Nebraska looked at rejoining the Big 12

[Farmer Jake]

I would almost argue it was intentional. I mean, how could any supposed smart people, be so damn stupid? Seriously? Ask yourself that question. Instead of working with, and making the young, reasonably successful coach happy (66-27), let’s alienate him, piss him off, fire him and bring in the old ass, .500 lifer as a coach? That’s only one of the ignorant, stupid decesions that were made, by what are supposed to be from smart people. You just can’t be that stupid. I’d argue all day it was intentional.

It was both.. our recruiting dropped after moving to the Big 10.. we were not getting the same level of talent. It hasn't been the same or close to the same since.

AI comparisson

Big 12 Final Years (2007–2010)​

• 2010 Class: Ranked No. 16 nationally (Rivals), the highest of the final Big 12 years.
• 2009 Class: Ranked No. 28 nationally (Rivals), featuring key players like Rex Burkhead and Lavonte David.
• 2008 Class: Included Alfonzo Dennard and Will Compton, ranked No. 30 nationally (Rivals).
• 2007 Class: Ranked No. 13 nationally (Rivals), one of Nebraska’s best in the 2000s, with players like Roy Helu and Jared Crick.

https://247sports.com/college/nebraska/Sport/Football/AllTimeRecruits/?sortby=rank
Nebraska football recruiting rankings 2007-2010

Big Ten Era (2011–Present)​

• 2011 Class: Ranked No. 15 (Rivals), No. 17 (ESPN), and No. 16 (247Sports Composite)—a strong transition class, often considered the last elite class before a decline.
• Post-2011 Decline: Recruiting rankings dipped, with most classes falling outside the top 25, often ranking in the 30s to 50s nationally.
• Recent Gains: The 2025 class reached No. 19 nationally (On3), marking the program’s highest ranking since 2011 and signaling a potential resurgence under Matt Rhule.

Nebraska football recruiting rankings 2011-2025

Key Comparison​

• Nebraska was a consistent top-20 program in the final Big 12 years.
• In the Big Ten, it has struggled to maintain that level, facing stiffer competition from Ohio State, Michigan, and now USC.
• The 2025 and 2027 classes suggest a return to form, but long-term consistency remains to be proven.

https://247sports.com/college/nebraska/season/2026-football/commits/

I mean, how could any supposed smart people, be so damn stupid? It is obvious. They weren't that smart. The decision makers were both arrogant and ignorant of the Nebraska situation. We had one AD who fired a 9-win coach. In his arrogance, he then stated the Nebraska job was the best in the CFB world. That AD proved his ignorance by struggling to find a replacement coach, and then hired someone who was a bad fit for Nebraska.

Another AD fired another 9-win coach and hired another poor fit (nice guy, but poor fit) for Nebraska.

Another AD didn't feel comfortable doing the correct thing because of pressure from the arrogant higher ups. That AD hired someone he knew wouldn't be a good hire. And didn't keep watch on the program as it spiraled downward.

The Nebraska football program has been in a mess because of ignorance and arrogance of supposedly smart people.

 

[WestTexasHusker]

@WestTexasHusker

The Big 12 sided with Texas on most issues and told Nebraska to pound sand. Sensing the lack of loyalty/brotherhood from the original schools Nebraska…rightfully so decided to leave.

If you have truly forgotten how tenuous the situation was in the Big 12 you need to go back and look at the articles. I am not going to look them up because they are easy to find using your favorite search engine.

The Big 12 was close to falling apart with the threat of Texas, A@M, OU, and OSU possibly bolting to the Pac 12. Couple that with the mentioned voting against Nebraska at almost every turn and you can see why Nebraska left.

With all due respect…if you can’t see the situation Nebraska was in at that time…then you are just trolling and I know you like to do that from time to time.

@WestTexasHusker

The Big 12 sided with Texas on most issues and told Nebraska to pound sand. Sensing the lack of loyalty/brotherhood from the original schools Nebraska…rightfully so decided to leave.

