MARLER: Tennessee and Nebraska cancel home-and-home series

By Chris Marler

Nebraska and Tennessee have canceled their highly anticipated home-and-home football series for the 2026 and 2027 seasons, marking a significant change to both programs’ future schedules.

Let me rephrase, Nebraska decided to cancel the home-and-home with Tennessee, but wrote their name on the card when delivering the news. 

Nebraska initiated the cancellation, citing concerns over stadium renovations impacting the seating capacity and potential loss of an eighth home game in the 2027 season. They then immediately replaced the Tennessee game with Bowling Green and Miami. Not that Miami. The Ohio one. 

The news set social media and college football twitter ablaze at the optics of Nebraska dodging Tennessee. It also marked the first time in the history of the app that Vol Twitter cyberbullying a fanbase may have actually been justified. 

Nebraska won’t ever admit to dodging the Tennessee game. But, if we’re being honest it’s a smart move. 

The Cornhuskers have been the most notable former powerhouse turned dormant program in the sport for 20 years. They’re in the midst of turning the corner as a program with a new coach and a Pat Mahomes cosplay kid at quarterback. Remember, Indiana made a similar move last year when it replaced Louisville on its 2024 schedule with an FCS opponent.

The move paid off, as Indiana made the college football playoff and did it without having to play a team with a winning record until mid-November. 

By following that blueprint, Nebraska can avoid Tennessee on the schedule, avoid their fans coming to Lincoln, and most importantly secure an easy win over a G5 team that gets them one step closer to their ultimate goal – inevitably playing in a Dec. 27 bowl game that no one will care about. 

Listen, sometimes sacrifices must be made to make it to the Gasparilla Bowl. 

No one should be surprised that this happened. Neither of these fanbases have moved on from the 90’s when their teams were still relevant and competitive on an annual basis. They’re college football millennials, day drunk off of nostalgia and pre-BCS bragging rights. It’s a shocker that just like every millennial I know, they made plans way far in advance, and then decided to cancel them at the last minute. 

That being said, if you’re like Tennessee AD Danny White, and frustrated at the abrupt timing of the decision, it’s completely valid. Don’t forget that this game has been in the works since the Obama administration and they still somehow haven’t figured it out. 

That’s not a joke or an exaggeration. The original agreement was made in 2006. They reconvened in 2013 and decided to delay the 2016-2017 games for another decade. 

I’m not sure what PR spin zone press release was given as the reason for the postponement. After all, that was before AI so we couldn’t ask ChatGPT, “Hey, what’s a professional way to say we’re going to wait and play this game when we both have our s*** together?” 

Nebraska has handled this entire situation with the most “I swear the diet starts tomorrow” energy imaginable. There are so many broken promises and poor communication skills, I think younger me would’ve dated these two teams. 

Lost in all of this is the impact it has on the fans. The last time these two played each other with any sort of significance, gas was a dollar and the only people with cell phones were Zack Morris and rich dudes driving a Saab. 

It’s not often that we get to see a former powerhouse who dominated the sport for decades attempt to make a comeback and return to the glory of their past selves. Nowadays the only time that happens is if a Jake Paul boxing match is involved. 

Oh well, there’s always 2046.