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.”
–Keith Mann, Nebraska Sports Information