Friday Five: Stability and streaks
Football and volleyball. Two programs with plenty to discuss, no?
Football and volleyball. Two programs with plenty to discuss, no?
Matt Rhule just earned an extension, while Dani Busboom Kelly’s Huskers keep setting a national pace that almost doesn’t seem real.
Let’s get into it.
Nebraska extends Matt Rhule through 2032
Nebraska announced Thursday that Rhule has agreed to a two-year contract extension, keeping him in Lincoln through the 2032 season. The deal doesn’t increase Rhule’s base pay but adds new salary escalators tied to College Football Playoff appearances.
“Coach Rhule has shown he is the right leader at the right time for Nebraska Football,” athletic director Troy Dannen said in a statement. “At this stage in the evolution of the program, continuity and stability are critical.”
University President Dr. Jeffrey P. Gold echoed the same tone.
“Matt Rhule has been building something special at Nebraska — a program rooted in toughness, accountability, and a culture of doing things the right way,” he said.
Rhule, in his third season leading the program, guided Nebraska to its first bowl victory since 2015 last season. The Huskers are also off to a 6–2 start this fall, marking their best eight-game record in nearly a decade. Off the field, Nebraska’s 3.304 cumulative team GPA remains the highest in program history.
“The University of Nebraska, the city of Lincoln and the state of Nebraska are special,” Rhule said. “Our focus remains on building Nebraska Football into a perennial championship contender.”
It’s an extension that signifies plenty, and we’ll be discussing much of it in the weeks to come.
Inside the escalator clause and why it matters
Rhule’s new deal includes one of the more forward-thinking contract structures in college football. Instead of adding years with guaranteed pay bumps, Nebraska and Rhule agreed on something unusual: a performance-based escalator tied to College Football Playoff appearances.
Each time Nebraska makes the CFP, Rhule’s base salary increases by $1 million and those raises stack.
“It probably will not be the last of these that you’ll see,” Dannen said during media availability Thursday. “That is Matt’s confidence and willingness to bet on the program and how we’re going to provide for him, and our confidence in what he can do when we provide for him.”
In other words: if Nebraska gets to where it wants to be, Rhule’s compensation grows with it. If the Huskers reach the playoffs four straight seasons, his salary rises by $4 million. It’s a scenario Dannen called “mutually beneficial.”
“And you know what?” he said. “If we go to the CFP four years in a row, he should be the highest-paid coach in the country.”
The recruiting ripple effect
Beyond the headline number, Rhule’s extension immediately changes the conversation in recruiting circles. The past few weeks brought speculation about his future, which is noise that can quickly become a weapon for rival programs.
Now, there’s no question.
“That’s hopefully a message we can send to all the recruits, all the players, that this is the place to be,” Rhule said. “And we want to be here.”
The timing is significant: Nebraska hosts USC this weekend, with top 2026 and 2027 prospects (and even early 2028 names) expected in town. Stability is a selling point.
“I don’t think it makes a kid say yes or a kid say no,” Dannen said. “But I do think the one thing people have an expectation of is they want consistency and they want certainty.”
Nebraska’s 2026 class currently ranks in the 80s nationally but includes pieces the staff loves. The 2027 group already sits among the country’s best. The hope now is that the message of longevity — both for Rhule and the program — hits home.
Blackout Saturday brings energy and expectation
When Rhule took the podium Monday, a mannequin stood next to him wearing Nebraska’s all-black alternate uniform. He insisted he wasn’t the one who put it there, but he didn’t mind the reminder.
“This is the world of recruiting,” Rhule said.
Saturday night’s game against No. 23 USC will mark Nebraska’s third alternate look of the season — all-red against Houston Christian, all-white at Minnesota and now the all-black “Blackout” against the Trojans. The uniforms honor the Blackshirts tradition, but they also serve a purpose in the modern era: they get attention.
“When you look at a black shirt, who has more right to wear that than us?” Rhule asked.
The atmosphere is expected to match the look. Nebraska has painted its end zones and midfield logo black, shifted its social media accounts to black-and-white and asked every fan to join in.
Rhule called Memorial Stadium a “distinct advantage” and said he wanted the crowd to be “electric.”
“It’s going to be fun for the kids, it’s going to be fun for the recruits, it’s going to be fun for all those little kids who line up in the Tunnel Walk,” he said. “They deserve this kind of stuff too.”
Now it’s up to Nebraska to match the energy on the field.
Volleyball’s perfect run and the two-team chase
Nebraska volleyball remains undefeated at 20–0 and the only program in the country that can say that besides Texas. The Huskers have not dropped a single set in six weeks and have won 34 in a row, their longest streak since 2007.
This weekend, the Huskers face their toughest stretch yet: at No. 11 Wisconsin on Friday and home vs. Oregon on Sunday. The matches double as the final contests of the inaugural Big Ten Discover Challenge, where Nebraska can clinch the title with a single set victory in Madison.
The numbers behind this team border on absurd. Nebraska’s .335 hitting percentage ranks No. 1 nationally. Opponents are hitting just .112 — second best in Division I — creating a 0.223 gap that no one else comes close to matching.
Outside hitter Harper Murray leads the team with 3.63 kills per set and just surpassed 1,000 career kills. Middle blockers Rebekah Allick and Andi Jackson have combined for a .410 hitting average, while setter Bergen Reilly’s 10 assists per set keep the offense humming.
Busboom Kelly’s group has swept 11 straight matches. They’ve played 24 sets in October and haven’t dropped a single one.
At this point, it’s hard not to think about December.
Nebraska and Texas have been ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in every AVCA poll this season, which makes sense as the only two undefeated teams left among 343 in Division I. Both face ranked opponents this weekend, with Texas taking on Texas A&M and Kentucky.
“Texas is obviously super-talented and super physical (and) a great team,” Busboom Kelly said this week on the Huskers Radio Network.
It’s shaping up like a collision course for the postseason. Another Nebraska-Texas showdown — this time with hardware on the line — would surprise no one.
For now, the Huskers are staying grounded.
“There’s still a lot of season left and a lot of things out of our control,” Busboom Kelly said. “So we’ll focus on the next match.”
Football’s building. Volleyball’s rolling. One is chasing stability, the other perfection.
Either way, the message from Lincoln is the same: this is what progress looks like when you don’t flinch.
I really want to make a trick or treat pun here, but don't have time to think about it. You're welcome. 😋