If you have truly forgotten how tenuous the situation was in the Big 12 you need to go back and look at the articles. I am not going to look them up because they are easy to find using your favorite search engine.

The Big 12 was close to falling apart with the threat of Texas, A@M, OU, and OSU possibly bolting to the Pac 12. Couple that with the mentioned voting against Nebraska at almost every turn and you can see why Nebraska left.

With all due respect…if you can’t see the situation Nebraska was in at that time…then you are just trolling and I know you like to do that from time to

@WestTexasHusker

The Big 12 sided with Texas on most issues and told Nebraska to pound sand. Sensing the lack of loyalty/brotherhood from the original schools Nebraska…rightfully so decided to leave.

If you have truly forgotten how tenuous the situation was in the Big 12 you need to go back and look at the articles. I am not going to look them up because they are easy to find using your favorite search engine.

The Big 12 was close to falling apart with the threat of Texas, A@M, OU, and OSU possibly bolting to the Pac 12. Couple that with the mentioned voting against Nebraska at almost every turn and you can see why Nebraska left.

With all due respect…if you can’t see the situation Nebraska was in at that time…then you are just trolling and I know you like to do that from time to time.

There are many decisions in my life that were seemingly logical ones to make at the time, which turned out to be bad decisions. So it can be both.

Would we have been better off competitively by sticking it out and providing some leadership? Quite possibly, but we will never know.

What we do know is, from a competitive standpoint, the move has mostly been a colossal failure. Anyone who says otherwise isn’t being honest. One All American in 15 years? Let’s be real.

 

[TFrazier]

There are many decisions in my life that were seemingly logical ones to make at the time, which turned out to be bad decisions. So it can be both.

Would we have been better off competitively by sticking it out and providing some leadership? Quite possibly, but we will never know.

What we do know is, from a competitive standpoint, the move has mostly been a colossal failure. Anyone who says otherwise isn’t being honest. One All American in 15 years? Let’s be real.

Dang…triple quoted my post. This does mean a lot to you.

 

[goodnterribles]

There are many decisions in my life that were seemingly logical ones to make at the time, which turned out to be bad decisions. So it can be both.

Would we have been better off competitively by sticking it out and providing some leadership? Quite possibly, but we will never know.

What we do know is, from a competitive standpoint, the move has mostly been a colossal failure. Anyone who says otherwise isn’t being honest. One All American in 15 years? Let’s be real.

You can't provide leadership that was never wanted. And since the folks in Norman sided with the folks in Austin, there were few good options. This university, academically and athletically, is fortunate to have the stability in the Big 10. It was the best possible future for NU.
And the Big 10 isn't the reason that NU has struggled. NU is the reason NU has struggled.

 

[WestTexasHusker]

Dang…triple quoted my post. This does mean a lot to you.

You can say that again!

 

[WestTexasHusker]

You can't provide leadership that was never wanted. And since the folks in Norman sided with the folks in Austin, there were few good options. This university, academically and athletically, is fortunate to have the stability in the Big 10. It was the best possible future for NU.
And the Big 10 isn't the reason that NU has struggled. NU is the reason NU has struggled.

Got it.

 

[goodnterribles]

Got it.

Thank you.

 

[Bigger Ed]

Because the B1G "culture" is snobbish. Look at how the conference acted during Covid. SF and Nebraska wanted to play football games but was ostracized by conference leadership. Michigan leadership stood up treating the hicks from Nebraska like petulant children.

The "culture" is their self-congratulatory academia beliefs. Go to a Husker game in Ann Arbor, Madison or State College. The elitists on their campus can't believe Husker fans have learned to walk upright.

Just think about the roots of each region.

Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas (aside from Dallas/Austin) … farmers, ranchers, agriculture, salt of the earth.

Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania … larger cities, blue collar, more density of population, factories, labor intensive, older larger university institutions.

I think institutionally … academically what is UNL known for … agriculture. What is Michigan known for … engineering. Same for Purdue. Michigan St is known for education. Iowa is known for health sciences.

