I’ve stuck my own foot in my mouth enough times to know that if I have to preface a statement with “people don’t want to hear this,” I’d better make real sure it’s worth saying.

So I felt a little for Nebraska head basketball coach Doc Sadler Tuesday as he responded to a question about NU’s future non-conference schedules by dragging the Huskers’ home-and-home series with Creighton into the conversation.

“People don’t like to hear this, but as I tell other people: Name another Big 12 school that’s mandated by the state to play a home-and-home with someone like we do Creighton,” Sadler said. “Again: A loss to Creighton hurts us. A win at Creighton – only thing it does is make our fans happy. It doesn’t help you come Selection Sunday. That’s just the way it is.”

Add another log to the fire of unfortunate discord between Nebraska and Creighton basketball fans.

It’s worth mentioning that, in a vacuum, Sadler is right.
CU, after all, didn’t make the NCAA Tournament. The selection committee sat on its hands and handed spots to more-talented-but-underachieving programs like Arizona and Maryland, who in turn justified their anointing by winning games in the Big Dance. The message, at least this year, was clear: Only mid-majors who act like majors in November and December need apply. Creighton did not.

But Sadler doesn’t coach, recruit or woo potential season-ticket holders in a vacuum. He does so in Nebraska, where, especially in Omaha, resident are fans of both teams, rooting for both to reach the NCAA Tournament on their respective paths.

Why choose between them? Both teams had their own flavor and share some of the same leaders. One of NU’s biggest boosters, Howard Hawks, sits on CU’s board of directors. Current Nebraska Athletic Director Tom Osborne worked with Creighton’s athletic department before returning to NU.

With his comments, Sadler isn’t drawing a line in the sand, but he risks alienating CU fans - and their dollars - who normally would have no beef with Nebraska if Sadler wasn’t periodically trying to explain his position. Although Sadler respects Creighton and its coach Dana Altman - and has said so on several occasions - his comments make it seem as though he’d rather eat dirt than play a road game at the Qwest Center, even though NU fans are more than welcome to pack the Qwest when Nebraska travels there.

Yes, the Qwest is a better arena than the Bob Devaney Sports Center. Yes, when filled with fans actually paying attention – and not merely wannabe fashionistas milling around with a beer buzz and a blind date – it’s a daunting venue in which to play a road game. Sadler witnessed as much Monday night when he went to support pal and Kentucky Coach Billy Gillespie as the Wildcats played the Bluejays in the NIT.

“And as you saw (Monday) night, very few teams – I don’t care if it’s Kentucky or if it’s Michigan – they ain’t going into Creighton and winning very many games,” Sadler said. “But nobody cares about that.”

Nobody cares? The fans do. Nebraskans do. Boosters do. The players do. And it’s a good win, too, even if some faceless committee balks at it. How many non-conference road games feature 15,000 hostile fans? Sounds like a pretty good tuneup for the Big 12 slate to me. And, honestly, given the end of the Danny Nee era and the sleep-inducing Barry Collier era, that’s more than enough justification for the series.
Giving it up to better fit some committee profile only works if Nebraska can consistently land home-and-home contracts with high-end major programs. Getting philosophical about Creighton when TCU and Saint Louis are on the docket is a little like pinching pennies in your right hand while you pitch quarters into a wishing well with your left.

Do I understand protecting one’s self-interest? Sure. Sadler is one of the Big 12’s best defenders, and loyal to trying building Nebraska into “the” state program. Good. He should. Sadler was right about the Big 12, too, this year. Eight teams in postseason. Six in the Big Dance. All of them won their first round games, and three remain in the Sweet 16. Baylor, meanwhile, seems poised for a NIT Championship. Sadler’s teams fought and scrapped all through the Big 12 season.

Is Doc afraid of CU? No. Afraid is the wrong word. More like he’s aware of how a loss is perceived.

But protecting one’s self-interest sometimes comes at the expense of one’s self-interest. If the Creighton series is inevitable anyway, it’s fair to ask: What’s to be gained, at this point, by even mildly objecting to it?

See also: NU Wraps Up Successful Season

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