A marquee Big Ten vs. SEC football series won’t go ahead in the years to come after Nebraska dropped out of its home-and-home against Tennessee that was set for 2026 and 2027.
And now it appears the Cornhuskers will have to pay up for making that decision.
Nebraska will have to pay $1 million to not play those two scheduled games against Tennessee in football, according to Action Network’s Brett McMurphy.
That amount includes a $500,000 buyout for each game, according to the reporting.
The series was canceled at Nebraska’s request, as the Cornhuskers program cited a desire to play eight home games in the 2027 season to recoup any lost revenue from its stadium renovations that will reduce seating capacity temporarily.
Nebraska is apparently willing to pay that seven-figure amount, despite having an agreement to play against Tennessee in place in some form for nearly two decades, since 2006.
Originally, we were supposed to see the Cornhuskers and Volunteers on the same field in 2016 and 2017, but the series was delayed in 2013 to its most recent 2026 and 2027 dates.
What will Tennessee make of its newfound open dates in football?
Until now, the Vols had their non-conference schedule set through the 2030 season, but now have to fill out two days on their football calendar with considerably short notice.
“Our goal is to try to replace this with another home and home,” Tennessee athletic director Danny White told Volquest.
“I just don’t know if that’s possible. It’s going to be a really tall order. As it sits right now, there’s not a single opponent available to do that.”
He added: “We are calling around trying to see if people are open to trying to get out of another game to look at playing us. It’s a lot easier to find someone who can do a one-off, neutral site than someone who can do two consecutive years and find dates that match up.”
The race is on for Tennessee to fill those days on its schedule, and for Nebraska to pay up.
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This content is reposted from the source: https://www.si.com/fannation/college/cfb-hq/news/nebraska-owes-1-million-tennessee-football-series
