130-771: 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. Nebraska is among the most storied programs in college football history and has the eighth-most all-time victories among FBS teams. NU has won forty-six conference championships and five national championships ( 1970 , 1971 , 1994 , 1995 , and 1997 ), along with seven other national titles
260-627: A 35–31 victory over No. 2 Oklahoma in Norman that was billed the "Game of the Century." Wins over Colorado and Alabama (the latter in the 1972 Orange Bowl ) made NU the only national champion to defeat the teams that finished No. 2, No. 3, and No. 4 in the final AP poll . Tom Osborne replaced Devaney in 1973, and despite several near-misses, did not win his first national title until over two decades into his tenure. Nebraska's 1994 title-winning season, nearly derailed when star quarterback Tommie Frazier
390-480: A conference championship game to determine the winner of the conference. Between conference games, non-conference games, a conference championship game, and up to two bowl games if ranked among the top four college teams in the country by the College Football Playoff Committee . Only the four Playoff teams are eligible to participate in two bowl games in one postseason instead of a single one for
520-499: A 13–9 Nebraska win. The Sooners lead the series 46–38–3. Since Nebraska's move to the Big Ten in 2011, the series was dormant until 2021 when Oklahoma beat Nebraska 23–16 in Norman. Future non-conference games are scheduled for 2029 and 2030. Notably, the 2021 game in Norman marked the 50th anniversary of Nebraska's 35–31 victory over Oklahoma in the "Game of the Century" . Nebraska dominated
650-594: A 20–12 Minnesota win. The Golden Gophers lead the series 35–25–2. Minnesota holds the trophy after defeating the Cornhuskers in 2023. The teams will meet next in 2025. The Victory Bell (also known as the Missouri–Nebraska Bell) has been awarded to the winner of the Missouri –Nebraska game since 1927 . The teams have met 104 times, with the series dating back to 1892 , a 1–0 NU win when Missouri forfeited to protest
780-849: A Playoff semifinal game. The theoretical 16th game has only been possible since the beginning of the College Football Playoff era in the 2014 season . Furthermore, the College Football Playoff will expand to 12 teams instead of 4 starting in the 2024 season, and, with its new bracket format, means that a team could potentially play in up to 18 games. For non-conference regular season games, FBS teams are free to schedule match-ups against any other FBS team, regardless of conference. A small number of FBS teams are independent , and have total control over their own schedule. Non-conference games are scheduled by mutual agreement and often involve "home and homes" (where teams alternate as hosts ) and long-established rivalries . A 2014 study found that teams from
910-437: A block "N" on the sleeves. Stripes and TV numbers were permanently re-added in 1984, although both have decreased in size as jersey sleeves have shortened. A patch was added to the left shoulder to commemorate the hundredth season of Nebraska football in 1989; it remained for future seasons and was altered to read "Nebraska Football: A Winning Tradition." Player last names first appeared on jerseys for road games and bowl games in
1040-705: A champion on the field. As the College Football Playoff did not exist until 2014, organizations such as the Associated Press and AFCA have historically sought to rank the teams and crown a national champion, by taking a vote of sports writers and coaches, respectively. Various cities across the United States have created their own postseason contests, called bowl games , in which they traditionally invite teams to participate. Historically, these bowl games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving
1170-488: A decade. Nebraska wore white-on-white in Bill Callahan's final game as head coach, a 65–51 loss to Colorado in 2007, and again on four occasions in 2014. From 1968 through 1994, Nebraska's pants had two stripes down each side. These were removed prior to the 1995 season and the pants remained stripe-less until 2001. In 2002, Nebraska featured large side panels on its jersey and pants, and wore all-white in every road game –
1300-691: A network that airs its home games. In the mid-2000s, college and conferences began to create their own television networks; such networks include the Big Ten Network , BYUtv , the Longhorn Network (which was folded into the SEC Network in 2024), and the Pac-12 Network . In 2012, college football games drew over 400 million viewers. The Big Ten (then popularly known as the Western Conference)
1430-502: A payout to participating teams. However, in the modern era, some of the bowls serve as semifinal games of the Playoff and the remainder constitute the de facto postseason for teams that fail to qualify for the Playoff. The decades preceding the advent of the Playoff also included attempts by the premier FBS conferences and bowl games to attempt to organize matchups so that the FBS national championship
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#17331059292561560-587: A quarterback of 1140 would be broken three seasons later by Freddie Solomon . Greg Pruitt set the current national single-season record with 8.98 yards per attempt, the school's single-game records of 294 rushing yards and 374 all-purpose yards . Meanwhile, Jon Harrison set the single-season and career yards per reception with 29.1 and 27.0. His 2066 single-season all-purpose yards record stood until Quentin Griffin broke it in 2002. Joe Wylie's kickoff return average record of 28.5 stood for 27 years. The team
1690-420: A result the school's rosters were often unusually large – NU had 202 players on its 2002 Rose Bowl team, while opponent Miami had 107. Osborne credited his walk-ons with providing flexibility to better scout future opponents and provided them the same access to training facilities and academic counseling as those with scholarships. Though NU's expansive walk-on program is most frequently associated with Osborne,
1820-455: A scheduling agreement with that conference that calls for the Fighting Irish football team to play five games each season against ACC schools, and to play each other ACC school at least once every three years. Finally, in 2015, Navy became a football-only member of The American, ending more than a century of football independence. Realignment continued at a lower level through the rest of
1950-513: A season. The team holds the current school record with 7.07 yards per rushing attempt and 7.6 yards per play as well as the records for 469.6 rushing yards (5635 in 12 games counting bowl game) and 566.83 yards of total offense per game. The team also holds the single-season rushing touchdowns record of 62 and rushing touchdowns per game record of 5.17. The team's records of 711 single-game rushing yards and 785 total yards stood for nine seasons. Jack Mildren's single-season record for yards rushing by
2080-411: A semifinal bowl game, and in the national championship game could theoretically play 16 games in a season instead of the 15 games you would have to play with the same scenario. No team has played a 16th game in one season, due to the unlikelihood and very low chances of a team playing Hawaii at some point, finishing the season ranked in the top four, opting in to a 13th regular season game, and then winning