Should feeding the world’s population receive more notoriety? Sure … but the B1G elitists will never concede that.

Assuming this is all true, I don't see how it affects NU athletics. Nobody in the B1G respects NU? Nobody in the Big XII did either.
There are worse things going on in college football than B1G schools dissing NU.

 

[Husker In Oklahoma]

I mean, how could any supposed smart people, be so damn stupid? It is obvious. They weren't that smart. The decision makers were both arrogant and ignorant of the Nebraska situation. We had one AD who fired a 9-win coach. In his arrogance, he then stated the Nebraska job was the best in the CFB world. That AD proved his ignorance by struggling to find a replacement coach, and then hired someone who was a bad fit for Nebraska.

Another AD fired another 9-win coach and hired another poor fit (nice guy, but poor fit) for Nebraska.

Another AD didn't feel comfortable doing the correct thing because of pressure from the arrogant higher ups. That AD hired someone he knew wouldn't be a good hire. And didn't keep watch on the program as it spiraled downward.

The Nebraska football program has been in a mess because of ignorance and arrogance of supposedly smart people.

Well yes. No question. And here NU had a chancellor, whose job it is to be smart, oversee the mess not once, but twice. You gotta love it. Complete stupidity. Like I said, almost seems intentional. Unfreakinbelievable.

 

[19D Cav]

Rail on me all you want but this is the University Nebraska and it's main purpose is to Educate and not to make all decisions based on Football or Football Fans. The Amount of money coming in is substantially more than in the Big 12 days and so are the Athletic funds . Even with all the extra money and Grants through the BIG the academic side is still hurting imagine where we would be with a lot less money and Academic cooperation.
Just because you cannot load up the family truckster and roll in to Lawrence or Stillwater anymore doesn't mean the world has ended !! Hell look at the BIG 12 now. Yeah a game in Phoenix ,Provo or Salt lake City would be a nice weekend but your not driving there like the old days.
It's time to look forward and figure out how to kick butt and win in the BIG not continue to look back and think about the good old days of beating up on the little six
Now please rail on me I'm ready

 

[WestTexasHusker]

I asked Chat GPT whether the move to the Big 10 was good for Nebraska. The answer sounds pretty reasonable me:

Has the Move to the Big Ten Been Good for Nebraska?​

The move to the Big Ten in 2010 has had mixed results for Nebraska, with clear financial benefits but persistent challenges in football success and cultural fit.

Financial and scheduling advantages
Since joining the Big Ten, Nebraska has become one of the conference’s most lucrative programs, benefiting from the conference’s revenue-sharing model and high-profile matchups Sports Illustrated. The Big Ten’s scheduling and media rights have also provided more exposure and resources than the Big 12 could offer at the time.

Football performance
However, the Huskers have struggled to replicate the dominance they had in the Big 12. They have won only 10 games in Big Ten football history (2012) and have never claimed a Big Ten title Sports Illustrated. From 2017 to 2023, they missed the bowl season every year Sports Illustrated. While there have been flashes of improvement under coaches like Matt Rhule, the program has not achieved the sustained success that many fans and analysts believe it could have EssentiallySports.

Cultural and recruiting concerns
Former Nebraska AD Bill Moos has openly admitted that the move was “not so much in terms of football success” and that fan frustration over long, costly travel to Big Ten road games prompted him to quietly explore a return to the Big 12 Yahoo Sports+1. He also noted that Nebraska’s recruiting footprint and rivalries are more aligned with the South than the Big Ten’s northern-heavy makeup EssentiallySports. This cultural mismatch has been a recurring theme in discussions about the program’s future.

Recent basketball success
In contrast, Nebraska’s men’s basketball program has thrived in the Big Ten, reaching its best season ever in 2025–26 under Fred Hoiberg, with multiple program records and a strong national ranking Yahoo Sports. This shows that the conference can be beneficial for certain sports.

