Nebraska basketball team will tour Washington D.C. with Sen. Ben Sasse

The team is leaving a day earlier than usual for its Jan. 2 game against Maryland to get a personalized tour of the U.S. Capitol building with Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse. Sasse reached out to the program about the possibility of the tour not long after the season’s schedule came out.

“There might not be fog machines or Runzas, but the U.S. Capitol building is a special part of America’s history. We love sharing it with Nebraskans.” Sasse said in a statement. “Plus, I’m always looking for excuses to wear Husker red at work.”

The team will visit the Senate, the Capitol Rotunda, the Statuary Hall and the Senate Subway.

“Coach Miles and this year’s team have a chance to make some of their own history. Nebraskans can’t wait to see what they can do,” Sasse said.

Miles joked that he didn’t want any girls chasing his guys on New Year’s Eve, so that’s why the team was getting out of town.

“Senator Sasse is going to show us around the Capitol, which I’m guessing is going to be flowing with lawmakers ready to go for the new term,” said Miles, referring to the current government shutdown.

Nebraska forward Isaac Copeland smiled when asked about heading out early for the tour.

“I mean, I ain’t gonna lie, we don’t care for it,” Copeland said, laughing. “But, I mean, it’ll be nice to do something as a team and be out there a little bit. Have some down time. Hopefully we’ll be able to walk around and shop and spend a little bit of this Christmas money.”