Division I · Big Ten Conference
University of Nebraska-Lincoln Football
Lincoln, NE · the Cornhuskers · University of Nebraska-Lincoln overview
155
Roster
50 over the D-I cap of 105
$71M
Team budget
96th percentile in Division I
$455,320
Per roster spot
median $79,762
24
Coaches
1 head · 23 assistant
974
APR
97% of players retained
77%
Admitted
lower half for selectivity
University of Nebraska-Lincoln fields a football team in the Big Ten Conference (NCAA Division I). In 2024–25 the roster carried 155 players, above the median of 119, with 1 head coach and 23 assistants. Team expenses were $70,574,668, well above the median of $9.1M — $455,320 per roster spot, top 10% of Division I football programs. Under the Division I roster cap of 105 in force from 2025-26, that is 50 over — cuts or attrition are likely, though players already on the roster may stay (230 of 261 Division I programs carried more than the cap). The team's multi-year Academic Progress Rate is 974, about the median of 964, with 97% of players retained year to year. The school gave $7,103,791 in athletic aid across its men's teams, about $18,694 per roster spot.
Among Division I football programs
Where this program sits against its 261 peers (percentile; the tick is the median).
#12Team budgetof 261 · Division I#21Spend per playerof 261 · Division I#7Roster sizeof 261 · Division I#76APRof 261 · Division I
Team budgets across the division
this programevery Division I football program
Roster sizes (cap 105)
this programevery Division I roster
The program
- Roster155 2024–25 season
- Division I roster cap105 50 over last season
- Coaching staff1 head, 23 assistant
- Team expenses$70,574,668 for the year
- Operating expenses$10,092,299 game-day and travel
- Spend per roster spot$455,320 division median $79,762
- Academic Progress Rate974 multi-year; 964 latest
- Players retained97% year to year
- Eligible98% of player-terms
- Athletic aid, men's teams$7,103,791 school-wide
- Aid per roster spot$18,694 across men's teams
- Recruiting spend, men's$2,399,346 school-wide
Coaching staff
| Name | Title | |
|---|---|---|
| Matthew (Matt) Rhule head coach | Head Coach | not on file |
Put University of Nebraska-Lincoln on a target list, address the whole staff at once, and send each email yourself from Gmail — nothing goes out without you pressing Send.Start your board
Recruiting timing
- Coaches may first contact youSeptember 1 of junior year
- Your own emailsAny time the rule limits what coaches send back
- High-school football players1,029,588 2024-25
- Division I roster spots31,184 261 programs
- Odds of a spot1 in 33 3.0% of high-school players hold a Division I roster spot
General NCAA rule for Division I; the football recruiting guide has the date for each grad year, the eligibility checklist and what to put in a first email.
About the school
What an athlete asks first — each panel opens the full picture.Campus
Full picture →19,338undergraduates · 23,986 students in all
Women 51% Men 49%
- Setting
- City
- Type
- Public · Research university
- Affiliation
- None
Getting in
Full picture →77%admitted · of 18,354 applicants
SAT middle 50%1090 – 1330
ACT middle 50%22 – 28
- Test scores
- Test-optional
- Graduate in 6 yrs
- 66%
Football
Full picture →155on the roster · 2024–25 season
Roster vs the D-I cap of 105155
50 over — players already on the roster may stay
Academic Progress Rate974
97% of players kept year to year
- Team expenses
- $70,574,668 $455,320 per roster spot · top 10% of Division I
- Coaches
- 1 head · 23 assistant
- Athletic aid, men's teams
- $7,103,791
- Recruiting spend, men's
- $2,399,346
Cost
Full picture →$18,029net price · after grants, aided first-years
Net price by family income
- Tuition & fees
- $10,108 in-state · $27,748 out
Campus safety
Full picture →1.2violent offences per 1,000 · students a year, 2022–2024
- In residence halls
- 13 burglaries · 45 sex offences over 2022–2024
- Residence-hall fires
- 6 over 2022–2024
Majors
Full picture →22%of bachelor's degrees in business · 26 fields · Bachelor's, Doctorate, Master's
Research University of Nebraska-Lincoln
School pages built around what an athlete needs to know — the program's money and roster room, admissions fit, what a family really pays, majors, campus life and safety.
