It's Saturday in January. You woke up, brewed a pot of coffee, and immediately started wondering where is the Nebraska football game today. You're looking for that Sea of Red. You want to see if Matt Rhule has the boys ready to hit someone.
Honestly, I have to be the bearer of bad news. If you’re looking for a kickoff time for the Huskers football team today, January 17, 2026, you’re going to be staring at an empty Memorial Stadium.
There is no game. The pads are in storage. The 2025 season is officially in the rearview mirror after that tough 44-22 loss to Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl back on December 31.
The Reality of the January Calendar
The college football calendar is a brutal mistress. Once the bowl games wrap up around New Year’s, the sport basically goes into a coma until spring practice.
While you might be seeing "Nebraska" all over the ticker on the Big Ten Network today, it’s not for football. The No. 8 ranked Nebraska men’s basketball team is actually the big ticket right now. They’re taking their undefeated 17-0 record into Evanston to face the Northwestern Wildcats at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
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If you absolutely need a Husker fix, that’s where the action is. Tip-off is at 3:00 PM CT (4:00 PM ET).
Why the confusion happens
People search for the football schedule year-round because Nebraska fans are, frankly, a different breed of dedicated. We live for the Saturdays in Lincoln. But right now, the "game" isn't played on a field—it’s played in the transfer portal and on the recruiting trail.
Just yesterday, January 16, the Huskers picked up a massive commitment from Owen Stoudmire, a 292-pound defensive lineman transferring in from Boston College. That’s the kind of "win" Nebraska is looking for today.
When does Nebraska football actually start again?
If you're already counting down the seconds until the 2026 season kicks off, mark your calendar for September 5, 2026.
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The Huskers will open the season at home against the Ohio Bobcats. It’ll be the usual spectacle at Memorial Stadium, likely with another 85,000+ people squeezing into those red seats.
Key 2026 Home Matchups
- Sept 5: Ohio
- Sept 12: Bowling Green
- Sept 19: North Dakota
- TBA: Big Ten home slate (including heavy hitters like Ohio State and Washington)
The Big Ten schedule for 2026 is going to be a gauntlet. With the conference expansion fully settled, Nebraska is looking at a road trip to Oregon and home games against some of the best teams in the country.
Big News You Might Have Missed
While there's no tackle football today, the Nebraska Athletic Department just dropped a bombshell. They are officially adding Women's Flag Football as a varsity sport.
This makes Nebraska the first Power Four school to jump on this. The team won't start competing until the spring of 2028, but the university is already starting the search for a head coach this spring. It's a huge move for the athletic department and shows that even when the football team isn't playing, the "football" brand in Lincoln never really sleeps.
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What to do since there's no game
Since you can't watch the Huskers hit the turf today, you've got a few options to satisfy that craving:
- Watch Hoops: Tune into BTN to watch the basketball team try to stay perfect against Northwestern.
- Portal Watch: Keep an eye on social media. The winter transfer window is closing, and Nebraska has been one of the most active teams in the country.
- Rewatch 2025: If you’re feeling nostalgic (or masochistic), some of the early-season wins from last year are available on various streaming platforms.
Basically, the search for "where is the Nebraska football game today" ends with a quiet Saturday in Lincoln. It’s the offseason. It’s cold. But the countdown to September 5 is officially on.
Actionable Next Step: Head over to the official Huskers website or the HuskerApp to check the 2026 season ticket availability. With the way recruiting is going, those seats for the Ohio State game are going to be impossible to find once August rolls around.