Good morning, Bluejays!
As the fall sports season nears its conclusion, our Bluejays continue to represent Creighton with pride and excellence.
Our men's and women's cross country teams recently hosted the BIG EAST Championships for the first time in program history. The Bluejay men placed sixth for the second straight fall while the women finished seventh, their best mark at the league championships in five years.
The women's volleyball team remains in outstanding form, having won 14 consecutive matches. They currently sit atop the BIG EAST Conference standings and are ranked No. 12 in the AVCA national poll.
Our men's soccer team is 8-3-4 overall and 4-1-2 in conference play. Their last regular-season contest (senior night) is tomorrow against Akron, a game with major postseason implications. The Bluejays can secure first place in the conference's Midwest Division with a win or tie. We need to pack Morrison Stadium! Tickets are available online, or at the box office on game day starting at 5:00 p.m. The BIG EAST Tournament field will feature both division champions and the next two highest-ranked teams based on conference standings.
The women's soccer team has secured the fourth seed in the BIG EAST Tournament semifinals following a 3-0 victory over St. John's on November 1. They will face top-seeded Georgetown today at 6:30 p.m. at the Maryland Soccerplex. This marks the team's second consecutive tournament appearance — a notable accomplishment after finishing in the top four just once in the previous 11 years.
While golf, tennis, and women's rowing primarily compete in the spring, their fall competitions contribute to national rankings that can influence postseason and various tournament opportunities. A special recognition goes to the women's rowing team, which placed 12th out of 53 boats in the Women's Club Fours race at the prestigious Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston. Congratulations to Rachel Malander, Laurel Kieffer, Chloe Carlson, Lily Zeimetz, and Paige Harty for their impressive performance.
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Creighton Basketball Season Has Arrived
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November marks the start of basketball season. The women's team is 0-1 after dropping a hard-fought battle in their season opener vs. South Dakota State, while the men started the year with an impressive win over South Dakota. Both programs will travel to Las Vegas during Thanksgiving week.
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Groundbreaking Set For November 13
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A ceremonial groundbreaking will be held for the construction of what is currently referred to as the Sports Performance Center. This new facility will serve all Creighton student-athletes. Spanning nearly 10,000 square feet of strength and conditioning space, it will also feature a dining and nutrition center, sports medicine room, academic support center, locker rooms, coaches' offices, and dedicated space for sports psychology services.
This facility will be a game-changer for our program — dramatically enhancing our ability to recruit, retain, and develop well-rounded exceptional student-athletes across all sports.
This new construction, scheduled to open in spring 2027, is part of the recently announced Fly Together initiative — a $300 million donor-funded initiative to reshape a 12-block recreational and athletic corridor on the east side of Creighton's campus for students, student-athletes, faculty, staff, friends and fans, while strengthening the University's ties to Omaha.
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Site of Sports Performance Center
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Rendering of Sports Performance Center
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Creighton Athletic Events on ESPN+
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I want to take a moment to commend our Broadcast Services team for their outstanding work. So far this season, our internal team has produced 25 events for ESPN+. This includes all home men's and women's soccer matches, as well as all volleyball matches not selected for broadcast on FS1, Nebraska Public Media, or other networks. The only exception is tomorrow's volleyball match against Villanova, which will be streamed for free on YouTube.
As previously noted, tomorrow the men's soccer team hosts Akron in a battle for the conference's Midwest Division title. ESPN has selected that match for the ESPN+ broadcast. Because of the timing overlap between the volleyball and men's soccer games, we're unable to produce both on ESPN+ simultaneously.
Looking ahead, fans can expect every home women's basketball game not selected for network television to be available on ESPN+. Additionally, two men's basketball games will be streamed on ESPN+: vs. North Dakota on November 19 and vs. Utah Tech on December 22.
Be sure to have an active ESPN+ subscription so you don't miss any of the action!
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Creighton Named a "Dream School"
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Creighton University continues to receive national recognition, having been named one of 75 "new dream schools" by bestselling author Jeffrey Selingo. Building on insights from his previous work, "Who Gets In and Why," Selingo and his team analyzed 2023-2024 data from more than 3,900 U.S. institutions. From that pool, they identified nearly 1,200 four-year colleges with at least 1,000 undergraduates — ultimately highlighting 75 schools that excel in areas such as student engagement, job placement, financial accessibility, and long-term value. Creighton is also described as a school that "provides the advantages of a small college with a bigger university feel."
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This time of year offers a meaningful opportunity to reflect with gratitude.
I am deeply thankful for the community we have built within Creighton Athletics. Our student-athletes continue to excel both academically and athletically, earning a 3.50 cumulative GPA last semester while dedicating countless hours to community service. Our coaches and staff remain committed to helping them reach their full potential, and our university leadership continues to support the integral role athletics plays in the broader mission of Creighton University.
I am also grateful for our alumni, donors, and fans whose ongoing generosity sustains our programs and enables us to compete at the highest levels. As our environment has changed, we do recognize we've asked more of you over the years. The cost to compete at the highest level has increased, and your commitment has followed suit. We appreciate your understanding, continued support, and belief in our mission.
We wish you and your loved ones a Happy Thanksgiving filled with gratitude, good food, and great memories! Thank you for being such an important part of the Bluejay family.
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