2210-458: A series of expansion since 1923, bringing the official capacity to 85,458. The largest crowd in Memorial Stadium history occurred on September 20, 2014, a Nebraska win over Miami with an announced attendance of 91,585. Three statues sit outside of the stadium. The oldest, unveiled in 1997, depicts six Nebraska defenders tackling a ball carrier. Creator Fred Hoppe said, "the monument displays
2340-461: A stretch of thirty-four games without a loss, still a program record. 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. Osborne
2470-654: A transition are Delaware and Missouri State , which began their transitions in 2024 and will join CUSA in 2025. The next school scheduled to complete an FBS transition is Kennesaw State University , which started its transition in 2023 ahead of its 2024 move to Conference USA. The following table shows revenue for each conference reported by the Knight Commission for the 2021–22 academic year. Note: Values from some universities are not reported here. The only conferences made up entirely of state-supported universities are
2600-581: A varsity sport. In order to retain FBS membership, schools must meet several requirements. Before 2023, FBS schools had to average at least 15,000 home attendance (over a rolling two-year period). An FBS school must sponsor a minimum of 16 varsity intercollegiate teams (including football), with at least six men's or coeducational teams and at least eight all-female teams. Across all sports, each FBS school must offer at least 200 athletic scholarships (or spend at least $ 4 million on athletic scholarships) per year, and FBS football teams must provide at least 90% of
2730-434: Is fifth-highest in major college football history. Thirteen Nebraska coaches have won a conference championship at the school, and Devaney and Osborne combined to win five national titles . Nebraska has won five consensus national championships . The first of these came in 1970 under the leadership of head coach Bob Devaney and featured a unique quarterback rotation between Van Brownson and Jerry Tagge . Nebraska entered
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#17331059292562860-599: Is further divided into two sub-divisions: the Bowl Subdivision, abbreviated as the FBS, and the Championship Subdivision , abbreviated as the FCS. Divisions are themselves further divided up into conferences , which are groupings of schools that play each other in contention for a conference championship. The FBS currently has ten conferences, which are often divided into the " Power Four conferences " – which consist of
2990-537: Is the 1984 Orange Bowl . Top-ranked Nebraska scored with seconds remaining to make the game 31–30, but NU head coach Tom Osborne opted to try for a two-point conversion instead of an extra point, even though a tie would have given Nebraska the national championship. Miami won the game and its first national title. The $ 5 Bits of Broken Chair Trophy has been awarded to the winner of the Minnesota –Nebraska game since 2014 . The teams have met 61 times, dating back to 1900 ,
3120-419: The 1971 Orange Bowl ranked third nationally, but losses by No. 1 Texas and No. 2 Ohio State – along with a late game-winning touchdown rush by Tagge – gave NU its first consensus title. The Cornhuskers repeated as national champion the following season with Tagge as the full-time starter, a team that is often considered one of the best in college football history. Nebraska was challenged just once all season,
3250-531: The ACC . Memorial Stadium, known as The Sea of Red, has been home of the Cornhuskers since 1923 and is the location of an ongoing NCAA-record 403-game sellout streak. The sellout streak dates back to 1962, Bob Devaney 's first season at Nebraska. The stadium becomes the "third-largest city in Nebraska" on game days, as its capacity exceeds that of every Nebraska town except for Omaha and Lincoln. The stadium has undergone
3380-884: The AP National Championship Trophy , while the American Football Coaches Association awards the AFCA National Championship Trophy . The AFCA trophy was previously awarded to the winner of the BCS National Championship Game (a predecessor of the College Football Playoff National Championship game), which operated from 1999 to 2014. The Football Writers Association of America awarded the Grantland Rice Trophy until after
3510-611: The Big 12 in 2011.{{need citation}] The Iowa –Nebraska rivalry debuted in 1891 , a 22–0 Iowa win. Since 2011 , the game is held annually the Friday after Thanksgiving . Also, the game was named the Heroes Game, and the winner keeps the Heroes Trophy. The teams have met 54 times, with the Cornhuskers leading the series 30–22–3. Nebraska and Kansas share a natural border rivalry and maintained
3640-693: The Big East to the ACC. The Big East responded by adding schools from Conference USA. College football underwent another major conference realignment in the first half of the 2010s. Members of the Big East left the conference to join the Big 12 and ACC. The Big 12 lost members to the SEC, the Pac-12, and the Big Ten, while the Big Ten also gained one former ACC member. The remaining members of
3770-527: The Big Eight – was founded in 1907. Nebraska dominated the MVIAA in its early years, winning nine championships in twelve years before leaving the conference in 1919 to again play as an independent. NU rejoined in 1921 and won the conference twelve times before 1940. Following Biff Jones 's departure to become the athletic director at Army in 1941, NU went twenty-two seasons without a conference championship. Devaney
3900-749: The Bowl Coalition in order to determine the FBS champion. In 1998, the two remaining major conferences joined with the other five conferences to form the Bowl Championship Series . The BCS used a rankings system to match up the top two teams in the BCS National Championship Game . However, even the BCS era saw split national championships , as in 2003 the AP Poll and the Coaches Poll selected different national champions. The College Football Playoff replaced
4030-684: The Great Midwest Conference , two conferences which had not sponsored football. The Big West stopped sponsoring football after the 2000 season, and was essentially replaced by the Sun Belt Conference , which added former Big West members and began sponsoring football in 2001. In the mid-2000s, the Big East added former basketball-only member Connecticut, while Temple left the conference (before eventually returning in 2013). During another phase of realignment in 2005 , three schools jumped from
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4160-559: The Mid-American Conference . Most recently, UConn went independent in 2020 when the school left The American to rejoin many of its historic basketball rivals in the current Big East Conference. Notre Dame competed under a full ACC schedule only also in 2020 in response to logistical concerns that arose from the effects of COVID-19 . The most recent realignment is currently ongoing , with the majority of conference changes in this cycle taking place in 2023 and 2024. It started with
