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Report: Nebraska Men's Basketball Matchup with Creighton Set for Early December

Per a report posted by Jon Rothstein, the Huskers' annual matchup with in-state rival Creighton has received an official date.

Austin Jacobsen

Nebraska guard Sam Hoiberg dribbles during the Huskers' game against Creighton on Nov. 22, 2024.
Nebraska guard Sam Hoiberg dribbles during the Huskers' game against Creighton on Nov. 22, 2024. / Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images
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Nebraska basketball's in-state rivalry will come later in the 2025-26 season than the most recent iteration, according to a report posted Tuesday on social media.

CBS college basketball insider Jon Rothstein posted on his social media account that the next matchup between Nebraska and Creighton men's basketball would take place Sunday, Dec. 7, at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln. Nebraska won the most recent matchup in the series, 74-63, in Omaha on Nov. 22, 2024.

As posted by Jon Walker of the Omaha World-Herald, the venue of the matchup was set last year when Creighton and Nebraska signed a new two-year deal for the series. The date set is closer to the previous matchup dates in recent years, as Creighton and the Huskers battled on the first or second weekend in December for 14 of the last 16 seasons. The 2024 contest broke a two-year streak of the Bluejays facing NU on the first weekend in December.

The road team has taken the last four matchups in the series, beginning in 2021 as Creighton downed Nebraska at PBA 77-69 followed by a Nebraska 63-53 victory over the Bleujays in 2022. No. 15 Creighton stomped the Huskers in 2023 89-69 in Lincoln, with the Big Red returning the favor in 2024 in Omaha.

Creighton leads the all-time series 30-28, gaining the series lead after going on a seven-game winning streak over the Huskers from 2011 through 2017. The rivalry has continued since 1977, with the two teams competing annually for 48 consecutive seasons.

Nebraska forward Berke Buyuktuncel drives against Creighton forward Jasen Green on Nov. 22, 2024.
Nebraska forward Berke Buyuktuncel drives against Creighton forward Jasen Green on Nov. 22, 2024. / Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

Creighton is 20-12 at home against Nebraska while the Huskers have a 16-10 advantage in Lincoln over the Bluejays. CU has had the most success in the series over the past decade, going 7-3 in the last ten matchups. The "I-80 rivalry" will have new looks for both sides entering the 2025 matchup as the Bluejays aim to replace their three seniors - Ryan Kalkbrenner, Stephen Ashworth, and Jamiya Neal - along with other portal departures this offseason.

However, CU will add some Big Ten flair to the rivarly as former Big Ten rivals Josh Dix and Owen Freeman have joined Creighton via the transfer portal in the offseason. Dix and Freeman played at Iowa during the 2024-25 campaign, taking down Nebraska in both matchups in conference play.

Nebraska Cornhuskers guard Rollie Worster (24) and Iowa Hawkeyes guard Josh Dix (4) fight for the ball
Nebraska's Rollie Worster and Iowa's Josh Dix fight for the ball during the second half in Lincoln on March 9, 2025. / Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

The Huskers added their own piece of the Hawkeyes to their 2025-26 team, as Pryce Sandfort announced his intention to join NU via the portal. Nebraska also added Jamarques Lawrence and Uginius Jarusevicius from the transfer portal since claiming the 2025 College Basketball Crown in early April. In total, the Huskers currently have six incoming players.

Both coaches will return as Fred Hoiberg is set to begin his seventh year leading the Huskers while Creighton coach Greg McDermott recently announced his intention to step down at a later date following the news of Alan Huss as the coach-in-waiting for the Bluejays. Huss was previously an assistant coach under McDermott at Creighton before leading High Point University to its first NCAA Tournament appearance in program history as head coach.

Nebraska basketball has boasted a strong home résumé over the past two seasons, going 28-7 at Pinnacle Bank Arena since the start of the 2023-24 season. The lone home loss in the '23-24 season came against the Bluejays.

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Austin Jacobsen
AUSTIN JACOBSEN

Austin Jacobsen is a radio broadcaster and former Sports Director in Central Nebraska. He has seen the Cornhusker state from all corners; growing up in the Panhandle, completing his college degree in Kearney, working in the rural Sandhills, and now residing in Omaha. Austin is a statewide, regional, and national radio award winner and can usually be found at a high school football field on Friday nights and tuning in to the Huskers wherever they travel. If he is not on the road, Austin enjoys movie dates with his girlfriend and their dog, Ava.

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