Nebraska just did for the Vols what they should have done for themselves. Every Tennessee Football fan should be thanking the Cornhuskers for canceling an unnecessary series between the two schools, regardless of whether or not the fans and the nation would have liked to see it.
Pete Thamel reported Friday the series was canceled between the two schools, in which UT would have traveled to Lincoln, Neb., in 2026 and the Huskers would have traveled to Knoxville, Tenn., in 2027. This is reportedly because Nebraska wants eight home games in 2026 due to reduced stadium capacity that year.
Vols Athletics Director Danny White tweeted a response to Thamel to make it clear Nebraska canceled the series and that the Vols are disappointed such a move was made. This is a win-win for him, though. Again, he avoids an unnecessary series while also getting to make it clear the Tennessee Football program isn’t running.
Still, playing this game was not a smart move.
We just saw last year that the College Football Playoff does not reward schedule strength at all. Otherwise, the Indiana Hoosiers and SMU Mustangs would have been left out of the College Football Playoff, and the Texas Longhorns would have gotten a lower seed.
Amidst all of the recent proposals to change the CFP format, including “straight seeding” and auto bids for leagues going into 2026, there is nothing that addresses the need to play tough non-conference games. Even in the auto-bid format, that’s solely based on where a team lands in their league. Why even play non-conference games?
White may say he is disappointed, but I’m willing to bet deep down he is grandstanding with that tweet. There’s no reason for any future Tennessee Football schedule to have an imposing non-conference opponent, especially if the SEC moves to nine games. As a result, credit to Nebraska for making the smart move and taking the hits.
