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Nebraska’s men’s basketball team had never won an NCAA Tournament game prior to last season, and CBS Sports reporter Jon Rothstein didn’t think they’d be able to snap that streak despite a scorching hot start. He was ultimately proven wrong, and Cornhuskers fans literally made him pay by running up a massive tab at a happy hour where he footed the bill.
The University of Nebraska has historically been a Football School, although that reputation has taken a hit over the past decade or so as the team has struggled to get its act together.
The men’s basketball team, which has long been an afterthought in Lincoln, didn’t immediately step up to fill the void, although the program has been trending in the right direction in recent years under the watch of head coach Fred Hoiberg.
In 2024, Hoiberg led the Huskers to their eighth NCAA Tournament appearance, but the team was unable to get the March Madness win that had eluded them since they punched their ticket for the first time in 1986.
However, it seemed like there was a solid chance that streak of one-and-done showings would come to an end after Nebraska kicked off the 2025-26 campaign with 20 straight wins, which was firmly the most impressive start to a season in its history.
One notable name in the college basketball space didn’t buy the hype, and he ended up buying hundreds of drinks after living up to a promise he made during that run.
CBS Sports reporter Jon Rothstein spent nearly $15,000 on drinks at a happy hour he hosted for Nebraska fans
On December 10th of last year, Nebraska improved to 10-0 with a win over Wisconsin that propelled them into the Top 25 for the first time since 2018. However, college basketball fanatic and CBS Sports personality Jon Rothstein wasn’t convinced they’d be able to hang once the NCAA Tournament rolled around.
He was skeptical to the point where he promised to go out of his way to give fans a treat if the team was able to win its first March Madness game, using his podcast to share the following pledge:
“I, at some point before the start of the ’26-’27 season, am going to fly to Lincoln, Nebraska.
I’m going to go downtown. I’m going to put my credit card down at a bar for an hour, and I am going to throw a happy hour for Nebraska basketball fans.”
Nebraska ultimately got its first NCAA Tournament win by opening things up with a victory over Troy, and they got one more against Vanderbilt before losing to Iowa in the Sweet Sixteen.
Last month, Rothstein confirmed he was living up to his word when he announced he’d be covering drinks at Gate 25, a bar and restaurant located right across the street from Pinnacle Bank Arena, during happy hour on September 16th.
Hundreds of fans flocked to the establishment to take advantage, and when everything was said and done, Rothstein was left with a bill that came to a grand total of $14,458.
Jon Rothstein’s Happy Hour tab was $14,458. 🤯
Husker fans came to party. pic.twitter.com/JGgveArhWv
— Hail Varsity (@HailVarsity) September 17, 2026
Well done, Husker Nation.