Husker Football: The Spring Game Goes Bye-Bye

Other Husker traditions have been disappearing for years.

Barry Switzer and Tom Osborne at 2022 Game Reunion Event / David Max

For decades, Husker fans have been the most faithful in all of college football.  Need proof?. How about the Huskers' ongoing consecutive home sellout streak of 403 that dates back to 1962?

But during the past couple of decades, Husker football traditions have slowly been fading away.

Anyone remember the annual football showdowns between Oklahoma and Nebraska?  Each November, the path to possible national championships hinged on the winner of that game.  

The rivalry went on for decades.  Then in 1996, the Big Eight conference decided to merge with (bail out) the Southwest conference to form the Big 12 conference. The Sooner-Husker series continued but only on a two year basis. 

In the 2000s, the Texas Longhorns threatened to bolt the Big 12.  It was feared that other Big 12 teams might follow them.  There was a real possibility the conference might not survive.  

Then Husker AD Tom Osborne had a decision to make:  Stay in the eroding Big 12, or join the cash rich Big Ten conference.  Fortunately for Nebraska,  Osborne & Company opted to join the Big Ten beginning in 2011.

The first casualty of leaving the Big 12, was the Oklahoma-Nebraska series was DOA.  Even the annual series with hated Colorado vanished.

Other casualties that came as a result to conference realignments and coaching changes (five in the past 24 years) were conference titles, bowl appearances and national championships for Nebraska.

Over the past few years, Husker football has seen even more changes.  College football players now can transfer as often as they want and with NIL money can be paid sometimes obscene amounts of money to play the game.

This year, football players (all college D-1 athletes) will be getting even more money due to revenue sharing rules.   Even the tradition of releasing balloons after the Huskers' first score in each Husker home game has also ended.

Wait.  It gets worse.  Because of a recent NCAA ruling that limits D-1 football rosters to 105 players, the once proud Husker walk-on program is being dismantled right before our eyes.

Lastly (for now), the traditional Husker Spring games have also likely come to an end. What?  The Husker Spring Game is going bye-bye?

Sadly, yup.  In fact all college football spring games are likely falling by the wayside.  Reasons for their elimination have ranged from a concern for injuries, to the threat of losing key players to other teams via the transfer portal.

Yes, Husker fans (and most college football fans) are living in the Wild West.  Where it will all end is anyone's guess.

How 'Bout Them Huskers

Will and I preview the Super Bowl, review the Husker Men's and Women's basketball seasons.  We also talk about the hiring of Dani Busboom Kelly as John Cook's successor as the head coach of the Husker volleyball program.

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