Opening Night with Husker Hoops Set for Sept. 29

Lincoln – Basketball and music come together to start the 2023-24 season as the Husker programs will celebrate Opening Night with Husker Hoops on Friday, Sept. 29.

The free event gives Husker fans their first opportunity to see the 2023-24 Nebraska men’s and women’s basketball programs while Epic Records recording artist DDG will perform to close the event’s festivities. 

The event will begin at 7 p.m. with PBA doors opening at 6 p.m. that evening. The event will feature introductions of both the Husker men and women’s squads, remarks from Head Coaches Fred Hoiberg and Amy Williams, practices from both programs, contests with members of both programs and more.

Fans can start registering for tickets on Huskers.com/Tickets beginning on Tuesday, Sept. 12, at 10 a.m.   There is a limit of four tickets per person. In addition, a limited number of premium student seats will be held for 2023-24 RedZone season-ticket holders, and information on how to reserve tickets for the event will be communicated directly to student season-ticket holders. 

DDG is a rapper, singer and YouTuber who also founded his own record label, Zooted Music, in 2020. Since his rise, he's gained 1 billion streams and has worked with G-Eazy and Lil Yachty. His single “Moonwalking in Calabasas" went double platinum and has gained over 200 million streams. In 2022, DDG was recognized by Forbes on its 30 Under 30 List, honoring young entrepreneurs, activists, scientists, and entertainers making a difference in their chosen field.

“Opening Night is something that our players and staff look forward to every year,” Nebraska Men’s Basketball Coach Fred Hoiberg said. “It’s a chance to get our guys under the lights at PBA and practice in front of our fans and allows our players to showcase their personalities. This group has worked extremely hard all summer, and I know they are anxious to be in front of our fans.”

“We are so excited to get back into Pinnacle Bank Arena for Opening Night with Huskers fans,” Nebraska Women’s Basketball Coach Amy Williams said. “We are looking forward to a competitive season and it all starts on the 29th."

The Husker men welcome back five of its top eight scorers from a team that went 16-16 and won six of its final eight Big Ten contests in 2022-23. The group is headlined by senior All-Big Ten guard Keisei Tominaga, who represented his native Japan in the FIBA World Cup. NU also welcomes back three other players who made at least 12 starts in 2022-23 in Juwan Gary, C.J. Wilcher and Jamarques Lawrence. Nebraska adds seven recruits (five transfers and two freshmen) including one of the nation’s top transfer classes. NU’s transfer class is a five-player group which includes all-conference performers Jarron Coleman (Ball State), Rienk Mast (Bradley) and Brice Williams (Charlotte). 

All-Big Ten guard Jaz Shelley and All-Big Ten center Alexis Markowski lead the Nebraska women’s basketball team into the 2023-24 season. The Big Red also welcome the return of starters Allison Weidner and Maddie Krull, along with veterans Annika Stewart, Kendall Moriarty, Kendall Coley and Callin Hake. Coach Amy Williams’ Huskers will be bolstered in their pursuit of a fourth consecutive postseason tournament appearance by graduate transfer guard Darian White along with freshmen Logan Nissley, Jessica Petrie and Natalie Potts.