Why SEC home-and-homes should be on Nebraska’s front burner
If you want to accelerate a rebuild, sharpen your roster, and electrify your fan base, you don’t do it with neutral-site one-offs. You do it by bringing blue-blood helmets into Lincoln and taking your team into their cauldrons. That’s why scheduling true home-and-home series with the SEC is the smartest near-term play for Nebraska football.
The math changed with the 12-team College Football Playoff. Strength of schedule carries more weight now that an at-large bid exists beyond conference champs. A tough, high-visibility nonconference slate can be the difference between sitting at home in December or playing meaningful games. It also hardens a team long before Big Ten play hits its November grind.
There’s more than playoff calculus. Home-and-homes deliver campus weekends that neutral-site games can’t match: packed hotels, buzzing bars, alumni events, and a national TV window that shows Memorial Stadium at full voice. For recruits, it’s a clean sell—play under the lights against an SEC power, in front of more than 85,000, on broadcast TV. That’s exposure you can’t fake.
Logistically, this is doable. The SEC is playing an eight-game league slate for now, which leaves some nonconference flexibility. Big Ten teams traditionally carry nine league games, but they still carve space for marquee home-and-homes years out. Contracts today often land in the late 2020s or early 2030s, and realignment has created openings as schools reshuffle future calendars. The time to move is now, while inventory is fluid and athletic departments are hunting for premium matchups.
Five SEC opponents that make the most sense right now
These picks balance brand value, geography, recruiting payoff, and fan travel, plus a realistic chance these schools would say yes. The goal is twofold: give Nebraska big-stage equity and give fans bucket-list trips and must-see Saturdays in Lincoln.
Oklahoma — Renew the rivalry
This one sells itself. The Nebraska–Oklahoma rivalry shaped decades of college football, and both sides still move ratings. Since Oklahoma is now in the SEC, this checks every box: history, regional interest, and a fair travel lift for both fan bases. It’s also the kind of game TV partners love in a primetime slot.
On the field, it’s a measuring stick that doesn’t require a cross-country flight. Off the field, it jolts recruiting in the Great Plains and North Texas. Put it on a September home-and-home rotation and let both campuses eat.
Texas — Brand vs. brand, with recruiting stakes
Texas delivers two things: a top-three national brand and access to the nation’s deepest high school talent pool. A home-and-home lets Nebraska coach and recruit in Dallas–Fort Worth and Houston every other year, while giving season-ticket holders a megawatt home date in Lincoln.
Texas leans into marquee nonconference games, but often eyes neutral sites. The pitch here is campus-and-campus only. It’s a cleaner fit for fans, better for local economies, and exactly the kind of series a playoff-minded program should want.
Missouri — Old neighbors, new stakes
This one is simple: short travel, big crowds, and old Big 12 DNA that still feels familiar. Missouri is close enough for caravans, and it offers a game that sits in the sweet spot—high interest, but not a guaranteed uphill battle. For Nebraska, it strengthens recruiting across the I-29 and I-70 corridors and sparks regional chatter for weeks.
From a scheduling perspective, both schools can sell this as a yearly headliner without nuclear risk to playoff hopes. It’s also the most likely series to land quickly because it’s cost-efficient for both sides.
Arkansas — Fit, feel, and a fresh chapter
Nebraska and Arkansas share more identity than most cross-conference pairs: rabid fans, big stadiums, and pride in the lines of scrimmage. Fayetteville is a reasonable trip from Lincoln, and the atmospheres in both places are tailor-made for a home-and-home—no gimmicks, just two programs that care deeply.
From a program-building view, Arkansas gives Nebraska a spotlight game against a physical SEC opponent without the immediate gravity of a Georgia or Alabama. It’s winnable, valuable, and fun.
LSU — Baton Rouge at night, Lincoln at full roar
If you want a series that players and recruits never stop talking about, this is it. A Saturday night in Tiger Stadium is a bucket-list stage, and the return game in Lincoln would be just as electric. TV networks would circle it in ink.
LSU also opens doors in Louisiana and along the Gulf Coast—areas loaded with speed. It’s ambitious, but that’s the point. You don’t build a national footprint without rolling the dice on one or two heavyweight matchups.
Could Georgia, Alabama, or Florida fit? Absolutely. Georgia and Alabama bring unmatched prestige, though they’re harder to land because of crowded calendars and constant title runs. Florida offers a direct recruiting escalator into the Sunshine State. If one of them calls, you pick up. But the five above balance sizzle and feasibility in a way that makes sense right now.
What would it take to make these deals real? Start with timing. The late 2020s and early 2030s are the target because contracts, TV windows, and campus operations lock in years ahead. Next, protect the home gate. A true 1–1 swap is the standard—no neutral fields, no two-for-ones—and kickoff times should be negotiated with an eye on national windows. Finally, make buyouts real. Seven-figure penalties keep both sides honest if realignment or coaching changes tempt a cancellation.
There’s also a strategic layer that matters more today: NIL and the transfer portal. High-visibility games help collective fundraising and make pitch decks pop when staffers walk into living rooms. Telling a four-star corner in Houston or a linebacker in New Orleans that he’ll play Texas and LSU on campus is a clean hook. Put that on TV a few times and it starts to compound.
Nebraska’s fans have carried their side of the bargain for generations. Scheduling like this pays them back—and gives the program exactly what it needs in the playoff era: pressure, exposure, and the kind of Saturdays that shift a season’s ceiling.