Nebraska made headlines when it officially canceled its highly anticipated home-and-home series with Tennessee, leaving the Vols scrambling to find a replacement opponent for 2026 and 2027.
Tennessee athletic director Danny White expressed his frustration, calling the cancellation "extremely disappointing," especially given how long the series had been under contract.
While Nebraska is expected to pay a $1 million buyout for backing out, the situation may not be as simple as the Cornhuskers moving on without consequence, and one idea is being floated out there that makes way too much sense.
With the SEC and Big Ten reportedly discussing a scheduling agreement, Nebraska may not be able to avoid playing Tennessee after all. If this proposed alliance takes shape, the first year of cross-conference matchups would need compelling, high-profile games to draw national attention. And what better way to start than by rescheduling the Nebraska-Tennessee matchup under the new SEC-Big Ten alliance?
The SEC-Big Ten Scheduling Alliance Could Force Nebraska’s Hand
Reports suggest that the SEC and Big Ten are deep in talks about an annual scheduling alliance, which would see teams from both conferences face off in non-conference play each season. The idea would replace traditional non-conference matchups with cross-league games that boost television revenue and provide marquee matchups.
Nebraska pulling out of its Tennessee series seemed like a way to lighten its future schedule, but with this, avoiding the Vols altogether may not be an option. The Big Ten and SEC will be looking for matchups that generate buzz, and considering the controversy surrounding the canceled series, a Tennessee-Nebraska showdown would be an easy sell.
It’s not just speculation—some fans and analysts have already started predicting this exact scenario. Josh Peterson posted on X (formerly Twitter), predicting that once the SEC-Big Ten alliance is finalized, Nebraska will end up playing Tennessee anyway. His take? The Vols will win, and Nebraska will be mocked for trying to duck the series in the first place.
Watch:
— Josh Peterson (@joshtweeterson) February 21, 2025
1. Big Ten/SEC scheduling alliance happens.
2. Nebraska is matched up with Tennessee in the first year of the series.
3. Tennessee wins and proceeds to dunk on Nebraska. “No wonder they tried to cancel the series.”
Can see it coming from a mile away.
Once this is in place, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the SEC and Big Ten use this as a way to reinforce the competitive balance between their leagues. For Nebraska, dodging Tennessee in one format could just mean facing them in another, possibly under much bigger national scrutiny.