Nebraska Director of Athletics Shawn Eichorst and Iowa
Director of Athletics Gary Barta will make a request to the Big Ten Conference
to approve the two schools to continue playing the annual Hy-Vee Heroes Game on
the Friday after Thanksgiving.
The request will be considered when the Administrators
Council of the Big Ten meets on Feb. 25-26.
The change would place the 2013 game between the two schools
in Lincoln on Friday, Nov. 29, and Nebraska would travel to Iowa on Nov. 28,
2014.
Eichorst said he is appreciative of the cooperation from
both Iowa and the Big Ten Conference to help continue this Nebraska tradition.
“Playing on the day after Thanksgiving is one of the many
great traditions of Nebraska football,” Eichorst said. “It gives our football
program great visibility on a national stage, and we are excited Iowa has a
mutual interest in continuing to play the Heroes Game on this day.”
Nebraska has played on Black Friday every year since 1990, a
span of 23 consecutive years. The Huskers met Oklahoma from 1990 to 1995 in the
final six seasons of the Big Eight Conference, and then played Colorado from
1996 to 2010, in the 15 seasons both schools were members of the Big 12
Conference.
Since joining the Big Ten in 2011, Nebraska has won each of
the first two Heroes Games matchups against Iowa. The Huskers defeated the
Hawkeyes, 20-7, in Lincoln in 2011, and won 13-7 in Iowa City last November.
Nebraska holds a 28-12-3 edge in the all-time series between the schools.
