The Nebraska football team is getting rid of a non-conference game that was generating quite a bit of excitement as the game drew closer.
One of the biggest side effects of the expanded college football playoffs and realignment is that some of the biggest programs in the country are not willing to play the more hyped non-conference games. With 17 Big Ten rival teams and a chance to squeak into the field, the Huskers aren’t wanting to ruin their season with a loss in the first or second week of the season. Head coach Matt Rhule has hinted this was the way things were going when he took over the job and the B1G grew its conference.
While the Nebraska football program foreshadowed they’d be canceling series like the home and home they scheduled with Tennessee in 2026 and 2027, that didn’t stop Vols’ AD Danny White from immediately whining on social media after the cancellation was announced.
Sources: Tennessee and Nebraska are canceling their upcoming football series, which was schedule for 2026 in Lincoln and 2027 in Knoxville. A driver of the move was Nebraska wanting eight home games in 2027 when they expected reduced stadium capacity because of renovations.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) February 21, 2025
Volunteers’ AD whines on social media after Nebraska football series cancelled
After Pete Thamel first reported the cancellation, White wasted no time explaining the situation more in depth.
“Correction:” White wrote. “Tennessee is not canceling this series. Nebraska did. We are very disappointed that they didn’t want to play these games, especially this close to 2026.”
As Thamel poitned out in his original report, a driver of the cancelled series was Nebraska wanting eight home games in 2027 when they expected reduced stadium capacity because of renovations. Huskers’ AD Troy Dannen confirmed that moments after the report surfaced.
“We are making plans to embark on major renovations of Memorial Stadium that may impact our seating capacity for the 2027 season. The best scenario for us is to have eight home games in 2027 to offset any potential revenue loss from a reduced capacity. The additional home games will also have a tremendous economic benefit on the Lincoln community.”
While most SEC fans will no doubt claim the Cornhuskers are running scared, the financial implications do become more important with the renovations and revenue sharing in the coming seasons.
Still, Nebraska football has some egg on its face, as White will no doubt be complaining loudly and quite often about this move for the next few days. But in the end, this is the new reality of the college football landscape.