4290-688: The National Football Foundation established the College Football Hall of Fame . Notable individual awards include: The NCAA does not officially name a national champion, but several other organizations name national champions and all conferences participate in the College Football Playoff in order to determine a champion. The winner of the College Football Playoff receives the College Football Playoff National Championship Trophy . The AP awards
4420-525: The Pop-Tarts Bowl provides a match-up between teams from ACC and the Big 12 . A small number of long-established bowls played a major role in the Bowl Championship Series , which was used to select the national champion until the 2013 season, and these bowls continue to play a major role in the College Football Playoff . Under the playoff, there are six major bowls, known as the New Year's Six, which host
4550-538: The Western Athletic Conference discontinued football sponsorship prior to the 2013 season , there have been ten conferences in the FBS. Through the 2023 season, all of the FBS conferences have between ten and fourteen members, although independent Notre Dame has a scheduling agreement with the fourteen-member ACC. The ten conferences are split into two groups for the purposes of the College Football Playoff . The " Power Four conferences " consist of most of
4680-492: The Western Athletic Conference . The Mountain West lost schools to the Big 12, Pac-12, and the FBS independent ranks, and added several schools from the WAC. After several defections, leaving the conference with only two football-sponsoring schools remaining, the WAC dropped its sponsorship of football. The early-2010s realignment cycle also affected the FBS independent ranks. BYU left
4810-486: The final AP poll for the 1971 season were from the Big Eight: Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Colorado. The top two teams had never been from the same conference, and this year had three. Pruitt led the team in rushing with 1760 yards, Mildren led the team in passing yards for the third straight season with 889 yards and also in scoring with 120 points, Harrison led the team in receiving with 494 yards, Mark Driscoll led
4940-522: The forward pass was legal. The IAAUS had formed after President Theodore Roosevelt , responding to several deaths that had occurred during football games, requested that colleges find ways to make football a safer sport. In 1935, the Heisman Trophy was presented for the first time; the award is generally considered to be college football's most prestigious individual award. In 1965, the NCAA voted to allow
5070-419: The platoon system , in which different players played on offense and defense; teams had previously experimented with the concept in the 1940s. In 1968, the NCAA began allowing freshmen to compete in games; freshmen had previously been required to take a redshirt year. In 1975, after a growth of "grants-in-aid" (scholarships given for athletic rather than academic or need-based reasons), the NCAA voted to limit
5200-403: The stronger conferences frequently play non-conference games against teams from the weaker conferences or, occasionally, against FCS teams . FBS teams are free to schedule up to forty percent of their games against FCS teams, but FBS teams can only use one win per season against an FCS team for the purposes of bowl eligibility . Additionally, the FCS opponent must have averaged at least 80% of
5330-479: The "home game" requirement. FBS–FCS games, known as "money games", are often home games for the FBS team, and victories by FCS teams are considered to be upsets . FCS teams receive hundreds of thousands of dollars for their participation in these FBS–FCS games. The Football Bowl Subdivision gets its name from the bowl games that many FBS teams play at the end of the year, although other college divisions also have their own bowl games . FBS bowl games are played at
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5460-511: The 1930s. Global helium shortages and environmental concerns in recent years have threatened the tradition, which was paused in 2012 and 2022. Walk-on program NU accepted its first walk-ons in the early 1960s and Tom Osborne began an official program in 1973 when the NCAA reduced the number of scholarships schools could offer. Nebraska stocked its program with walk-ons from across the region throughout Osborne's and Frank Solich 's tenures, and as
5590-473: The 1982 season, while the Missouri Valley Conference stopped sponsoring football prior to the 1985 season. In 1991, the Big East recruited several independents and began sponsoring football, becoming a major conference. In 1996, Conference USA (CUSA), formed the previous year by the merger of the non-football Metro and Great Midwest Conferences, also began sponsoring football. That same year,
5720-480: The 1990s. The teams have met 71 times, with the series dating back to 1898 , a 23–10 Nebraska win. The Cornhuskers lead the series 50–21–2. The rivalry began when Colorado joined the Big Eight in 1947; they played in the same conference as Nebraska until 2010. A bison head named Mr. Chip was presented to the winning team throughout the 1950s, but this exchange ended when Colorado misplaced the trophy in 1961. The teams have not played annually since both programs exited
5850-543: The 2010s and into the early 2020s. Georgia Southern joined the Sun Belt Conference upon transitioning to the FBS level in 2014. The Eagles won the Sun Belt Conference championship outright in their first year as an FBS member. The 2016 season saw FCS Coastal Carolina join the Sun Belt Conference for non-football sports while beginning a transition to FBS football; the football team joined the Sun Belt in 2017. That season
5980-489: The 2013 season, and the National Football Foundation awards the MacArthur Bowl . Since the disputed end of the 2003 season , the various organizations have been able to agree on a single national champion. Many of the school names on the maps below are abbreviated in order to save space. The following is a list of such abbreviations along with each school's full name: In addition to the list of FBS football programs in
6110-506: The 2024 season, the only FBS conference that uses divisions is the SBC. The American, the Big 12, and CUSA all previously utilized division systems before abandoning them after losing some of their member schools to realignment: UConn left The American in July 2020, and Marshall , Old Dominion , and Southern Miss left CUSA in July 2022, leaving both those conferences with an odd number of members, while
6240-456: The 2024 season, there are 10 conferences and 134 schools in FBS. College football is one of the most popular spectator sports throughout much of the United States. The top schools generate tens of millions of dollars in yearly revenue. Top FBS teams draw tens of thousands of fans to games, and the fifteen largest American stadiums by capacity all host FBS teams or games. Since July 1, 2021, college athletes have been able to receive payments for
6370-480: The 2nd year of two-year transition process. Due to that, JMU tried to become bowl eligible in 2023, but the NCAA refused it. However, when only 79 non-transitional FBS teams were available to fill the 82 FBS bowl slots for that season, JMU, which had finished its regular season with an 11–1 record, was allowed to fill one of the vacant slots. On July 1, 2023, two outgoing FCS teams Jacksonville State and Sam Houston joined CUSA. The most recent schools to start such
