Nebraska canceling series vs. Tennessee a byproduct of nine-game Big Ten schedule

Nebraska football announced that they were canceling their home-and-home series with Tennessee on Friday, citing concerns about their stadium's capacity amid renovations as the primary reason, according to ESPN's Adam Rittenberg.

The teams were set to play a game in Lincoln in 2026, and in Knoxville the following season, after nearly 20 years of trying to get the game scheduled. It was originally announced in 2006, for the 2016 and 2017 seasons, then moved to 2026 and 2027 in 2013. The Cornhuskers paid $500,000 to buy out of the series.

Nebraska athletic director Troy Dannen explained the decision.

"We are making plans to embark on major renovations of Memorial Stadium that may impact our seating capacity for the 2027 season," 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."

Tennessee will be replaced by home games against Bowling Green in 2026, and Miami (Ohio) in 2027.

Nebraska can cite attendance concerns all they want, but that's not the real reason why they're doing this. Instead, the culprit is likely one you don't expect: the Big Ten's new nine-game conference schedule.

The Huskers are the textbook example of a fallen football power; their collapse from their heyday of the 1980s and 90s has been well-documented, but they're trying to get back to the top, or close to it. For them, that doesn't mean winning a title (at least, not yet), but it DOES mean making the College Football Playoff.

While negotiations are still ongoing about the size of the field, the number of guaranteed bids power conferences get, and how first-round byes are distributed, one thing is pretty clear from last year's field: if you want to make the playoff, you cannot lose more than three games, and really, you probably can't lose more than two.

The Big Ten is now MASSIVE; 18 teams reside in the field. To help cope with that bloated slate of teams spanning from Newark to Seattle, the Big Ten is playing nine conference games a year. That's nine potential matchups against powers like Oregon, Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, and USC. It's also nine potential matchups against teams like Washington, Minnesota, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Illinois, teams who have a history of success even if they don't reach the level of a traditional powerhouse. But it's ALSO nine matchups against punchy teams like Indiana, Maryland, Rutgers, UCLA, and even Purdue and Northwestern; teams capable of beating you if you're not careful.

If your goal is nine wins, and you're a team like Nebraska, the last thing you want is a potential (and possibly even likely) loss to a team like Tennessee in the non-conference slate. You want the easiest path to nine or 10 wins possible, which means you don't want to be playing fellow power conference teams in your non-conference schedule.

In 2026, the Huskers play Ohio State and Oregon in the conference slate, as well as Washington, Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana. That's two likely losses right off the jump. Why add a third to the mix?

In 2027, the same issue arises; Ohio State and Oregon are both on the docket.

This is life in the new Big Ten if you're not the bluest of blue bloods. Your goal is to get to nine wins at the bare minimum, and 10 wins in an ideal situation; what incentive is there to play and potentially lose to a Tennessee in that situation? Better to play a MAC cupcake, get the win on the schedule, and improve your chances.

And yes, I know, Nebraska hasn't sniffed nine wins since the Mike Riley era in 2016, and haven't won 10 since 2012. But that's the goal right now in Lincoln. That's how you get back to the top of the heap. Last season, five of their six losses were by eight points or less, and two of them were decided in the closing minutes or overtime.

If Nebraska knocks off Illinois in OT, and handles its business in the fourth quarter against Iowa (and if they manage to turn one or both of their long third quarter drives against USC into touchdowns instead of short field goals), then we're talking about a team who won a shocking eight or nine regular season games last year, instead of a 6-6 team that squeaked into a bowl by the skin of their teeth.

Are they scared of Tennessee? I don't know if scared is the right word, but they definitely view the Volunteers as a game they want no part of, a risk that's not worth taking.

The Huskers have one goal, and one goal only right now: make things as easy as possible to get to nine or 10 wins. And with the massive conference schedules coming down the pipe, you can bet that they won't be the only ones changing things around in the coming years to make that goal as obtainable as they can.

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