, W.Va. “Whether it’s helping a small business expand or supporting a family’s financial future, community banks are deeply invested in the success of their communities. Community Banking Month is an opportunity to celebrate that impact and reinforce the importance of banking locally.”

Consumers can find a community bank near them by visiting banklocally.org and join the conversation on social media using #CommunityBankingMonth and #BankLocally.