6500-846: The ACC and MW announcing similar intentions for 2023, and the Big Ten, MAC, and SEC doing the same for 2024. Since the 2018 season , all conferences have held a championship game that determines the conference champion. The Sun Belt was the last conference to launch a championship game, as well as the most recent to split into divisions for football, with both the title game and the divisional alignment debuting in 2018. That conference chose to form football divisions despite having only 10 football members; it has since expanded to 14 members while maintaining its divisional alignment. AAC (unofficial) Sun Belt (unofficial) † "Big Four" or " Power Four " conferences that enjoy "autonomy status" under NCAA rules Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Georgia joined
6630-530: The ACC, and Army left the independent ranks to become a football-only member of The American. 2025 will also see two new teams transition from FCS to FBS as Delaware and Missouri State will join CUSA, respectively from CAA Football and the Missouri Valley Football Conference , and also the departure of UMass from the independent ranks to become a full member of the MAC. In September 2024,
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#17331059292566760-588: The BCS starting with the 2014 season; it featured four teams through the 2023 season, after which it expanded to 12 teams. Since 2021, when the Supreme Court unanimously held in NCAA v. Alston that restrictions on name, image, and likeness compensation violated antitrust law , FBS football players have been able to make money from sources other than college scholarships. However, there remains no unified system to provide players with such compensation. College football
6890-456: The Big 12 has not used divisions since the early-2010s conference realignment left it with 10 members. The Pac-12, however, chose to abandon divisions entirely as a result of the NCAA Division I Council ruling that conferences would no longer be required to maintain divisions in order to hold a conference championship. It was the first conference to entirely abandon divisions due to this, with
7020-427: The Big 12, which also added former football independent BYU. In 2024, Oklahoma and Texas joined the SEC, while 10 of the 12 members of the Pac-12 left for other power conferences— UCLA , USC , Oregon, and Washington for the Big Ten; Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah for the Big 12; and California and Stanford for the ACC. In addition, Kennesaw State upgraded to FBS and joined CUSA, SMU left The American for
7150-535: The Big East split into two conferences: the American Athletic Conference ("The American") and a new conference that assumed the Big East name but does not sponsor football. The American added several schools from CUSA, but lost one school each to the ACC and Big Ten after its first season. In turn, CUSA added FCS schools and schools from the Sun Belt Conference . The Sun Belt Conference replenished its membership by adding FCS schools and schools from
7280-583: The Blackshirts often include a skull and crossbones. Pants Nebraska traditionally wears white pants at home and red on the road, with rare exceptions. The team first donned red pants with red jerseys for its 1986 contest with Oklahoma ; the combination was unofficially retired after a Nebraska loss. Nebraska first wore all-white uniforms in the 1991 Florida Citrus Bowl and again for its first three road games in 1992; NU lost three of these games and "surrender suits," as they became known, were not used again for
7410-729: The Cornhuskers were forced into blue jerseys when the visiting Coyotes mistakenly brought their home reds to Lincoln. The same situation arose three years later against Oklahoma in the first-ever game at Memorial Stadium. Nebraska celebrated the stadium's hundredth anniversary in 2023, wearing blue-trimmed jerseys to commemorate the occasion. Nebraska did not use a pre-planned alternate design until 2009, and has used one each season since 2012. Many of these were throwback or "fauxback" uniforms, worn to commemorate past events or championships: 2009 (the 300th consecutive sellout at Memorial Stadium), 2017 (the twentieth anniversary of Nebraska's 1997 national championship ), 2018 (the hundredth anniversary of
7540-505: The FBS. Although all college football players are eligible for many of these awards (such as the Heisman Trophy ), FBS players usually win these awards, and other awards (such as the Walter Payton Award ) exist to honor players in other divisions and the FCS. In addition to the national awards listed below, FBS conferences also have their own awards, and several organizations release a yearly College Football All-America Team . In 1951,
7670-399: The FCS limit of 63 scholarship equivalents over a rolling two-year period. (Before the 2022 season, this limit had been 90%. ) An FBS team must schedule a total of five home games per year; for the purposes of scheduling, a "home game" must take place at a venue in which the team plays 50% of its "home games", although a team is allowed to count one neutral-site game against an FBS team toward
7800-595: The FCS. In the 1996 NCAA conference realignment , the Southwest Conference dissolved, and four Texas teams from that conference joined with the Big 8 schools to form the Big 12 Conference . The Western Athletic Conference expanded to sixteen members, but half of the schools left in 1999 to form the Mountain West Conference . Conference USA (CUSA) formed from a merger of the Metro Conference and
7930-667: The MAC and SBC. The FBS has experienced several realignments since its formation in 1978, with many teams changing conferences, dropping out of the FBS, or moving up from the FCS. In 1982, the size of the division was cut considerably, and the Southern Conference and the Ivy League were demoted to the FCS. In 1985, the Missouri Valley Conference stopped sponsoring football. In the 1980s and 1990s, several independents joined conferences, dropped football, or joined
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#17331059292568060-460: The MW in 2011 for football independence and the non-football West Coast Conference . In 2013, Idaho and New Mexico State , the last two football-sponsoring schools in the WAC, became FBS independents, but would return to their former football home of the Sun Belt Conference as football-only members the following year. Also in 2013, Notre Dame became a full but non-football member of the ACC, entering into
8190-712: The Main article, there is also a List of NCAA Division I FBS football stadiums . 1971 Oklahoma Sooners football team The 1971 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in the 1971 NCAA University Division football season . Oklahoma was a member of the Big Eight Conference and played its home games in Oklahoma Memorial Stadium where it has played its home games since 1923. The team posted an 11–1 and 6–1 conference record under head coach Chuck Fairbanks . The Sooners finished
8320-988: The Mountain States Conference and the Border Conference formed the Western Athletic Conference. In 1969, the Pacific Coast Athletic Association (PCAA), later known as the Big West Conference , was formed by several Division II California schools that sought to join Division I. Division I separated into Division I-A (the predecessor to the FBS) and I-AA (predecessor of the FCS ) prior to the 1978 season . At that time, there were several independent I-A schools and twelve Division I-A conferences:
