In a World of Teams Opting Out, Matt Rhule Appreciates What Bowls Provide

Not just players, but several teams are opting out of bowl games. Not Nebraska, as Matt Rhule views this time of the year as vital to continue the growth of the program.

Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule celebrates with his team after the game against the Boston College Eagles at Yankee Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

LINCOLN—Maybe it's the program builder in Matt Rhule, but bowl games are an important part of the puzzle for the Nebraska head coach.

But several programs are looking at December and deciding to take an early break after the season, despite having earned the right to play in a game and practice 15 more times than non-bowl programs. Teams opting out of bowl games include 10-2 Notre Dame, 8-4 Iowa State, and 6-6 Kansas State.

"I don't know their situations," Rhule said at his Wednesday media availability. "I know how much pain I was in the first year that I was here when we were 5-6 and lost the last game and didn't get to go to a bowl game."

After playing in the national championship last year, Notre Dame just missed the 2025 College Football Playoff field and has elected not to play in a bowl game. | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Big 12 Conference has fined the Wildcats and the Cyclones $500,000 each. Those teams are both going through coaching changes, though that isn't a new phenomenon, as other programs have had the same situation come up and still participated in their bowl game.

For the Irish, a College Football Playoff snub won't result in a conference fine for the perenially Independent program. But for the Huskers, Rhule still thinks back to that 2023 team and how much everyone wanted to be playing in December.

"I know how much those guys wanted to go to a bowl," Rhule said. "I remember students stopping me on the street and being like, 'Coach, I came back to school for one more year. Can you please, we don't care what bowl game it is, just get us to a bowl game?'

"I'm unbelievably grateful to be in a bowl."

Iowa beat Nebraska to end the 2023 season and extend Nebraska's streak of seasons without a bowl game to seven. | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

Rhule is a football guy, as he's talked about before. He isn't a fan of the drought between the end of the regular season and the bowl games starting up.

"I hate this week where there's no college games on," Rhule said. "I can't wait for bowl week. I want to watch all those games."

Getting back to the bowl opt-outs, Rhule reiterated that he doesn't know the situations other teams are going through or their rationale for making those decisions. However, he doesn't see a place where Nebraska will do that with him in Lincoln.

"We're going to play as many games as we can ever play," Rhule said.

Nebraska's win in the Pinstripe Bowl last year was the first bowl win for the program since the 2015 Foster Farms Bowl. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The Huskers are a two-score underdog in their bowl game, according to FanDuel. Rhule, while handling the big picture of the program and having general manager Pat Stewart dealing with personnel, has plenty of assistants he trusts to focus on Utah and this game.

"That's why you have Phil Snow. That's why you have Dana Holgorsen. That's why you have Mike Ekeler," Rhule said. "Phil is a rock. Even Ekeler doing double duty. That's why you have guys like that to step up and get our players to play well and our guys to play better.

"I can't control who we play. I can't control how good Utah is. I can't control the guys who said, 'Hey, I'm not going to play in the game.' But the guys that we do have, we have to play better than we did those last two games."

While December remains a whirlwind for every program, even with just assistant coaching changes as opposed to a whole new staff, as well as signing day and the upcoming transfer portal window, Rhule remains appreciative of being able to still be playing.

"This bowl game matters to our team," Rhule said. "It's a great
opponent. So, it should be a great experience. To be back playing on New Year's Eve, you know, we'd like to play on New Year's Day.
We'd like to play in the College Playoff.

"But for where we are right now, to get to a New Year's Eve bowl and play a 10-2 team.
We're excited."

BOWL SEASON IS HERE 🔔 🏈 @HuskerFootball will face @Utah_Football in the @LasVegasBowl #BowlSeason #CFB #CollegeFootball pic.twitter.com/V2G6FdXz4n

— Coca-Cola Bowl Season (@BowlSeason) December 7, 2025

Nebraska will play No. 15 Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 31. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. CST on ESPN.

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