Nebraska AD Troy Dannen Details Plans to Pursue Future SEC Home-and-Homes

Eighteen months after the Tennessee series was canceled, the Huskers are now looking to "beef up" their future nonconference schedules.

Athletic director Troy Dannen, left, with head coach Matt Rhule. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

The Huskers are looking to make their nonconference slate mean more.

That was made clear Monday when Nebraska athletics director Troy Dannen was interviewed on Sports Nightly.

With a 24-team College Football Playoff format potentially on the horizon, Dannen said NU will “schedule to get into the playoff” in future years. That means the athletic department is done scheduling FCS opponents beyond 2030 and will look to add an SEC home-and-home to the schedule moving forward.

“I feel 24, we’re headed down that road as early as next year,” Dannen said. “I also believe, now that all leagues are playing nine conference games and the Big Ten is maybe the league that doesn’t have the requirement for a power conference game outside the league, I firmly believe we’ll have that requirement coming.”

NU already has several Power Four opponents on future schedules. The Big Red will host Arizona in 2028 before traveling to Norman to take on Oklahoma in 2029. The Sooners will then make the trip to Lincoln in 2030 before Nebraska travels to Tucson in 2031.

After that, the next scheduled home-and-home series begins in 2034, when the Huskers host Oklahoma State before traveling to Stillwater in 2035. Also from the Big 12, Cincinnati is on the Huskers' home schedule for 2032, seven years after the Bearcats' "home" game in the series was played at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.

Head coaches Matt Rhule and Scott Satterfield with Kansas City Chiefs president Mark Donovan before the 2025 Nebraska-Cincinnati game at Arrowhead Stadium. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

Nebraska doesn't have a Power Four nonconference opponent on its schedule in 2026. The Huskers replaced their home-and-home series with Tennessee with Bowling Green in 2026 and Miami (OH) in 2027.

However, that will change moving forward. Dannen described beefing up NU's nonconference schedule as a “have to” for several reasons.

“We’re working on two home-and-homes with Power Four teams to be added to our schedule so that after we get through 2027, we’ll have a Power Four team every year out through the 2030s,” Dannen said

Nebraska athletics director Troy Dannen. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

This fall, the Huskers face what ESPN's FPI metrics regard as the 21st-most difficult schedule in college football. That's even without the Tennessee matchup that was originally scheduled but was canceled a year and a half ago.

Moving forward, Dannen said Nebraska will not schedule additional FCS opponents beyond the games already on the books. The Huskers are scheduled to face Northern Iowa in 2027, the same program NU defeated 31-3 in 2024. South Dakota State is also scheduled to travel to Lincoln in 2028 and 2030.

“I do think you will see more emphasis on strength of schedule,” said Dannen. “An FCS game really is a non-factor when it comes to how its weighed from a qualification standpoint. I don’t think you’re going to be able to afford to have games like that on your schedule… I think we’re scheduled for 2029 or 2030 with FCS games. We are not scheduling beyond that point right now.”

Adrian Martinez reacts after scoring a touchdown against Oklahoma in 2021. | USA TODAY Sports

The last Power Four home-and-home series Nebraska played was against Colorado in 2023-24. The Huskers split that series 1-1. NU also faced Oklahoma in a home-and-home spanning 2021-22, losing narrowly in Norman and lopsidedly in Lincoln.

Win or lose, Dannen understands the value of scheduling those games. While Nebraska hasn't found much success since joining the Big Ten, matchups against quality opponents give the Huskers' fan base something to look forward to. Moving forward, Dannen said regional opponents, similar to the two programs listed above, will be a priority.

“We’re working on another SEC and another Power Four (opponent),” he said. “I don’t know if you’ll see an SEC-Big Ten per se. I would love to play as many regional games as possible. Games that maybe our fan base can get to, if they want to. That’s where the concentration is going to be focused.”

That means the Huskers will need to be focused on challenging themselves early in the season. Regardless of where the opponent comes from, expect Nebraska to schedule more home-and-home series in the years ahead.

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