Matt Rhule knows that 2026 might be a make-or-break year for his Nebraska football era. On the one hand, he's led the Huskers to two straight bowl games. On the other, they've finished just barely over .500 at 7-6 both years. Fans aren't happy. Rhule doesn't seem all that happy. And what he's least happy about is all the talk about how tough the 2026 schedule will be.
While speaking with Hurrdat Sports earlier this week, the Huskers' head coach made it clear that Nebraska is excited about the challenge the Big Ten presents in 2026. He wants everyone to know that not only is he "scared" of the schedule's difficulty, but none of his players are either.
Matt Rhule is tired of people thinking Nebraska football should be scared
"We're so tired of hearing about our schedule next year," the Nebraska head coach said. "We literally use the schedule to recruit... We want competitive tough dudes.... We can acknowledge that we have quite a challenge in front of us, and that excites us.”
Nebraska’s TIRED of hearing about its 2026 schedule‼️
— Hurrdat Sports (@HurrdatSports) April 23, 2026
"We literally use the schedule to recruit these players." This week, Coach Rhule shared that his team and coaching staff are tired of hearing about their 2026 schedule pic.twitter.com/7MpJ1HcpDr
Nebraska will play four Big Ten games at home and seven games at Memorial Stadium in total in 2026. The Huskers' 2026 season will have three nonconference home games against Ohio on Sept. 5, Bowling Green on Sept. 12, and North Dakota on Sept. 19.
Nebraska football's 2026 schedule is tough, whether Matt Rhule wants to talk about it or not
NU then opens conference play with a road game at Michigan State on Saturday, September 26.
Nebraska will play three home games in October, against Maryland on October 3, defending national champion Indiana on October 10, and Washington on October 31. The Huskers will also play at Oregon on October 17.
The Huskers enter November with games at Illinois on November 7 and at Rutgers on November 14. The Huskers will host Ohio State on November 21 and then end the regular season at Iowa on Friday, November 27.
While Rhule is talking a good game about wanting a challenging schedule, it's worth noting that he and the Huskers went out of their way to take Tennessee off the schedule. On the one hand, he knows Nebraska can't be afraid of the schedule. On the other hand, he knows that too many losses are bad news for him and the program.
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