Nebraska cancels home-and-home series with Tennessee

Nebraska has opted out of a home-and-home football series with Tennessee scheduled for 2026 and 2027.

Tennessee athletic director Danny White confirmed the news -- and his displeasure -- on social media.

"Tennessee is not canceling this series. Nebraska did," White posted Friday on X. "We are very disappointed that they didn't want to play these games, especially this close to 2026."

The 2026 game had been scheduled for Lincoln, Neb., with the 2027 contest in Knoxville, Tenn.

Nebraska athletic director Troy Dannen said upcoming renovations to the Cornhuskers' stadium prompted the decision.

"We are making plans to embark on major renovations of Memorial Stadium that may impact our seating capacity for the 2027 season," Dannen said in a statement. "The best scenario for us is to have eight home games in 2027 to offset any potential revenue loss from a reduced capacity. The additional home games will also have a tremendous economic benefit on the Lincoln community."

Nebraska will pay $500,000 to get out of the agreement. White told Volquest that the cost should have been "much steeper."

"You really can't pull an audible this late in the game," White said.

The Cornhuskers will replace the Volunteers with home dates against Bowling Green in 2026 and Miami (Ohio) in 2027. Tennessee is still looking for replacements.

Nebraska finished 7-6 overall and 3-6 in the Big Ten last season and Tennessee finished 10-3, including 6-2 in the Southeastern Conference.

The Cornhuskers are 2-1 in the all-time series, with the Volunteers winning the most recent meeting 38-24 at the Music City Bowl on Dec. 30, 2016.

Nebraska and Tennessee originally agreed to a home-and-home series in 2006, to be played in 2016 and 2017. In 2013, the schools agreed to delay the series for a decade.

--Field Level Media