All Huskers

Nebraska AD Troy Dannen Comments on Friday Night Football

Husker football is set to host Illinois on Friday, Sept. 20 this fall. Nebraska athletic director Troy Dannen is not a fan of taking the day away from high school football but recognizes the financial impact and expectations that come with massive media deals.

Kaleb Henry

Nebraska athletic director Troy Dannen speaks at the annual "A Night At The Lied" event April 28, 2024.
Nebraska athletic director Troy Dannen speaks at the annual "A Night At The Lied" event April 28, 2024. / Nebraska Athletics
In this story:

Nebraska athletic director Troy Dannen has weighed in on Nebraska being featured among a slate of Friday Night Football games this fall.

"We can be upset about it all we want but we're cashing a pretty large check from our television contract every year—this is the price of that check," Dannen said. "In order to fund what we want to do, you end up with a Friday night game here and there."

Dannen appeared Wednesday on Sports Nightly, the Huskers Radio Network's weeknight show that airs on affiliates across the state of Nebraska, including KLIN Radio in Lincoln. He acknowledged the fact that Friday's are typically not a college football day.

"I know Friday night games cause a lot of heartburn, for a lot of reasons," Dannen said. "We think of high school football, just the logistics of Friday night game in the middle of a college campus. There are gonna be a lot of challenges along with it.

"But I think the ability to put the Huskers in that stadium and our crowd in the national limelight for a night game is ... well worth the challenges that lie ahead with it."

Oct 1, 2022; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Fans participate in a light show at the end of the third quarter between the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium.
Oct 1, 2022; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Fans participate in a light show at the end of the third quarter between the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium. / Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports

Nebraska will host Illinois on Sept. 20 at 7 p.m. CDT. This will be the first non-Black Friday, weekday game in Memorial Stadium since the Huskers hosted Rice on Thursday, Sept. 20, 2001.

"Believe it or not, the volleyball event last year might have been a good dry run for us and what it would look like during the week and how the impact would be," Dannen said. "[It's] a challenge for our operations crew, but it's gonna be a great environment.

"I love the fact that people around the country are just gonna be focused on us that night watching a game in Memorial Stadium."

You can hear Dannen's full comments, as well as an update on Memorial Stadium's renovation plan and his time in Los Angeles for the Big Ten Conference meetings, below.

Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking All Huskers, following HuskerMax on X, and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.

Published |Modified
Kaleb Henry

KALEB HENRY

Kaleb Henry is the Program Director and Sports Director at KLIN radio in Lincoln, Nebraska. A native Nebraskan, he competed in track and field at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville before returning home. Kaleb has won multiple awards for his work from the Nebraska Broadcasters Association and the Midwest Broadcast Journalists Association, including Gold for Best Sportscast in the state of Nebraska in 2021 and 2023. Kaleb primarily covers Nebraska football, volleyball, men’s and women’s basketball, and baseball. When not covering the Huskers, he spends his days adventuring with his wife Megan, their daughter Millie, and their two dogs Tucker and Ella. You can reach Kaleb at kaleb@klin.com or on Twitter @iKalebHenry. 

Home/Football