Nebraska Cornhuskers football

"Nebraska Bugeaters" redirects here. For the National Premier Soccer League team, see Nebraska Bugeaters FC.

Nebraska Cornhuskers football
2024 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team
First season1890; 134 years ago
Athletic directorTroy Dannen
Head coachMatt Rhule
2nd season, 10–12 (.455)
StadiumMemorial Stadium
(capacity: 85,458[1]
record: 91,585[2])
Field surfaceFieldTurf
LocationLincoln, Nebraska
NCAA divisionDivision I FBS
ConferenceBig Ten
Past conferencesWIUFA
(1892–1897)
Big Eight
(1907–1918; 1921–1995)
Big 12
(1996–2010)
All-time record922–429–40 (.677)
Bowl record26–27 (.491)
Claimed national titles5 (1970, 1971, 1994, 1995, 1997)
Unclaimed national titles7 (1915, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1993)
Conference titles46
Division titles10
RivalriesColorado (rivalry)
Iowa (rivalry)
Kansas (rivalry)
Kansas State (rivalry)
Miami (FL) (rivalry)
Minnesota (rivalry)
Missouri (rivalry)
Oklahoma (rivalry)
Wisconsin (rivalry)
Heisman winnersJohnny Rodgers – 1972
Mike Rozier – 1983
Eric Crouch – 2001
Consensus All-Americans54[3]
Current uniform
ColorsScarlet and cream[4]
   
Fight songHail Varsity
MascotHerbie Husker
Lil' Red
Marching bandCornhusker Marching Band
OutfitterAdidas
Websitehuskers.com

The Nebraska Cornhuskers football team competes as part of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, representing the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the Big Ten Conference. Nebraska has played its home games at Memorial Stadium since 1923 and sold out every game at the venue since 1962.[5]

Nebraska is among the most storied programs in college football history and has the eighth-most all-time victories among FBS teams.[6] NU has won forty-six conference championships and five national championships (1970, 1971, 1994, 1995, and 1997), along with seven other national titles the school does not claim. Its 1971 and 1995 title-winning teams are considered among the best ever.[7][8] Nebraska's three Heisman Trophy winners – Johnny Rodgers, Mike Rozier, and Eric Crouch – join twenty-four other Cornhuskers in the College Football Hall of Fame.[9]

The program's first extended period of success came just after the turn of the twentieth century. Between 1900 and 1916, Nebraska had five undefeated seasons and completed a stretch of thirty-four games without a loss, still a program record.[10] Despite a span of twenty-one conference championships in thirty-three seasons, the Cornhuskers did not experience major national success until Bob Devaney was hired in 1962. Devaney won two national championships and eight conference titles in eleven seasons as head coach, but perhaps his most lasting achievement was the hiring of Tom Osborne as offensive coordinator in 1969.[11] Osborne was named Devaney's successor in 1973 and over the next twenty-five years established himself as one of the best coaches in college football history with his trademark I-formation offense and revolutionary strength, conditioning, and nutrition programs.[12][13][14] Following Osborne's retirement in 1997, Nebraska cycled through five head coaches before hiring Matt Rhule in 2022.[15]

  1. ^ "2018 Nebraska Game Notes" (PDF). University of Nebraska. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 28, 2018. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  2. ^ "Memorial Stadium Records". Huskers.com. January 25, 2018. Archived from the original on July 14, 2017. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  3. ^ "Nebraska Football First-Team All-Americans". Huskers.com. April 12, 2014. Archived from the original on August 9, 2018. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  4. ^ "The Power of Color" (PDF). Nebraska Athletics Brand Guide. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  5. ^ "Nebraska vs. Missouri 1962". HuskerMax. Archived from the original on September 5, 2017. Retrieved September 26, 2010.
  6. ^ "2021 NCAA FBS Records" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on May 16, 2022. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  7. ^ "Nebraska Conference Championships". Archived from the original on May 4, 2016. Retrieved October 23, 2016.
  8. ^ "Best college football teams of all-time". Archived from the original on July 14, 2016. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
  9. ^ "Major Football Award Winners". Huskers.com. Archived from the original on June 26, 2009. Retrieved June 21, 2010.
  10. ^ "Nebraska Football Schedules 1910–1919". HuskerMax. Archived from the original on June 3, 2012. Retrieved September 2, 2010.
  11. ^ "Tom's Time: Devaney Selects His Successor". HuskerMax. October 3, 2017. Archived from the original on May 25, 2019. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
  12. ^ "The 150 greatest coaches in college football's 150-year history". December 10, 2019. Archived from the original on December 10, 2019. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  13. ^ "The Greatest Coaches in College Football History". August 12, 2019. Archived from the original on December 20, 2019. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  14. ^ "Epley leaving Huskers". June 19, 2006. Archived from the original on May 25, 2019. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
  15. ^ "Matt Rhule to Lead Nebraska Football Program". Archived from the original on November 26, 2022. Retrieved November 26, 2022.