Looking at Possible Power Four Opponents For Nebraska's 2027 Arrowhead Game

Nebraska’s Arrowhead Stadium game may have a different opponent. Nebraska athletic director Troy Dannen shared insight on Nebraska Sports Nightly into how the Cornhuskers are adjusting to the 24-team College Football Playoff and a likely mandate that will force schools to play 10 Power Four opponents.

Among other statements, Dannen said plainly, “The game in Kansas City may not be Miami of Ohio when it's all said and done."

The new College Football Playoff is forcing schools like Nebraska to scramble to find Power Four opponents. At least the Cornhuskers have the attractive option of “hosting” a Power Four opponent at an NFL stadium.

The table below shows every Power Four team outside the Big Ten that has not scheduled a Power Four non-conference opponent.

*Arizona, Kansas, and Mississippi have pre-2024 PAC-12 members Oregon State and Washington State on the schedule. Based on the SEC’s prior scheduling mandate, the two PAC-12 holdovers will count toward the Power Four requirement.

While the options are limited, they are attractive. Texas Tech offers the obvious Patrick Mahomes link that would interest not only Red Raider fans, but also Kansas City locals. The schools also crossed paths eight times as Big 12 rivals, with Nebraska leading the all-time series 7-4.

TCU and West Virginia would bring scarcity to a Nebraska game at Arrowhead Stadium. Nebraska has played TCU seven times, with the last meeting coming in 2001. The 2001 meeting was the only meeting between the two since 1976. The Mountaineers have only played Nebraska once, in the 1994 Kickoff Classic at Giants Stadium.

Other options exist aside from the Power Four schools mentioned above. Two Power Four schools play two non-conference games against Power Four schools: Georgia Tech and Stanford. Georgia Tech plays Tennessee and Georgia.

The Yellow Jackets could swap week one opponents with Nebraska, instead hosting Miami (OH) while Nebraska plays Tennessee at Arrowhead. This would be ironic considering Nebraska previously canceled its 2026 and 2027 home-and-home series with Tennessee. This could be the best-case scenario for organizers of the Kansas City kickoff. The game would trade a MAC power for an SEC school with brand-name recognition.

On the other hand, Stanford could work a similar arrangement with Nebraska. The Cardinal play Vanderbilt and Notre Dame. Nebraska could play Vanderbilt in week one at Arrowhead Stadium while Miami (OH) makes the trip to Stanford. This would be an excellent outcome for Miami fans who trade a trip to an NFL stadium for the consolation of a Bay Area trip to play an ACC school. Furthermore, Nebraska and Vanderbilt have never met, bringing further intrigue to this matchup.

The College Football Playoff’s expansion has had numerous reverberations across the college football landscape. Nebraska’s non-conference schedule and its season-opener could be the latest domino to fall. Luckily, the Huskers can still get an intriguing matchup at Arrowhead Stadium.