Nebraska, Tennessee Cancel Future Non-Conference Football Games; Huskers Announce Replacements

The Huskers and Volunteers will no longer meet for a pair of non-conference games in 2026 and 2027.

Kaleb Henry | Feb 21, 2025

Dec 30, 2016; Nashville , TN, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers and Tennessee Volunteers line up during the first half at Nissan Stadium. / Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

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A highly-anticipated non-conference matchup for Nebraska football is no longer on the schedule.

The previously scheduled games with Tennessee for the 2026 and 2027 seasons have been canceled.

“We are making plans to embark on major renovations of Memorial Stadium that may impact our seating capacity for the 2027 season,” Nebraska Director of Athletics Troy Dannen said. “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.”

Memorial Stadium / Nebraska Athletics

Nebraska replaced Tennessee in the 2026 season with a home contest against Bowling Green on Sept. 12. The 2027 replacement will be Miami (Ohio) on Sept. 11.

NU announced another 2027 game, with the Big Red hosting Northern Iowa on Sept. 18.

Husker fans were eager to take on the Volunteers. Nebraska and Tennessee have met just three times, all in bowl games. The Huskers got an Orange Bowl victory in 1998 to cap Tom Osborne's career with a share of the national championship. The teams met two years later in the Fiesta Bowl, another Husker win. The latest meeting came in 2016 in the Music City Bowl, a victory for the Volunteers.

Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Ryker Fyfe (17) hands the ball off to running back Terrell Newby (34) during the first half.

Dec 30, 2016; Nashville , TN, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Ryker Fyfe (17) hands the ball off to running back Terrell Newby (34) during the first half against the Tennessee Volunteers at Nissan Stadium. / Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

Nebraska picked up some Tennessee flavor this offseaon with the addition of Mike Ekeler as special teams coordinator. Ekeler spent the past four seasons in Knoxville.

NU has never played Bowling Green or Miami. Nebraska has played Northern Iowa just once, which didn't happen until this past season.

The 2027 season will mark the first time Nebraska has played eight home games at Memorial Stadium since 2013. Nebraska enters the 2025 season with 403 consecutive sellouts at Memorial Stadium.

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule addresses the team during the Huskers' practice Monday after their flight to New York for the Pinstripe Bowl. / Nebraska Athletics

Future non-conference series against Autonomy 4 Conference opponents include the University of Arizona (2028, 2031), the University of Oklahoma (2029, 2030), the University of Cincinnati (2032) and Oklahoma State University, (2034, 2035), none of which are impacted by the scheduling changes.

2025 Nebraska Football Schedule

Thursday Aug. 28 vs. Cincinnati (Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City)
Saturday Sept. 6 vs. Akron
Saturday Sept. 13 vs. Houston Christian
Saturday Sept. 20 vs. Michigan
Saturday Oct. 4 vs. Michigan State
Saturday Oct. 11 at Maryland
Saturday Oct. 18 at Minnesota
Saturday Oct. 25 vs. Northwestern
Saturday Nov. 1 vs. USC
Saturday Nov. 8 at UCLA
Saturday Nov. 22 at Penn State
Friday Nov. 28 vs. Iowa

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Published Feb 21, 2025|Modified Feb 21, 2025

KALEB HENRY

Kaleb Henry is an award-winning sports reporter, covering collegiate athletics since 2014 via radio, podcasting, and digital journalism. His experience with Big Ten Conference teams goes back more than a decade, including time covering programs such as the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Oregon Ducks, and USC Trojans. He has contributed to Sports Illustrated since 2021. Kaleb has won multiple awards for his sports coverage from the Nebraska Broadcasters Association and Midwest Broadcast Journalists Association. Prior to working in sports journalism, Kaleb was a Division I athlete on the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Track and Field team where he discussed NCAA legislation as SIUE's representative to the Ohio Valley Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.