Cornhusker athletes are the real victims

Unless you've just emerged from a cave, you've probably already heard the news:

North Platte native Steve Pederson is out as athletic director at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Even if you were trapped underground for a few days, it shouldn't have been a surprise, following the Cornhuskers' disastrous homecoming loss to Oklahoma State, 45-14, with members of the 1997 championship team and coaching staff looking on in horror.

That loss came on the heels of a 35-17 loss to Missouri and a 41-40 win over Ball State that may have well been a loss.

In fact, it's the first time in Nebraska's 118-year history that the Huskers have allowed 40 points or more to be scored against them four times in one season.

Chancellor Harvey Perlman said he fired Pederson for a lot of reasons and not just football, but it took the losses for discontent over Pederson's performance to come out.

It would have been nice if the chancellor had heard the bad news before renewing Pederson's contract, only three months ago, until 2013.

That little oversight will cost the University about $2.2 million in NU Foundation funds that would be better spent on improving the institution.

The price for Coach Bill Callahan's exit will be higher, of course, his contract extended by Pederson from 2008 to 2011 after that Ball State "win."

But Perlman, whose own job is far from secure, says the jobs of Callahan and other coaches are up to the new athletic director -- whomever it is.

The issue comes down to money, of course -- doesn't everything? -- and football is the keystone to the NU athletics budget.

Pederson's demise was foreshadowed by the loss of a number of key employees over the last few months, most significantly chief fundraiser Paul Meyers, two weeks ago.

But it's hard to feel sorry for the major players in the Lincoln drama, whose "golden parachutes" run into seven figures, and who will doubtless land in equally high-paying jobs or who will be able to retire at a young age.

Instead, the focus must be where it always should have been -- on the students who have entrusted the most important years of their young lives to the University of Nebraska at Lincoln.

Unfortunately, it will take many more years to rebuild from the current fiasco.

Recruiting top athletes to Lincoln, never an easy job, will be especially difficult because of the current controversy.

While they're at it, we urge the NU?athletic department to take a renewed look at good Nebraska athletes who are currently finding a warmer welcome out of state.

It will take more decisive action, hard work and persuasion to convince the cream of the crop and their parents that the Big Red is a program they can trust.