BYU Basketball Sets Exhibition Series with Nebraska

BYU basketball has arranged a home-and-home exhibition series with a Big Ten opponent.

This fall, the Cougars will travel to Lincoln, Nebraska, to face the Nebraska Cornhuskers as part of a preseason tune-up. Nebraska will return the visit to Provo in 2026 for an exhibition game the following year.

Neither school has announced an official date for the exhibition game in Lincoln this season.

Exhibition Games Now Serve as Revenue Sources

Historically, these types of games were often charity events or private scrimmages. However, after the NCAA Men’s Basketball Oversight Committee approved a proposal this past January, schools can now use revenue from these games as they see fit.

Teams are allowed to play up to two preseason exhibition games against four-year schools before the official season begins.

Nebraska is coached by Fred Hoiberg, who, like BYU coach Kevin Young, has a deep NBA background. Hoiberg served as head coach of the Chicago Bulls from 2015 to 2018.

The Cornhuskers are currently 19-15 for the season and are preparing to compete in the College Basketball Crown Semifinals against Boise State on Saturday in Las Vegas.

BYU ended the 2025 season with a Sweet 16 appearance in the NCAA Tournament, where they were eliminated by Alabama.

BYU Basketball: Past Encounters with Nebraska

The last meeting between BYU and Nebraska in basketball occurred in 2009 at a multi-team event in Las Vegas. BYU won 88-66, with Jimmer Fredette leading the way with 24 points at The Orleans Arena.

BYU’s last visit to Lincoln for a basketball game took place in 1935.

Unlike the 2009 matchup, this year’s meeting will be an exhibition and won’t count in the official record books.

The Cougars will attract attention next season with the addition of the nation’s top recruit, AJ Dybantsa.

BYU’s 2025-26 regular season will begin on November 3 in Las Vegas, where they will face the Villanova Wildcats from the Big East Conference.