8450-411: The NCAA and allowed teams to televise all of their games. After a period during which FBS schools negotiated collectively under the College Football Association , Notre Dame's 1991 television contract ushered in an era in which schools and conferences negotiate their own television contracts. This new era of television led to several waves of conference realignment, most notably in 1996 , 2005 , and
8580-463: The Pac-12 started a rebuilding process by raiding the Mountain West Conference, with five MW members ( Boise State , Colorado State , Fresno State , San Diego State , and Utah State ) set to join the Pac-12 in 2026. The MW first responded by announcing that UTEP would join from CUSA in 2026, soon followed by Hawaiʻi upgrading its MW membership from football-only to all-sports in 2026. Several awards are given each year to players and coaches in
8710-409: The Southeastern Conference (SEC), Big Ten, Pacific-10 (Pac-10), Big 8 , Southwest Conference (SWC), Western Athletic Conference (WAC), PCAA (which later changed its name to the Big West), Missouri Valley Conference , Southern Conference , Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), Mid-American Conference (MAC), and the Ivy League . The Ivy League and the Southern Conference left for Division I-AA prior to
8840-400: The Southwest Conference dissolved, and four of its former members joined with the Big 8 to form the Big 12 Conference. In 1999, eight schools broke away from the WAC to form the Mountain West Conference (MW). Prior to the 2000 season, the Big West stopped sponsoring football. The Sun Belt Conference (SBC) began sponsoring football in 2001. After periods of conference realignment in 2005 and
8970-424: The Sun Belt Conference upon transitioning to the FBS level in 2014. Prior to joining the Sun Belt, GASOU won six FCS (I-AA) national championships and have produced two Walter Payton Award winners. The Eagles first continuously fielded a football team in 1924; however, play was suspended for World War II and revived in 1981. The Eagles competed as an FCS independent from 1984 until 1992 as the Eagles' main conference at
9100-569: The all-sports Colonial Athletic Association (CAA), barred the Dukes from competing in or hosting team championships in any sport for that conference during the 2021–22 season according to then-current CAA bylaws. (The CAA football league, branded as CAA Football , is technically a separate entity from the all-sports CAA.) However, the Dukes were eligible for at-large bids to all NCAA team championships in 2021–22. By meeting FBS scheduling requirements in 2022, JMU played an FBS schedule in year one of their transition process, which normally only occurs in
9230-669: The announcements by Oklahoma and Texas that they would leave the Big 12 for the SEC no later than 2025. The Big 12 and its departing members later announced a 2024 departure date. The first actual conference changes came in 2022, with the Sun Belt gaining Marshall , returning Old Dominion , and Southern Miss from CUSA, and FCS upgrader James Madison . The following year saw CUSA add Jacksonville State , Sam Houston (both from FCS), New Mexico State and Liberty (FBS independents) but lose Charlotte , Florida Atlantic , North Texas , Rice , UAB , and UTSA to The American. In turn, The American lost Cincinnati , Houston , and UCF to
9360-728: The annual spending requirement rises to $ 6 million. Also starting in 2027–28, FBS programs must not only provide at least 90% of the required number of football scholarships, but must provide at least 90% of the maximum number of scholarships across a total of 16 sports, including football. The FBS season begins in late August or early September and ends in January with the College Football Playoff National Championship game. Most FBS teams play 12 regular season games per year, with eight or nine of those games coming against conference opponents. All ten FBS conferences hold
9490-584: The best team in the country, and the AP Poll and the Coaches Poll began rankings teams in the middle of the 20th century. In many seasons, selectors such as the AP and the Coaches Poll designated different teams as national champions. Often, more than one team would finish undefeated , as the top teams were not guaranteed to play each other during the regular season or in bowl games. In 1992, five major conferences established
9620-403: The changes were unpopular among fans and most were reverted, which included the return of pant stripes. Pant stripes were again removed during Scott Frost 's tenure as head coach as a tribute to the style from his playing career, and returned following his departure. Alternate uniforms The first documented instance of Nebraska wearing alternate uniforms came against South Dakota in 1920 –
9750-600: The completion of the Osborne Athletic Complex in 2006, from the northwest corner. When NU's home locker room was moved to the Osborne Legacy Complex in 2023, the team's entrance was moved to the northeast corner of the stadium. The Tunnel Walk is preceded by a "Husker Power" chant – half the stadium chants "Husker" in unison and the other half responds with "Power." Fans have released red helium balloons when Nebraska scores its first points at home games since
9880-433: The conference disbanded its divisions prior to the 2024 season. † Co-champion Nebraska has played in fifty-three bowl games, including a then-record thirty-five straight from 1969 to 2003, with a record of 26–27. Nebraska declined an invitation to play in the second-ever Rose Bowl Game following the 1915 season and did not make its bowl debut until 1941 . Twenty-one years later, Bob Devaney 's first season ended with
10010-481: The early 2010s that saw the expansion of the ACC, Big Ten, SEC, and Pac-10 (which changed its name to the Pac-12), the WAC reorganized as a non-football conference and the Big East split into the American Athletic Conference and a new non-football conference that retained the Big East name. Most of the 134 FBS schools are members of an FBS conference, but there are also a small number of independent schools . Since
10140-405: The early 2010s . FBS games continue to be a major draw on television, as over 26 million people watched the 2014 BCS National Championship Game . National networks such as CBS, ABC, NBC, several ESPN networks, and several Fox networks have all covered the FBS, as have several regional and local networks. As conferences negotiate their own television deals, each conference is affiliated with
10270-461: The end of World War I ), 2021 (the twentieth anniversary of the September 11 attacks ), 2022 (to honor Nebraska's 1983 team ), and 2023 (the hundredth anniversary of Memorial Stadium). Nebraska and Wisconsin played the first "Adidas Unrivaled" game in 2012; both schools wore uniforms featuring block letters instead of front numbers. NU wore black jerseys with white stencil font numbers against UCLA
10400-488: The end of the season in December or January, and collectively generate over $ 400 million per year as of 2012. For the 2017–18 bowl season , there were 40 bowl games . In order to be bowl eligible , an FBS team must have a winning record. In certain cases – usually if not enough teams have winning records – 5–7 and 6–7 teams can also be selected to bowls. Many bowls have an established conference tie-in; for example,
