Nebraska’s 2027 football schedule is suddenly the one that needs surgery.
With the College Football Playoff expansion now official, the new scheduling rule that goes with it will require Power Four teams - and Notre Dame - to play 10 games each year against that group beginning in 2027. For Nebraska, that creates a problem only in one season on the current calendar.
The Huskers already have at least one opponent locked in through 2035, and every season in that stretch already includes one of the required games except 2027. That year’s schedule originally included Tennessee from the SEC, but the slate also has Miami (OH), Northern Illinois and Northern Iowa. One of those non-conference games will have to come off the board to make room for the new requirement.
Everything else on Nebraska’s future schedule is already in place and fits the rule. That list includes Power Four matchups with Arizona, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Cincinnati and Oklahoma State.
Because most programs line up games years ahead of time, the pool of realistic replacements on short notice is small. That’s why the best option may already be sitting on the calendar.
If Nebraska wants a one-year fix instead of a home-and-home, the most obvious opening is the Arrowhead Stadium game in Kansas City, set for Aug. 27, a Friday in the new Week 1 slot. Kansas and Ole Miss are the only possible opponents with games that week, and both would need to drop either Louisiana Tech or Eastern Illinois to make the matchup happen.
Kansas stands out as a strong fit. A one-off game between former conference foes in Kansas City would make sense for both sides.
Missouri also enters the conversation. The Tigers do not currently have a game scheduled for that week, but they do have three games on the books: vs.
Illinois State, at San Diego State, and vs. Florida Atlantic.
Replacing the San Diego State trip with a game just two hours away against a former conference rival would be a clean way to start the 2027 season.
Texas Tech is another former Big 12 possibility, but the Red Raiders are only scheduled for four home conference games. That makes it more likely they would want to add a home game in Lubbock rather than settle for just six home dates overall.
Kansas and Missouri look like the best bets, particularly if the Arrowhead game replaces Miami (OH). Now it’s just a matter of the people making the decisions choosing the option that makes the most sense.
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The pressure only sharpened after the Cornhuskers fired offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen following four straight losses, a move that underscored how quickly things had gone sideways. Around the Big Ten, coaching changes and results have been piling up elsewhere too, including Michigans decision to fire offensive coordinator Jason Beck, but for Nebraska the focus is much simpler: find one win, and do it soon. Rutgers is suddenly the most frustrating obstacle standing in the way. [Read more 🡒]