The unknown future landscape for college athletics continues to linger. NIL has dominated the headlines over the last few years. Now, revenue sharing is on the precipice of taking over.
Nebraska is at the forefront in staying on top of the new norm.
“I think the biggest thing everyone has to understand is that this is gonna be a financial game,” head coach Matt Rhule said at Tuesday’s media availability.
One example of adapting to the new era is Penn State. One of college football’s most tradition-rich programs is currently undergoing $700 million worth of stadium renovations. The Nittany Lions have called their home Beaver Stadium since 1959. With the need to generate funds for revenue sharing, its football field will now be called West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium.
The Huskers are on the same track, signing a new concessions vendor deal with Aramark Sports and Entertainment last month. Nebraska is set to make $5.8 million annually, along with $10 million going to stadium renovations. The addition of alcohol sales and new menu options coming to Memorial Stadium are driven by the need to create funds for revenue sharing.
“If you’re paying the players, where does that money come from,” Rhule said. “It’s going to come from new concessions deals that are the best thing financially.”
Nebraska has always been known for its heritage on the football field. With that, the old-school routine won’t necessarily be the same. The recruiting pitch matters more than ever. Paying athletes requires year-round recruitment to keep them out of the transfer portal. A traditional look such as a uniform combination could be subject to change.
“You can’t have everything,” Rhule said. “When I go recruit kids in Florida and Georgia and they’re like, ‘Coach, when are we wearing this uniform?’ It’s hard to say, ‘If we do that, people are going to be upset.’ We have got to make a decision where we want to go.”
With the new financial strategy the Huskers are implementing, scheduling opponents is just as important. Nebraska recently canceled its home-and-home series with Tennessee for 2026 and 2027. The withdrawal from the deal struck mixed reviews.
“I love the fans, so this is going to be taken the wrong way,” Rhule said. “The only teams that win are the teams that put the program 100 percent first. The last two national champions are both out of the Big Ten and neither one of them played a Power Five opponent.”
The credibility of being in the Big Ten speaks for itself. There is potential for a Big Ten and SEC partnership for yearly matchups. This is more likely to happen if both conferences get four auto-bids apiece for the College Football Playoff.
“If we all play nine conference games and the 10th game is a crossover with the SEC, I’d be the first person to say that would be great for college football,” Rhule said.
The Huskers have no financial debt in their athletic department. On the other hand, national champion Ohio State incurred $38 million in debt last year. It will be intriguing to see what impact revenue sharing has on Nebraska once it kicks in.
“We are in better shape than most teams,” Rhule said, adding, “I think when you get to tough times like this you need strong leadership like [Athletic Director] Troy Dannen, [President] Jeff Gold and hopefully me in football.”
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