Big Ten Daily (March 20): Nebraska Extends Contract for Fred Hoiberg

Nebraska has extended coach Fred Hoiberg's contract through the 2028-29 college basketball season. The new deal comes after Hoiberg led the Huskers to a 23-10 record, upsets over Purdue and Wisconsin and the team's first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2014.

After a third-place finish in the Big Ten standings and a berth in the NCAA Tournament, Nebraska has extended basketball coach Fred Hoiberg. The school made the announcement on Tuesday.

Hoiberg led the Huskers to a 23-10 record this season. They knocked off No. 1 Purdue and No. 6 Wisconsin on their home court and reached the semifinal round of the 2024 Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament.

The new contract keeps Hoiberg in Lincoln through the 2028-29 college basketball season. He will receive $4.25 million next year. 

Nebraska earned a No. 9 seed in this year's NCAA Tournament. It's the program's first March Madness appearance since 2014.

“I’m appreciative of the confidence our administration has shown in our staff’s leadership of the Husker basketball program,” Hoiberg said in a statement. “With our history at the University of Nebraska, this is a special place for our family. We want to continue to build a program that our fans can embrace and one that represents the values of Nebraskans. 

"With the phenomenal facilities and fan support in place, we are positioned to do things that have never been accomplished by the Husker men’s basketball program.”

Locked N.@CoachHoiberg has been extended through the 2028-29 season.#GBR | https://t.co/UX0oPSxCCl pic.twitter.com/vxWPguTmW4

— Nebraska Men's Basketball (@HuskerMBB) March 19, 2024

After a sensational season, Hoiberg was named the Big Ten co-Coach of the Year, sharing the honor with Purdue's Matt Painter. 

Hoiberg's first three seasons at Nebraska were a struggle. But the team got hot in February of the 2022-23 season and carried that momentum into this year. The Huskers also picked up transfer additions Josiah Allick, Brice Williams and Rienk Mast — all significant contributors. 

Overall, Hoiberg owns a 63-93 record at Nebraska.

Nebraska will play Texas A&M in the Round of 64 on Friday, March 20. Tip-off is set for 6:50 p.m. ET (TV: TNT). 

Bluder's Big Ten Tournament complaint

Iowa women's basketball coach Lisa Bluder (not so) subtly addressed some concerns she had with the format of the Big Ten Tournament while talking about the Hawkeyes' NCAA Tournament bid earlier this week.

Bluder, whose team has now won three straight conference tournament titles, isn't a huge fan of the setup. She pointed to the Hawkeyes playing three games in three days, calling it "unsafe."

She was asked about preparations for the upcoming NCAA Tournament run. That's when Bluder mentioned the format.

"It was their spring break, so I gave them quite a bit of time off," Bluder said. "We were exhausted after last week. We played three games in less than 48 hours time. That's unheard of, unsafe really in my opinion. So they were exhausted. Our staff was exhausted. 

"We took Monday and Tuesday off. We practiced really hard Wednesday and Thursday, then I gave them Friday and Saturday off again. I wanted them to have a reset because today, we practiced. And now it's go. There's going to be no time for breaks. This time of year, having your legs under you is really, really important."

Does Bluder have a point? Perhaps. But it's unlikely that anything will change with the format of this tournament.

The good news? There are two weeks between the end of the Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament and the start of March Madness. The Hawkeyes got plenty of time to rest and recuperate.

Big Ten undefeated in NIT play

The Big Ten got off to a solid start in postseason play Tuesday, with the conference winning all three NIT games. Ohio State, Iowa and Minnesota have all advanced to the next round.

Here are the final scores from all three games:

• Ohio State def. Cornell 88-83
• Minnesota def. Butler 73-72
• Iowa def. Kansas State 91-82

You can see all the dates, tip-off times, results and more for the NIT here.

Related Big Ten stories

• STEVE ALFORD REFLECTS ON INDIANA: Coach Steve Alford has led Nevada to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances. The Wolf Pack earned a No. 10 seed and will play No. 7 seed Dayton in the opening round on Thursday. During media availability, Alford reflected on the maturation he experienced while at Indiana and how it relates to his team this season. CLICK HERE
• NCAA WOMEN'S TOURNAMENT BRACKET: The 2024 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament has arrived. Teams like South Carolina, Iowa, USC and Texas are considered favorites to reach the Final Four. But anything is possible during March Madness. Here's everything you need to know about the field. CLICK HERE
• NCAA MEN'S TOURNAMENT BRACKET: March Madness has finally arrived and the 2024 NCAA Tournament is wide open this season. Here's a look at the bracket, which includes matchups, tip-off times, television information, point spreads and more. CLICK HERE