football this fall ... or even bailing on the Big Ten altogether. " data-reactid="16">In the end, the Nebraska saber rattle ended with the modern day equivalent of a whimper – a mild administrative statement that blew the white flag for the Cornhuskers who will become villains and play soccer this fall … or even save the Big Ten altogether.
“The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is a fully committed member of the Big Ten Conference,” the school said in a statement. “It’s an unprecedented sporting and academic alliance.
“We have the biggest fans in college athletics. This has been a difficult and disappointing week. We are all looking forward to the day when we can cheer on our student athletes on the field and in the arena. “
All of this was predicted because it was predictable. Money. Media rights. Complain. And that was before Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren told Yahoo Sports that Nebraska would not be playing anywhere this fall, “and would be a member of the Big Ten conference.”
The Huskers were part (but certainly not alone) of an unusually chaotic dispute over the 125-year-old button-down league. It ended as usual, and everyone stood in line.
That doesn’t mean that it was an exercise in utter futility for the Huskers.
Nebraska made its point – with its fans, its players, and potential recruits. The message was clear: it was dying to play, the program is a very big deal in its state, and it is ready to overturn some windmills to fight for what it believes in.
Head coach Scott Frost and the Nebraska Cornhuskers watch before a game on September 21, 2019. (Michael Hickey / Getty Images)
If nothing else, everyone has been talking about Big Red, which doesn’t happen much these days.
football is played elsewhere this season. There is no avoiding that. For Nebraska, it will be particularly rough if the Big 12, its old league, gives it a go. There is no guarantee that will happen. " data-reactid="39">It will be painful for all attendees in the conference to have college football played elsewhere this season. There’s no way around it. It gets especially tough for Nebraska when the Big 12, their old league, try. There is no guarantee of that.
And if it did, at least Nebraska was reminding everyone of how much money the Big Ten made (about $ 54 million a year, or about $ 15 million more than the Big 12 average). In a bad situation, it’s something.
Most intriguing, however, is that Nebraska is the new villain of its new conference, which the establishment can poke fun at and take root. The Big Ten provided a lifeline to Nebraska during the reorientation of the conference in 2011 when infighting made it look like the Big 12 might disintegrate.
The Huskers rewarded the Big Ten with a mediocre (and getting worse) product on the field and now … this?
Ohio State complaints is one thing. Nebraska? At least Rutgers and Maryland knew their place.
However, this could be a good thing. There is at least one thing better than being ignored or forgotten.
Nebraska has been one more date lately. Schools struggling to sell tickets (Illinois, Indiana, etc.) liked them because the Big Red traveling army of fans filled the bleachers and parking lots. The league’s traditional forces now got an aging mark that they could easily beat.
Since joining the league, Nebraska has faced Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State and Wisconsin 7-16 but has not beaten anyone since 2013. It has now lost to Iowa five times in a row.
You wouldn’t think a black hat would fit a program known for such niceties as cheering the visiting team after games and releasing bright balloons after the first Husker result.
But here we are. Perhaps an unexpected identity is better than none.
In a way, it fits. Nebraska is a state that rewards individualism. Lots of windswept plains to take care of yourself, not the suburbs of Chicago or Columbus. Just following the plan might not make sense.
And Frost isn’t the type to pull away. Ever. It’s a small town product that eventually quartered Nebraska to a 13-0 championship in 1997. As a coach, he led UCF to a perfect season in 2018 before returning home where the reclamation project was slow (9:15 overall).
His vehement argument about playing this fall received a lot of attention. It didn’t change its mind at the conference, but it has undoubtedly found some sympathetic ears among coaches, recruits, and parents of high school in the Midwest, if not elsewhere.
It was an odd marketing effort. One more needed. Stuck on the far western edge of the league and no longer having access to the Texas high school talent the Big 12 made possible, Nebraska has always been a tricky business as a Big Ten member. The money was guaranteed in the Big Ten. It was certainly not a success.
Almost all of the best recruits in the league are from Chicago and the East. With that, the Huskers are struggling far from home in the backyard of many other traditional and grand stadium brands (including the independent Notre Dame). Things are looking up.
Nebraska usually ranks fourth or fifth in Big Ten recruiting per Rivals.com and between 20 and 25 nationally. Not bad, but not good enough. Since joining the league, 39 five-star recruits have signed up with the Big Ten schools. None with Nebraska.
Maybe hearing his voice helps. It probably can’t hurt. The league office may not be too happy with the Huskers right now and rival fans might laugh at it, but Scott Frost and the program required some kind of spark, some kind of narrative change.
Submitting handover declarations is not a pleasant experience. At least Nebraska fought because being nice and losing games isn’t much fun either.
