Nebraska scraps planned home-and-home games against Tennessee

Nebraska has declined a home-and-home football series with Tennessee set for 2026 and 2027.

Tennessee's athletic director Danny White confirmed the news and expressed his displeasure on social media.

\"Tennessee is not canceling this series. Nebraska did,\" White posted Friday on X. \"We are very disappointed that they didn't want to play these games, especially this close to 2026.\"

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The 2026 game was supposed to take place in Lincoln, Neb., with the 2027 contest in Knoxville, Tenn.

Nebraska's athletic director Troy Dannen stated that upcoming renovations to the Cornhuskers' stadium influenced the decision.

\"We are making plans to embark on major renovations of Memorial Stadium that may impact our seating capacity for the 2027 season,\" Dannen said in a statement. \"The best scenario for us is to have eight home games in 2027 to offset any potential revenue loss from a reduced capacity. The additional home games will also have a tremendous economic benefit on the Lincoln community.\"

Nebraska will pay $500,000 to terminate the agreement. White told Volquest that the cost should have been \"much steeper.\"

\"You really can't pull an audible this late in the game,\" White said.

The Cornhuskers will replace the Volunteers with home games against Bowling Green in 2026 and Miami (Ohio) in 2027. Tennessee is still searching for replacements.

Nebraska ended last season with a 7-6 overall record and a 3-6 record in the Big Ten, while Tennessee finished with a 10-3 record, including 6-2 in the Southeastern Conference.

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The Cornhuskers hold a 2-1 record in the all-time series, with the Volunteers winning the most recent meeting 38-24 at the Music City Bowl on Dec. 30, 2016.

Nebraska and Tennessee initially agreed to a home-and-home series in 2006, to be played in 2016 and 2017. In 2013, the schools decided to postpone the series for a decade.