After a full day of “will he or won’t he,” Nebraska Cornhuskers athletic director Trev Alberts departed for Texas A&M.
That he left was bad enough. That he left after there there was some talk that he might stay made everything that much harder. Lots of people were in their feelings. Lots of hard feelings were spewed out on social media.
Lots of people had takes on just why Trev Alberts left the Nebraska Cornhuskers and especially a rebuilding Nebraska football program in the lurch. For the first time in years, there was real optimism around the program.
Both Nebraska basketball teams are headed to the NCAA Tournament. The football team got its most highly-rated recruit of the modern era. The baseball team is off to a solid start to the season.
All of that excitement was burst like a balloon on Wednesday and especially Wednesday evening. And much like the air coming out of a balloon, the anger and sadness and bewilderment came burting out on social media as well.
Nebraska football nation has big reactions to Trev Alberts leaving
Can't put a positive spin on this
Can't put a positive spin on this. Trev leaving the AD role at Nebraska is a major loss. The university can't keep going through ADs like this and expect positive results.
— Nick Handley (@NickHandley1620) March 13, 2024
Absolutely unreal
Can't put a positive spin on this. Trev leaving the AD role at Nebraska is a major loss. The university can't keep going through ADs like this and expect positive results.
— Nick Handley (@NickHandley1620) March 13, 2024
Some users pointed out just how much has changed (and not for the better) in a very short period of time around Nebraska football and the Nebraska athletic department.
Nov. 28, 2022.
— Sean Callahan (@Sean_Callahan) March 13, 2024
It’s absolutely crazy when you look at this picture 15.5 months later. pic.twitter.com/Ou8vHAqtjb
Say anything but that you're leaving
Live look at Matt Rhule, outside of Trev's house: pic.twitter.com/hfdmns38ol
— Dave Feit (@FeitCanWrite) March 13, 2024
A deflated Nebraska football fandom
I've never felt so deflated in the entirety of my Nebraska fandom.
— Eric (@stewmanji) March 13, 2024
Even at previous "rock bottoms" I saw rays of hope.
Now? Complete darkness.
The Nebraska football fanbase has taken more than its fair share of punishment from the people in charge.
I keep coming back to this observation: Over and over, for more than a decade now, the Nebraska fan base has shown exponentially more commitment to the institution than its leaders. That's a formula for misery and failure.
— Dirk Chatelain (@dirkchatelain) March 13, 2024
Where is the unity of vision?
Where is the “unity of vision” in Husker athletics right now? You have head coaches and their staffs doing extremely well, but now you have no AD, the UNL chancellor is no longer involved, and an interim system president after months of searching. What are the regents doing?
— Kaleb Henry (@iKalebHenry) March 13, 2024
Perhaps Trev Alberts was in a toxic situation and simply needed to get out
Ok, here's my story no one asked for on why I'm not nearly as mad at Trev as I was this morning:
— Oliver VanDervoort (@itmeolliev) March 13, 2024
I worked in the Nebraska Legislature for 15 years. I loved and still love the institution. But the work experience, both in my office and in the body as a whole was so, so, so toxic…
At the end of the day, there were more than a few people who were furious at Trev Alberts. The question of why now is going to haunt the Nebraska football fanbase, and the other teams in the program as well. And things aren't going to get better for a while.