Nebraska Is a Volleyball School? Right Now, You Can Make That Case

So how would you define Nebraska athletics? A football school? A basketball school, especially after this past season?

For years and decades, this was the easiest question to answer about Nebraska athletics. There never was any doubt. It was so easy to answer, in fact, that to even ask the question was silly. The answer was football, 100 percent, by a country mile — roughly the same distance Johnny Rodgers returned that punt for a touchdown against Oklahoma.

Now, in July 2026? Certainly, a lively debate could be thrashed about, especially after the season Fred Hoiberg’s historic basketball team posted up.

How about a third party joining the debate?

Volleyball.

And you can make an argument for softball, which advanced to the Women’s College World Series this past season.

Truth is, compelling stories were everywhere at Nebraska this past school year.

Nebraska a volleyball school?

The Athletic’s Joe Rexrode set out to “define all 67 teams in the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC, plus football independents Connecticut and Notre Dame.”

Rexrode, who has a long history covering college athletics, chose Nebraska’s women’s volleyball over football and basketball as the kind of school Nebraska is.

Nebraska: a volleyball school. Any dissent out there? Now, in 2026 … and heading into 2027? After the season the volleyball team had this past season?

We analyzed and ranked the performance of these three major sports in the 2025-26 season. But it’s impossible to just look at this past season without being aware of recent history, too.

Who can evaluate the importance of a sport without assessing and being blown away by the 2003 spectacle at Memorial Stadium when 92,003 showed up for “Volleyball Day in Nebraska”? Sure, it was something to do in late-August but the significance ran deeper. Huskers fans showed up in droves, setting a world record for attendance at a women’s sporting event.

Volleyball wins at a clip once reserved for football in Lincoln. Nebraska has won five national volleyball championships since 1995, the last in 2017. Volleyball won the Big Ten championship; football and basketball did not. For volleyball, it was their third consecutive B1G title and sixth overall.

Nebraska lost only one match in 2025, its final one in the NCAA Tournament, an Elite Eight game. The top-seeded Huskers were ranked No. 1 during the season, they finished 33-1 and played before sellout crowds at Bob Devaney Sports Center. They were a fan-friendly team, likable and even lovable — with a unstoppable killer instinct. They related to the fans and the fans returned the love.

Basketball fever in Nebraska

Basketball took over Nebraska this past season, with fan adoration and an abundance of media coverage. Hoiberg’s team won 21 games the previous season but their 20-0 start in 2025-26 won them respect around the country.

Nebraska was the story of the entire nation, the national media reported, enamored by the Huskers’ unselfish play, three-point shooting and sticky defense. Pryce Sandfort took over games and he had plenty of help. Sam Hoiberg did a little of everything. Rienk Mast was an outside threat and also inside. Jamarques Lawrence was another outside shooter and ball-handler who helped the offense click along with Sam Hoiberg. Cale Jacobsen and Braden Frager were invaluable off the bench.

The Huskers won a program-record 28 games. They ended an 0-8 record in NCAA Tournament games before a Husker crowd that overwhelmed Oklahoma City. They made it to the Sweet 16 before losing to Iowa, a team they had defeated during the regular season.

For one season only, you can make a case — a strong case — for Nebraska being a basketball school. For that kind of designation, basketball would need a more sustained record of success. Hoiberg seems on that track with what appears to be a strong recruiting class and transfer portal group.

One thing: Nebraska basketball isn’t going to surprise anyone anymore.

OK, what about football?

Husker football is in a curious state. After seven consecutive losing seasons, Nebraska has gone 7-6 the past two seasons. Winning seasons, sure, but not necessarily satisfying ones, especially in 2025. More was expected out of the 2025 season.

Memorial Stadium continues to register sellouts. Enthusiasm is there, waiting for the program to return to glory, to when it won five national title days.

This upcoming season will be a test for coach Matt Rhule. He wants to continue an upward trend. He’s faced with a killer schedule — that happens in the Big Ten some years — with a lot at stake for himself, his program and fans’ well-being.

In most college towns — especially in the Midwest, Plains and Down South — football is king. A team’s fortunes, up or down, can change the immediate perception of a program but overall, football rules. These days, however, we’re saying Nebraska football comes in third behind volleyball and basketball.

Big Ten designations

Ten of 18 Big Ten schools are considered football schools, a surprisingly low number for a conference known and revered for its football success. Nebraska will play six of the 10 football schools in 2026.

Five schools are called basketball schools — UCLA earns a dual honor as a men’s and women’s basketball school.

One school each was designated for men’s ice hockey, women’s lacrosse and Nebraska’s nod to women’s volleyball.

Here are the Big Ten teams. Interesting that Indiana was called a basketball school after a season in which the Hoosiers won the national football championship. Michigan was called a basketball school after a season in which the Wolverines won the national basketball championship. And we agree with those two assessments.

* Illinois: Men’s basketball
* Indiana: Men’s basketball
* Iowa: Football
* Maryland: Men’s basketball
* Michigan: Football
* Michigan State: Football
* Minnesota: Men’s hockey
* Nebraska: Women’s volleyball
* Northwestern: Women’s lacrosse
* Ohio State: Football
* Oregon: Football
* Penn State: Football
* Purdue: Men’s basketball
* Rutgers: Football
* UCLA: Basketball (men’s and women’s)
* USC: Football
* Washington: Football
* Wisconsin: Football

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