Nebraska Football: Could a return to Big 12 be possible for the fall?

Unless Nebraska football can play in another conference, there won’t be a season for them in 2020.

The Big Ten made the decision to postpone the college football season and they’re eyeing the spring as a time to potentially play fall sports. This obviously affects Nebraska football because they’re in the Big Ten and as of now, won’t be taking the gridiron this fall.

At the same time, however, Scott Frost made it known on Monday that he and the Cornhuskers would be open to playing the season outside of the Big Ten if possible. I’m not sure if this could happen, as Nebraska is a part of the Big Ten conference, so going against them and wanting to go rogue could be problematic.

If the Huskers do end up playing this season, the Big 12 would make a lot of sense.

Tim Brando of Fox Sports tweeted that this could definitely be an option.

Nebraska was a part of the Big 12 up until the end of the 2010 season when they made the move to the Big Ten. The Big 12 had been self-destructing at that point and Nebraska got out while they still could.

During their time in the Big 12, Nebraska had some big rivalries, but none was bigger than what they had with Oklahoma. That rivalry would be pretty one-sided these days, as the Sooners have remained a powerhouse while Nebraska has mostly sunk into irrelevancy (sorry Husker fans, but it’s true).

The move to the Big Ten hasn’t gone according to plan, as the football program has struggled since leaving the Big 12. They played in one Big Ten title game and got curb stomped by Wisconsin in that one. They haven’t been back since that lopsided loss.

If Nebraska football is serious about playing this season and if the Big Ten is willing to let them venture out and play in another conference, then the Big 12 makes the most sense. Those schools are closer and the Huskers have a history against most of those programs.

At the same time, however, if the Big Ten lets Nebraska play outside of their conference, then they’d have to let Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, and whoever else wants to venture out do so as well and at that point, what was the point of postponing things?

The Big Ten made their decision and Nebraska might just have to face the facts and realize they aren’t going to play football this fall. I know that’s tough to hear for everyone living in Lincoln, but had the steps been taken initially when this pandemic started to help slow it down and stop it, college football wouldn’t have been affected.

Sadly that wasn’t the case. Universities had five months to come up with a plan and the Big Ten whiffed big time there.