Nebraska football will start 2027 in Kansas City

Nebraska football will start next season with a game against Miami (Ohio) in Kansas City. It will be the second time the Big Red plays in Arrowhead Stadium, home of the Kansas City Chiefs, in three seasons.

Last year’s season opener against Cincinnati was played there. NU won the game 20-17. For that game, Husker fans helped fill up the stadium with few empty seats.

“Our fans and team enjoyed the game in Kansas City a year ago, and shortly after that contest we began having discussions with the Chiefs about returning to Arrowhead,” Nebraska Chief Operating Officer Haven Fields said in a statement.

Memorial Stadium, which will be undergoing renovations, will host seven games next season, Fields said.

That’s a departure from what the athletic department said it needed last year when it canceled a home-and-home series with Tennessee. Nebraska had been scheduled to play the Volunteers this year in Lincoln and next year in Knoxville, Tennessee.

"We are making plans to embark on major renovations of Memorial Stadium that may impact our seating capacity for the 2027 season," Athletic Director Troy Dannen said at the time. "The best scenario for us is to have eight home games in 2027 to offset any potential revenue loss from a reduced capacity. The additional home games will also have a tremendous economic benefit on the Lincoln community."

On the Huskers Radio Network program Sports Nightly Tuesday night, Dannen said the game will generate similar revenue, compared to a home game, with 15,000 to 20,000 fewer seats available at Memorial Stadium next season.

“We built an eight-game schedule, so we can manage it (construction) financially,” Dannen said. “The taking a game to Kansas City allows us to have our typical seven-game home package, allows us to help revenue-wise, because it will look like a normal home game revenue-wise, a full stadium revenue-wise.”

The contest with Miami (Ohio) will also move up two weeks and be played on Friday, Aug. 27. That day will mark the first matchup between the Cornhuskers and RedHawks have ever played. Previously, the game was scheduled for Sept. 11, which will likely become a Big Ten Conference game, the athletic department said on Tuesday.

Rule changes approved at the beginning of this season allowed every school to move up the start of their season by one week.

Overall, the Huskers are 2-1 in games played at Arrowhead Stadium. Before the Cincinnati game, Nebraska had defeated Oklahoma State in 1998, 24-17, at Arrowhead Stadium. Game two for the program was for the 2006 Big 12 title against Oklahoma. The Huskers lost that matchup, 21-7.