Nebraska’s 2029 non-conference opening is drawing interest, but not the kind many Husker fans were hoping for.
At least three schools have already reached out about filling one of the Huskers’ remaining spots that season, according to Justin Frommer of the Omaha World-Herald. The names on the list are Georgia State, Eastern Illinois and Murray State, and none of them fit the Power Four wish list some fans might have had in mind. If one of those teams lands the 2029 opening, Nebraska would still have another vacancy in 2030, assuming the Huskers like what they hear.
For now, Nebraska’s schedule is set through 2028, and the picture there is already clear. Next season brings Northern Illinois, Miami (OH) and Northern Iowa.
In 2028, the Huskers are lined up with UTEP, South Dakota State and Arizona in Lincoln. The 2029 slate is the one with the loose end: Nevada and Oklahoma are already on it, leaving room for two more non-conference games.
That’s where the current inquiries come in. Records obtained by the paper show Georgia State, Eastern Illinois and Murray State have all asked about playing in Lincoln in 2029. Nebraska has not agreed to a deal with any of the three yet, but all three would fit the way the Huskers are building these schedules right now.
Georgia State comes from the Sun Belt, while Eastern Illinois and Murray State are FCS programs. If Nebraska sticks with the same pattern, Eastern Illinois and Murray State would seem like the likeliest fits for 2029. Then, with Oklahoma and South Dakota State already locked in for 2030, Georgia State could be the one that slides into that season.
Nebraska and other Big Ten programs have taken plenty of criticism for not loading up on Power Four non-conference games, but the Huskers have usually kept at least one on the schedule in most years. They did back out of a deal with Tennessee, though the reason remains a matter of dispute. Nebraska has said it wanted to change the years, while Tennessee canceled the series altogether.
So if one of these latest suitors gets the nod, it won’t exactly light up the fan base. But in the College Football Playoff era, filling out the schedule with cupcakes has become part of the game.
In Other News...
Nebraskas Surprise RB Addition Says Plenty About This Backfield
Nebraska quietly added another body to its running back room ahead of fall camp, a move that says as much about roster management as it does about the immediate depth chart. The late pickup brings a player with stops at Penn State and Iowa Western Community College into a group that always has to balance health, workload and the grind of a Big Ten season.
The timing makes the addition worth watching, even if it is framed as extra depth rather than a headline-grabbing splash. Nebraska has been sorting through the backfield all summer, and with camp approaching, every new face can matter in a room where availability often shapes opportunity as much as talent does. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraskas New QB1 Was Just Doubted More Than Fans Expected
Anthony Colandrea arrives in Lincoln with a rsum that should command more respect than he is getting. The dual-threat quarterback earned Mountain West Player of the Year honors at UNLV after throwing for 3,459 yards and 23 touchdowns while adding 649 rushing yards and 10 scores, production that made him one of the more intriguing transfer additions Nebraska has landed in recent memory. He also brings a little power-conference seasoning from two seasons at Virginia, which only adds to the case that he has already seen enough to handle a bigger stage.
Still, Ari Wassermans latest Big Ten incoming transfer quarterback rankings suggest the national view is not nearly as bullish. Colandrea landed at No. 10, a spot that leaves Nebraskas new QB1 with plenty to prove before the outside chatter catches up to the numbers. For a program that spent the offseason trying to stabilize the position, that kind of skepticism may not be the worst thing. It gives Colandrea a clear opening to turn a doubted ranking into another reason the Cornhuskers feel better about where they are headed. [Read more 🡒]