Nebraska contacted Old Dominion and New Mexico State for a college football game on Sept. 18 that would have replaced a confrontation with Oklahoma – one of the showcase games of the 2021 season – on the Cornhuskers’ schedule, sources told CBS Sports.
However, the Cornhuskers reaffirmed their commitment to play against the Sooners this season in a statement released hours after reports of their attempts to quit the game.
“The University of Nebraska is looking forward to playing Oklahoma in Norman on September 18,” said Nebraska athletic director Bill Moos in a statement on Friday afternoon. “Due to the economic devastation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic for Husker athletics and the local community, our administration explored the possibility of adding an eighth game this fall. This option would have helped us to mitigate cost-cutting measures and provide – we need a boost for our economy. Finally, we decided to move forward with our game in Oklahoma in 2021. “
Oklahoma Joe AD Castiglione released a statement early Friday afternoon stating that the Sooners never strayed from the game. “The Oklahoma-Nebraska football series represents one of the most unique traditional rivalries in college football,” he said in a statement. “… We have every intention and look forward to playing the game as scheduled.”
The renewal of the Nebraska-Oklahoma rivalry has been anticipated since Nebraska left the Big 12 for the Big Ten in 2010. The game scheduled for September 18 in Oklahoma was heralded as the 50th anniversary of the legendary Game of the Century between the two teams in 1971. The programs are also scheduled to play in 2022 in Nebraska.
McMurphy first reported that Nebraska was “trying to escape” the Oklahoma game, adding that Old Dominion and other MAC programs were contacted by Nebraska.
“Nebraska reached out to [Old Dominion], but it is not clear whether they will be able to leave the Oklahoma game, “a source involved in college football programming told CBS Sports.” They contacted ODU. “
“I think that [Nebraska has] has called, “a senior MAC source told CBS Sports.
Despite Nebraska’s statement, it is not clear why the Cornhuskers were trying to change schedules so close to the start of the season. It would have been highly irregular to cancel a gaming contract six months before the start of the game.
This specific contract was signed by Castiglione and former Nebraska director Tom Osborne in 2012.
“[This is] incredibly late. These times were built around them, “said a person involved in the college football scheduling process.
Old Dominion has a game scheduled for September 18 against Liberty.
The effort reported by Nebraska drew criticism on Friday. Nebraska coach Scott Frost said the famous phrase a year ago that his program preferred to play even if the Big Ten canceled its 2020 season.
“There is definitely a lot of internal commotion in Nebraska right now,” said the initial source.
Spokesmen for Old Dominion and Nebraska did not immediately return calls for comment.
It was the longstanding relationship between the Nebraska and Oklahoma schools that brought back a renewal of rivalry in the first place. Oklahoma (50) and Nebraska (46) won more combined conference titles than any pair of schools. Osborne and Barry Switzer played against each other 17 times from 1973-88. Oklahoma won 12 of those meetings.