The Nebraska Cornhuskers went 3-0 through the nonconference portion of their schedule, including an impressive victory over the Colorado Buffaloes that saw the ‘Huskers jump back into the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2019.
The start of conference play proved rough for Nebraska, as a Friday night opener in Lincoln resulted in a 31-24 overtime loss to the Illinois Fighting Illini.
Traditionally, Nebraska’s only Friday game falls on Black Friday, the team’s regular-season finale, where they play the Iowa Hawkeyes in a rivalry game.
On the Huskers Radio Network this week, Nebraska athletic director Troy Dannen said he has asked the Big Ten to keep the Black Friday game as Nebraska’s only Friday game in the future. He cited logistical issues with having to close campus and cancel classes the day of the Illinois game.
“Just because of the size of the stadium and the locale, I don’t think we want to be canceling in-person classes. I’m sure the students didn’t mind. But at the end of the day, the more we can avoid that, I think, the better off everybody will be,” Dannen said via ESPN.
Dannen went on to say that if the Big Ten doesn’t listen to his request, then there’s nothing that he can do, but he thinks it’s wrong that other Big Ten schools such as Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State, each with large footprints and large stadiums like the Cornhuskers, have essentially said they would never host Friday games.
“I’m not sure any institutions should have the unilateral ability to do that,” he added.
Nebraska returns to action on September 28 when they head to West Lafayette to face the Purdue Boilermakers.
[ESPN]