Bottom line
The Big Ten has been financially good for Nebraska, but the move has not translated into the football success or cultural alignment many hoped for. Former leadership has openly questioned whether the conference is the right fit, and the program’s future may depend on whether it can find a conference that better matches its recruiting and rivalries while still offering competitive football.

 

[wcbsas]

I mean, how could any supposed smart people, be so damn stupid? It is obvious. They weren't that smart. The decision makers were both arrogant and ignorant of the Nebraska situation. We had one AD who fired a 9-win coach. In his arrogance, he then stated the Nebraska job was the best in the CFB world. That AD proved his ignorance by struggling to find a replacement coach, and then hired someone who was a bad fit for Nebraska.

Another AD fired another 9-win coach and hired another poor fit (nice guy, but poor fit) for Nebraska.

Another AD didn't feel comfortable doing the correct thing because of pressure from the arrogant higher ups. That AD hired someone he knew wouldn't be a good hire. And didn't keep watch on the program as it spiraled downward.

The Nebraska football program has been in a mess because of ignorance and arrogance of supposedly smart people.

I whole heartedly agree with you that NU's fall from prominence has been in large due to the leadership vacuum we had at the Athletic Director position. In addition, its not only the AD it has also been the University President position that has had a lot of turnover during the same period.

Your missing one on your list ... Another AD allowing Tom Osborne to hand pick an assistant as his replacement with zero head coaching experience without doing appropriate due diligence. NU at the time was the "Alabama" of college football and deservedly should have performed a nation wide search for Osborne's replacement. Interestingly Nick Saban was at Michigan State at the time!

 

[Farmer Jake]

I whole heartedly agree with you that NU's fall from prominence has been in large due to the leadership vacuum we had at the Athletic Director position. In addition, its not only the AD it has also been the University President position that has had a lot of turnover during the same period.

Your missing one on your list ... Another AD allowing Tom Osborne to hand pick an assistant as his replacement with zero head coaching experience without doing appropriate due diligence. NU at the time was the "Alabama" of college football and deservedly should have performed a nation wide search for Osborne's replacement. Interestingly Nick Saban was at Michigan State at the time!

I don't have a problem with Tom picking Frank as his replacement. After all, Bob picked Tom, an assistant with absolutely no head coaching experience, and that seemed to work out OK. At least Frank had head coaching experience at the high school level.

The biggest disservice Tom did to UNL football and to Frank was make Frank promise to keep all of the other assistants on the staff. Several of those assistants should have retired and been replaced a couple of years earlier. I'm betting recruiting would have improved with a change in staff, making the team better.

 

[Husker In Oklahoma]

@WestTexasHusker

The Big 12 sided with Texas on most issues and told Nebraska to pound sand. Sensing the lack of loyalty/brotherhood from the original schools Nebraska…rightfully so decided to leave.

If you have truly forgotten how tenuous the situation was in the Big 12 you need to go back and look at the articles. I am not going to look them up because they are easy to find using your favorite search engine.

The Big 12 was close to falling apart with the threat of Texas, A@M, OU, and OSU possibly bolting to the Pac 12. Couple that with the mentioned voting against Nebraska at almost every turn and you can see why Nebraska left.

With all due respect…if you can’t see the situation Nebraska was in at that time…then you are just trolling and I know you like to do that from time to time.

Tom Osborne warned everyone, no one listened.

 

[DuckTownHusker]

Minor point to consider: at the time that Moos was feeling the waters for a Big XII return, the major dominoes of USC/UCLA/ORE/WASH to the B1G and OU/UT to the SEC had not yet occurred.

Maybe it's revisionist history, but there's a path here where Nebraska (and Colorado) return to the Big XII, the B1G and SEC don't go nuclear, and the Pac-12 stays together (backfill CU with BYU, etc).

In that world, the B1G TV deal isn't as massive and there's likely to be a much better payout for a stronger, Huskers-Sooners-Horns version of the Big XII.

I'm still not jazzed about that world, but it may not have been as terrible as people suspect now that CFB is basically owned by the B1G/SEC.