10530-497: The final game for Cowboys coach Floyd Gass , as well as the last game at Lewis Field (now Boone Pickens Stadium) before a massive renovation which expanded the stadium's capacity, removed the cinder track around the field, and replaced the grass surface with artificial turf . Roster The following players were selected in the National Football League draft following
10660-498: The first bowl victory in program history, a 36–34 victory over Miami (FL) in the 1962 Gotham Bowl . During Devaney's tenure, Nebraska began a stretch of thirty-five consecutive seasons with a bowl appearance, a streak that ended in 2004. The program regularly featured in the Orange Bowl due to the Big Eight's bowl affiliations, playing in the game seventeen times between 1954 and 1997, first against SEC opposition and later against
10790-515: The first team ever to go unbeaten in conference play in their first FBS season. Since the Eagles were under transitional status, the university filed for a postseason waiver to allow the Eagles to play in a bowl game; however, the NCAA denied Georgia Southern's waiver request and a subsequent appeal since enough full member FBS teams became bowl-eligible during the season. Liberty University began its FBS transition process on July 1, 2017. The NCAA granted
10920-467: The following year. Nebraska wore an all-red uniform featuring black metallic stripes on the jersey and pants in 2014, and used similar all-black and all-white designs the next two seasons. Nebraska wore Blackshirt-themed alternate uniforms in 2019, featuring a black jersey with a Blackshirts logo on both sleeves. Scott Frost suggested this iteration may become a permanent alternate design to be worn after Nebraska's defense plays particularly well. Nebraska used
11050-485: The game and the organizational structure of college football have evolved significantly during that time. The first college football game was played in 1869, but the game continued to develop during the late 19th and early 20th century. During this period, Walter Camp pioneered the concept of a line of scrimmage , the system of downs , and the College Football All-America Team . The 1902 Rose Bowl
11180-464: The largest and best-known college athletic programs in the country. A school from one of the power conferences (including the Pac-12, which was a power conference prior to 2024) won every BCS National Championship Game (which operated from 1999 to 2014), and has won every College Football Playoff National Championship . The remaining five conferences are known as the " Group of Five ". Any conference may split its teams into two divisions; however, as of
11310-512: The last time as conference opponents in the 2010 Big 12 Championship Game , when Oklahoma defeated Nebraska 23–20. NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision ( FBS ), formerly known as Division I-A , is the highest level of college football in the United States. The FBS consists of the largest schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). As of
11440-445: The late 1970s, but home jerseys remained nameless except for seniors playing their final home game. Last names were permanently affixed to all jerseys in 1988. Nebraska's defense is often referred to as the " Blackshirts ," a reference to the black jerseys worn by starting defensive players during practice. The tradition originated in 1964 when Bob Devaney wanted a way to more quickly distinguish between his various units. Depictions of
11570-476: The longest non-interrupted rivalry in college football history at 105 years. The teams have met 117 times, with the series dating back to 1892 , a 12–0 Kansas win. The Cornhuskers lead the series 91–23–3, which includes 36 consecutive victories from 1969 to 2004. Since Nebraska's move to the Big Ten in 2011, the series has been dormant. No future games are scheduled. Nebraska and Kansas State were conference rivals from 1913 to 2010. With only 135 miles separating
11700-560: The maximum number of football scholarships (which is currently 85). In October 2023, the NCAA announced major changes to FBS membership requirements. The average home attendance requirement, which had largely gone unenforced in the 21st century and was suspended in 2020 due to COVID-19 impacts, was permanently eliminated, effective immediately. Effective in 2027–28, minimums on both the total number of, and spending on, athletic scholarships in all FBS programs will be enforced. The number of required athletic scholarships will increase to 210, and
11830-586: The most prestigious schools and enjoy a certain amount of autonomy from NCAA rules – and the less prominent " Group of Five ". Although FCS programs can draw thousands of fans per game, many FCS schools attempt to join the FBS in hopes of increased revenue, corporate sponsorship, alumni donations, prestige, and national exposure. However, FBS programs also face increased expenses in regards to staff salaries, facility improvements, and scholarships. The athletic departments of many FBS schools lose money every year, and these athletic departments must rely on subsidies from
11960-525: The non-football ASUN Conference in 2018. Conference USA (CUSA) eventually announced in November 2021 Liberty's future addition to that conference, with Flames football moving to CUSA starting in the 2023 season. Three schools began FBS transitions on July 1, 2022. James Madison University joined the Sun Belt after meeting the NCAA minimum of five FBS opponents at its home stadium, as required and scheduled. This happened after James Madison's FCS conference,
12090-533: The number of athletic scholarships each school could offer. In 1968, the NCAA required all teams to identify as members of either the University Division (for larger schools) or the College Division (for smaller schools), and in 1973, the NCAA divided into three divisions. At the urging of several larger schools seeking increased autonomy and commonality, Division I-A was formed prior to the 1978 season ;
12220-460: The perfect game." Oklahoma won every matchup from 1972 to 1977, a streak that ended in 1978 , when Nebraska upset No. 1 Oklahoma; less than two months later, OU won a rematch in the Orange Bowl . Nebraska controlled the 1990s, including a 69–7 win in 1997 , the largest margin of victory in series history. When the Big 12 was formed in 1996, the schools no longer played annually, ending a stretch of 68 consecutive years they had met. The teams met for
12350-535: The presence of African-American George Flippin on Nebraska's roster. The Cornhuskers lead the series 65–36–3. Nebraska holds the Victory Bell after defeating the Tigers in 2010. Since Nebraska's move to the Big Ten in 2011, the series has been dormant. No future games are scheduled. Nebraska and Oklahoma has long been considered one of the great college football rivalries. The teams have met 87 times dating back to 1912,
12480-471: The program's history, with five others coaching at least one game on a non-permanent basis. The program has been coached by Matt Rhule since 2023. Seven past Nebraska head coaches have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame : Edward N. Robinson , Fielding H. Yost , Dana X. Bible , Biff Jones , Bob Devaney , Tom Osborne , and Frank Solich . Osborne is the program's all-time leader in most major categories; his 0.836 career winning percentage
