Nebraska Unsuccessful In Attempt To Back Out Of Playing Oklahoma

After the program was called out for trying to get out of its long-standing rivalry game against Oklahoma, Nebraska Athletics said it was only exploring the idea of adding a game because it would help mitigate the "economic devastation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic."

Stadium's Brett McMurphy tweeted Friday that the Cornhuskers were trying to get out of the rivalry game scheduled for that date.

Hours later, Nebraska athletic director Bill Moos said the team looks forward to playing Oklahoma in Norman on Sept. 18.

"Due to the economic devastation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic to Husker athletics and the local community, our administration did explore the possibility of adding an eighth game this fall," he said. "That option would have helped us mitigate cost-cutting measures and provide a much-needed boost to our economy. Ultimately, the decision was made to move forward with our game at Oklahoma in 2021."

Nebraska reached out to Old Dominion and New Mexico State for a Sept. 18 college football game that would have replaced a showdown against Oklahoma, CBS Sports reports.

"Nebraska has reached out to , but it's unclear whether they're going to be able to extract themselves from the Oklahoma game," a source involved with college football scheduling originally told CBS Sports. "They have reached out to ODU."

Oklahoma AD Joe Castiglione released a statement Friday that said the Sooners never swayed from playing the game.

"The Oklahoma-Nebraska football series represents one of the most unique traditional rivalries in college football," he said. "We fully intend and expect to play the game as it is scheduled."

Castiglione and former Nebraska AD Tom Osborne agreed to the contract and schedule in 2012, which also has Oklahoma slated at Nebraska in 2022.

The renewal of the Nebraska-Oklahoma rivalry has been anticipated since Nebraska left the Big 12 for the Big Ten in 2010, CBS Sports reports.