Colorado AD Seeks Annual Renewal Nebraska Football Rivalry

Colorado Athletic Director Rick George has expressed a strong desire for the Buffaloes to renew their historic football rivalry with Nebraska and play annually, citing its significance for the game and the tradition started by coaches Bill McCartney and Tom Osborne. The rivalry, which dates back to 1898, became an annual fixture between 1948 and 2010 during the Big Eight and Big 12 eras, with Nebraska holding a 50-21-2 series lead. Although the teams have met sporadically since Nebraska left the Big 12, no future games are currently scheduled, as Nebraska's nonconference slots are filled through 2028, and the team is cautious about adding more power-league opponents given their Big Ten commitments. Both programs, under new coaches Deion Sanders for Colorado and Matt Rhule for Nebraska, have shown progress, increasing calls for a future renewal of the rivalry. Scheduling challenges include the need for home games, College Football Playoff implications, and strength of schedule considerations. While Colorado is aggressively scheduling strong nonconference opponents to enhance playoff prospects, Nebraska has been reluctant to add more high-profile nonconference games, leaving the potential revival of the rivalry uncertain but still highly desired by Colorado.