12610-526: The quarterfinal and semifinal games prior to the College Football Playoff National Championship game. Conferences receive millions of dollars for each school that appears in the playoff, and appearances in other bowls are also quite lucrative. In addition to the regular bowls, some postseason bowls, such as the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl , match up teams of all-stars and NFL Draft entrants. College football has been played for over one hundred years, but
12740-610: The remaining schools formed the Missouri Valley Conference. In 1932, several Southern schools formed the SEC after breaking away from the Southern Conference, and in 1953 several more schools seceded from the Southern Conference to form the ACC. In 1946, several Midwestern schools formed the MAC. Several elite Northeastern schools had formed the Eastern Intercollegiate Basketball League in 1901, and its members (plus Brown University , not an EIBL member at
12870-641: The remaining teams in Division I formed the Football Championship Subdivision or FCS (then known as Division I-AA). In 1981, members of the College Football Association attempted to create a fourth division consisting solely of the most competitive schools, but this effort was defeated. In the 1992 season , the SEC split into divisions and played the first FBS conference championship game . The Big 12 and Western Athletic Conference did
13000-527: The rest of the university. In many states, the highest-paid public employee is the head coach of an FBS team. FBS schools are limited to a total of 85 football players receiving financial assistance. Nearly all FBS schools that are not on NCAA probation give 85 full scholarships. The three United States service academies that are FBS members are technically subject to the 85-scholarship limit, but are effectively exempt because all of their students receive federally-funded full scholarships whether or not they play
13130-420: The rest, and only the winners of the two playoff semifinal bowl games will play a 15th game when they meet in the College Football Playoff National Championship . The Hawaii Rainbow Warriors and teams that play at Hawaii get a special exemption and are allowed to play an extra regular season game in order to defray travel costs, so an FBS team that plays 13 regular season games, a conference championship game,
13260-405: The same for the 1996 season , and most conferences eventually adopted divisions and championship games. The NCAA does not officially award an FBS football championship, but several teams have claimed national championships. Other organizations have also sought to rank the teams and crown a national champion. The Dickinson System and other methods were formed in the early 20th century to select
13390-553: The school a waiver from its normal transition rules that require an invitation from an FBS conference before beginning the transition. The Flames played in the Big South Conference in 2017 but were not eligible for the FCS playoffs. For 2018 to 2022, the Flames became an FBS independent. The school initially intended to remain a Big South member in other sports until it received an invitation to an FBS conference, but instead joined
13520-560: The school does not claim. Nebraska has won forty-six conference championships. The earliest of these came in the short-lived Western Interstate University Football Association , one of college football's first conferences, which NU participated in for six seasons with Iowa , Kansas , and Missouri . The conference dissolved in 1897 and NU spent the next decade as an independent until the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association – which became
13650-446: The school does not claim. Its 1971 and 1995 title-winning teams are considered among the best ever. 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 . 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
13780-500: The school has typically maintained a larger-than-usual roster since his retirement as well. Six former Nebraska walk-ons have become All-Americans and twenty-nine have played in the National Football League . Helmets Nebraska's first helmet was red with a single white stripe, later changed to plain white with a black number on the side. From 1967 to 1969, the helmet featured a red, offset "NU" on each side. In 1970, this
13910-408: The schools, they were the nearest cross-border rivals in the Big Eight and Big 12 conferences. The teams have met 95 times, with the series dating back to 1911 , a 59–0 Nebraska win. Nebraska leads the series 78–15–2, which includes 29 consecutive victories from 1969 to 1997. Since Nebraska's move to the Big Ten in 2011, the series has been dormant. No future games are scheduled. The 1939 game
14040-459: The season ranked #2, losing only once, 35–31 to eventual national champion Nebraska in the 1971 Nebraska vs. Oklahoma football game , which has become known as Game of the Century . In 1971, offensive coordinator Barry Switzer perfected the wishbone offense as it led the nation in both scoring (45 points average) and total yards (563 total yards average), and set an NCAA record by averaging over 472.4 (5196 in 11 games) rushing yards in
14170-562: The season was a game-tying touchdown against Missouri that became known as the " Flea Kicker ." Top-ranked Nebraska won the game in overtime, but was jumped in both major polls by Michigan . Postseason wins over Texas A&M and Tennessee vaulted NU back ahead of the Wolverines in the Coaches Poll , though not the AP Poll , sharing the national championship. Unclaimed national championships Nebraska has been awarded seven other national championships from NCAA-designated major selectors
14300-459: The sense of pride that Nebraskans have for their football team." In 2006, Hoppe created a statue of Tom Osborne with his arm around quarterback Brook Berringer , which is located outside the Osborne Athletic Complex. On August 30, 2013, a bronze statue of Bob Devaney was unveiled at the main entrance of the newly remodeled east stadium. Sculptor Joe Putjenter also created the Tunnel Walk gates inside
14430-480: The series until 1942, going 16–3–3 in the first twenty-two meetings. The Sooners then won sixteen consecutive games, the longest streak in the series. Nebraska's 1959 win both ended the Cornhuskers' drought against the Sooners and snapped Oklahoma's 74-game conference win streak. Nebraska won the "Game of the Century" in 1971, of which Dave Kindred of The Courier-Journal wrote, "They can quit playing now, they have played
14560-472: The stadium. Before the construction of Memorial Stadium, Nebraska played its home games at Antelope Park and Nebraska Field . Gameday traditions Since 1993, Nebraska's home games have opened with the "Tunnel Walk" as the team takes the field before kickoff, typically to the Alan Parsons Project instrumental " Sirius ." The team first emerged from the southwest corner of the field and later, upon
14690-479: The team in tackles with 134, and John Shelly led the team in interceptions with 5. Oklahoma and Nebraska battled back and forth in the Game of the Century in front of a sold-out crowd in Norman and over 55 million viewers on ABC on Thanksgiving Day . Nebraska struck first with a 72-yard Johnny Rodgers punt return, but Oklahoma pulled ahead by 3 by halftime. The Cornhuskers came back strong in
