Nebraska women’s flag football will not wait long to get going. Husker Athletics announced Monday that the program’s inaugural competitive season has been pushed to the spring of 2027.
That news lands as Nebraska’s fall sports slate is already building toward a busy stretch. Thursday brings the first real look at the Huskers volleyball team in an exhibition against Florida, and if Nebraska gets past the Gators, the next opponent will be either Penn State or SMU.
There’s plenty of intrigue there right away, and the matchups should give an early read on what the team has in store. Starting the year with that kind of challenge makes the opening act feel meaningful.
Nebraska volleyball is also back in the spotlight with its 2026 schedule taking shape. The Huskers, as usual, are expected to be one of the nation’s top programs, and the release of dates, times, TV channels and live streams for home and away matches only adds to the anticipation around another major season.
In football, Nebraska has added a familiar voice to the radio booth. Elkhorn native and former Husker defensive lineman Jay Moore said yes to the color analyst job for the 2026 season. Moore, who grew up listening to Nebraska football on the Huskers Radio Network, will now be part of the broadcast himself.
Elsewhere in college sports, a Louisiana judge on Monday granted RJ Luis Jr., the 2025 Big East Player of the Year, a temporary injunction that allows him to play for LSU this season despite signing multiple NBA contracts.
College football’s return also comes into focus in Week Zero, where UNC will look for revenge against TCU and NC State-Virginia opens with an ACC matchup.
One of the more unusual roster stories belongs to 47-year-old pastor Justin Buzzard, whose path has led him to a spot on the San Jose City College roster as a defensive end.
At Ole Miss, the aftermath of Lane Kiffin’s departure to LSU was serious enough that the football facility reportedly underwent an FBI sweep for bugs, according to Walker Jones, the executive director of the Grove Collective at Ole Miss. Jones said the Rebels went to extreme lengths to make sure no tampering or espionage was happening.
And in a different kind of football debut, Marshall Manning - the 15-year-old freshman quarterback and son of Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning - made his high school debut Thursday night. He played two snaps as Chattanooga (Tennessee) Baylor School beat Brentwood (Tennessee) Academy 38-20 in a nationally televised game.
In Other News...
Nebraskas Rutgers Streak Suddenly Looks A Lot Less Safe
A November trip to Rutgers has looked manageable on paper for Nebraska in recent years, but the Scarlet Knights are making sure that matchup comes with a lot more uncertainty now. Rutgers has already settled on Dylan Lonergan, the Boston College transfer, as its starting quarterback for 2026, giving the offense a clear direction well before the season arrives.
Lonergan brings a rsum that suggests Rutgers may have found more than just a placeholder, and he will not be working alone. Antwan Raymond gives the Scarlet Knights a run threat, KJ Duff adds another target on the outside, and that combination could make the November 14 meeting a tougher ask for Nebraskas defense than it once appeared. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Could Get Caught In The Big Tens Next Eligibility Fight
The Big Ten is preparing to draw a harder line on a wrinkle that has already started to surface across college football: former NFL players trying to work their way back into the college game. After recent examples like LSU bringing in a player with NFL experience and Dae'Quan Wright briefly winning the right to play after a legal challenge, the conference is expected to announce a rule aimed at stopping that path for its member schools.
For Nebraska, the bigger issue may be less about any one player than about how the league chooses to enforce the change. Instead of simply barring the players themselves, the Big Ten is considering penalties for schools that sign former NFL players, a move designed to keep control in the conference office while sidestepping some of the legal fights that have already popped up. How strict that rule becomes, and how it holds up once a school tests it, is the part worth watching next. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Fans Finally Heard From Mekhi Nelson As Backfield Questions Linger
Mekhi Nelson spoke to the media for the first time since his June arrest on suspicion of aggravated battery, a case that was dismissed in July, and the Nebraska running back said he was thankful for the support he received from his coaching staff during that stretch. The third-year Cornhusker also framed the experience as part of his own growth, putting his focus back on football as the team works through the final stages of preseason preparation.
The backfield remains one of the more interesting position battles on Nebraskas roster, and Nelsons return to public view only adds another layer to it. He said the running back room is competitive as the season approaches, leaving the Huskers with plenty to sort out even as one of the players in that mix reenters the conversation after a long silence. [Read more 🡒]