Football program155 on the rosterPeers, percentiles, nearby programs, comparisonsRankingsWhere it standsEvery list this school is on, nationally and in its divisionAdmissions77% admittedSAT/ACT ladders, test policy, graduationCost & aid$18,029 net priceSticker vs net price by family income, athletic aidMajorsBusiness · 22%Every field and program with degrees awardedCampusCity · 19,338Setting, who is on campus, housing costs, servicesCampus safety1.2 violent / 1,000Three years of reported offences against the divisionAthleticsEvery teamThe whole department: every team, staff and aid
Football programs within 150 miles
| School | Miles | Roster | Budget | APR | Admitted | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nebraska Wesleyan University Division III · American Rivers Conference | 3 | 122 | $398k | — | 84% | |
| Wayne State College (Nebraska) Division II · Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference | 100 | 95 | $1.4M | — | — | |
| Northwest Missouri State University Division II · Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association | 101 | 141 | $3.5M | — | 86% | |
| Kansas State University Division I · Big 12 Conference | 113 | 125 | $27M | 978 | 79% | |
| Missouri Western State University Division II · Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association | 125 | 125 | $2.6M | — | — | |
| University of Nebraska at Kearney Division II · Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association | 126 | 133 | $2.5M | — | 86% | |
| Washburn University Division II · Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association | 134 | 135 | $2.8M | — | — | |
| University of South Dakota Division I · Missouri Valley Football Conference | 136 | 122 | $6M | 968 | 99% | |
| Buena Vista University Division III · American Rivers Conference | 148 | 79 | $498k | — | 72% | |
| University of Kansas Division I · Big 12 Conference | 150 | 122 | $35M | 960 | 88% |
Other football programs in the Big Ten Conference
| School | Roster | Budget | Per player | APR | Compare | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Ohio State University 17 over cap | 122 | $92M | $757,043 | 985 | vs | |
| Pennsylvania State University 25 over cap | 130 | $77M | $595,277 | 982 | vs | |
| Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick 32 over cap | 137 | $76M | $554,182 | 979 | vs | |
| University of Southern California 11 over cap | 116 | $74M | $638,060 | 970 | vs | |
| University of Nebraska-Lincoln 50 over cap | 155 | $71M | $455,320 | 974 | vs | |
| University of Washington 9 over cap | 114 | $69M | $604,576 | 999 | vs | |
| University of Michigan 34 over cap | 139 | $62M | $443,620 | 980 | vs | |
| University of Oregon 21 over cap | 126 | $61M | $482,916 | 968 | vs | |
| University of California, Los Angeles 16 over cap | 121 | $55M | $456,240 | 944 | vs | |
| University of Iowa 26 over cap | 131 | $51M | $388,506 | 971 | vs | |
| Indiana University, Bloomington 9 over cap | 114 | $50M | $440,417 | 969 | vs | |
| Michigan State University 14 over cap | 119 | $48M | $405,275 | 952 | vs | |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 14 over cap | 119 | $48M | $403,373 | 970 | vs | |
| University of Minnesota, Twin Cities 12 over cap | 117 | $45M | $388,484 | 980 | vs | |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison 17 over cap | 122 | $41M | $335,274 | 986 | vs | |
| Northwestern University 4 over cap | 109 | $38M | $347,722 | 995 | vs | |
| Purdue University 21 over cap | 126 | $37M | $295,184 | 954 | vs | |
| University of Maryland, College Park 15 over cap | 120 | $36M | $295,855 | 956 | vs |
Every Big Ten Conference football program · Football budgets ranked