14820-457: The third quarter with two more touchdowns, but the Sooners responded with two of their own to retake the lead with only 7:10 remaining. Down by 3 points, the Huskers went on a final drive and with only 1:38 remaining, Jeff Kinney scored his fourth touchdown of the day for the lead and the win. Frustrated from their painful loss to Nebraska, the Sooners showed their in-state archrival no mercy in
14950-670: The time) signed the Ivy Group Agreement, which governed football competition between the signatories, in 1945; the Ivy League was formally founded in 1954, when the agreement was extended to cover all sports. In 1959, the Pacific Coast Conference dissolved, and most of its former members formed the new Athletic Association of Western Universities, which became the Pac-8 when more former PCC members joined. In 1962, several schools from
15080-599: The time, the Trans America Athletic Conference (now known as the Atlantic Sun Conference, or ASUN), did not sponsor football, and as a member of the Southern Conference from 1993 until 2013, winning 10 SoCon championships. The Georgia Southern Eagles finished their first FBS season 9–3 overall and was undefeated in Sun Belt Conference play at 8–0; winning the Sun Belt Conference championship outright in its first year as an FBS member. They were also
15210-401: The uniforms again in 2020, and unveiled a white version to be worn away from home, but has not used either since. Adidas has been Nebraska's official shoe and uniform sponsor since 1996. In 2017, the school and sponsor signed an eleven-year, $ 128 million apparel deal. The rivalry between Nebraska and Colorado , one-sided for much of its history, gained traction with Colorado's resurgence in
15340-403: The use of their name, image, and likeness . Prior to this date colleges were only allowed to provide players with non-monetary compensation such as athletic scholarships that provide for tuition, housing, and books. Unlike other NCAA divisions and subdivisions, the NCAA does not officially award an FBS football national championship , nor does it sanction a playoff tournament to determine such
15470-446: Was a victory in the 1997 Big 12 Championship Game in the second year of its existence. Nebraska won the Big 12 again two years later, its most recent conference championship. Nebraska won ten division championships. Nine of these were in the Big 12's North Division, which NU played in until its departure for the Big Ten in 2011. Nebraska won one division title across thirteen seasons in the Big Ten's Leaders Division and West Division;
15600-496: Was also the last for Idaho and New Mexico State as Sun Belt football members. After 2017, New Mexico State returned to independent status, while Idaho downgraded to FCS football—becoming the first program ever to voluntarily do so without extenuating circumstances —and added football to its all-sports membership in the Big Sky Conference . Also in 2016, UMass went independent after turning down an offer of full membership in
15730-541: Was changed to the now-familiar single "N," although a few "NU" helmets remained as late as 1971. The change was necessitated due to a shortage of "U" stickers, and when the program claimed its first national championship , the single N remained. Aside from a facemask swap from gray to red, the helmet design is unchanged since. Jerseys The Cornhuskers wore full shoulder stripes in the late 1960s and early 1970s, which were phased out as mesh and tearaway jerseys became popular. From 1980 to 1983, Nebraska's jerseys featured only
15860-584: Was decided on the field, such as the Bowl Coalition from 1992 to 1994, the Bowl Alliance from 1995 to 1997, and the Bowl Championship Series from 1998 to 2013. The FBS is the highest level of college football in the United States, and FBS players make up the vast majority of the players picked in the NFL Draft . For every sport but football, the NCAA divides schools into three major divisions: Divisions I , II , and III . However, in football , Division I
15990-546: Was first broadcast on radio in 1921, and first broadcast on television in 1939. Television became profitable for both schools and the NCAA, which tightly controlled the airing of games in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. The NCAA limited each football team to six television appearances over a two-year period. The 1981 Supreme Court case NCAA v. Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma & University of Georgia granted television rights to individual schools as opposed to
16120-843: Was founded in 1896, after which several other schools joined to form conferences, including the Pacific Coast Conference , the MVIAA, the Southwest Conference, the Southern Conference , the Mountain States Conference (also known as the Skyline Conference), and the Border Conference . In 1928, six schools seceded from the MVIAA to form the Big Six Conference, which later expanded to the Big Eight in 1957;
16250-532: Was hired in 1962 and quickly turned NU into a powerhouse, winning eight conference titles and two national titles during his eleven years as head coach. Osborne succeeded him in 1973 and won thirteen conference championships; the late-season meeting between Nebraska and Oklahoma often became a de-facto Big Eight championship game, as the two schools combined to win at least a share of the conference title thirty-three times during Devaney and Osborne's combined thirty-six-year tenure. Osborne's final conference championship
16380-467: Was led by three All-Americans: Pruitt, Tom Brahaney and Jack Mildren . The team won its first nine games on a schedule that included five ranked opponents (In order, #17 USC , #3 Texas , #6 Colorado , #1 Nebraska and #5 Auburn ). All five of these opponents finished the season ranked. The only loss was to Nebraska. They played Auburn in the Sugar Bowl and won 40–22. The top three teams in
16510-419: 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. Following Osborne's retirement in 1997, Nebraska cycled through five head coaches before hiring Matt Rhule in 2022. Nebraska has had thirty-one head coaches in
16640-524: Was sidelined with blood clots in September, was capped by a 24–17 victory over Miami in the Orange Bowl . With Frazier at full strength the following season, NU repeated as national champion; its 62–24 Fiesta Bowl victory over Florida was the largest margin of victory in a national title game until 2023 . The team is often considered among the best in college football history. Osborne's final title came in 1997, two years later. The most significant moment of
16770-600: Was televised in Manhattan, Kansas , making it the second televised college football game . The 1992 contest was held in Tokyo as the Coca-Cola Classic . Nebraska's series with Miami is among the most significant "bowl rivalries" in college football. The teams have met twelve times, with the series dating back to 1951 , a 19–7 Miami win. The series is tied, 6–6. No future game is yet scheduled. The rivalry's most notable game
16900-528: Was the first bowl game in college football history, and the event began to be held annually starting with the 1916 Rose Bowl . In the 1930s, other bowl games came into existence, including the Sugar Bowl , the Cotton Bowl Classic , and the Orange Bowl . The 1906 college football season was the first season played under the IAAUS (which would later change its name to the NCAA ) and the first season in which
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