Nebraska will renew its
rivalry on the gridiron with a long-time Big Eight and Big 12 opponent, as the
Huskers have signed a contract to play four games against the University of
Colorado between 2018 and 2024.
The border rivals will first
meet in Lincoln on Sept. 8, 2018, before a return matchup in Colorado on Sept.
7, 2019. Colorado will also play host to the Huskers on Sept. 9, 2023, with the
Buffs returning to Memorial Stadium for a matchup on Sept. 7, 2024.
The games with Colorado will
be the first in the series since both schools left the Big 12 Conference
following the 2010-11 athletic season, with Nebraska moving to the Big Ten
Conference and Colorado to the Pac-12 Conference. The teams last met in the
regular-season finale in 2010, and that meeting marked the 63rd
consecutive year the two schools had met on the gridiron.
“There is a lot of great history between Nebraska and
Colorado on the football field, so I think this will be an outstanding series for
both schools,” Nebraska Head Coach Bo Pelini said. “I think our fans will enjoy
the matchups, particularly those in Western Nebraska who can make the short
drive out to the games in Colorado.”
Overall, Nebraska holds a
49-18-2 advantage in the all-time series between the schools, including a 26-8
record against the Buffs in Lincoln. Nebraska won the final three meetings
against Colorado from 2008 to 2010, and owns a 15-4 record against CU since
1992.
The
2019 game at Colorado gives Nebraska three scheduled non-conference games in
that season, joining previously announced home contests against South Alabama
and Northern Illinois. The matchups in 2018, 2023 and 2024 are the first
scheduled games of those seasons for Nebraska.
Colorado
is one of two long-time conference foes Nebraska has recently agreed to play in
a non-conference series. Nebraska announced in November that it has agreed to a
home-and-home series with Oklahoma in 2021 and 2022, with the first matchup in
Norman and the 2022 game at Memorial Stadium.
“We are pleased to add another quality
opponent to our future non-conference schedule,” Nebraska Associate A.D. for
Football Jeff Jamrog said. “It is great to have future games with both Colorado
and Oklahoma, two of our long-time rivals in the Big Eight and Big 12 conferences.
Coach Osborne, Shawn Eichorst and Mike Bohn (Colorado A.D.) all put a lot of
work into making this series happen, and it is good to have this finalized.”
