From Kevin Warren to Chattanooga, an inside look at how Bill Moos, Huskers tried to play football Saturday | Football

So Moos, coach Scott Frost and the football department started thinking about filling in a lost game almost right away. In fact, NU has kept a list of teams that could be available since earlier this summer, when the Huskers wanted to explore playing first an independent schedule and later potential nonconference games before an October start. Quickly, Football Bowl Subdivision member Tennessee-Chattanooga was identified. 

“The least we could do is take a run at it, and we did,” Moos said. “The very first thing was the testing piece because we’re not playing Big Ten football if the testing protocol hadn’t been approved by the Big Ten chancellors, so it had to be up to snuff and up to par with what the Big Ten was doing, I felt, to even have a chance.

“As it turned out, (Tennessee-Chattanooga) was doing PCR tests already in anticipation that they’d have the opportunity to come to Lincoln and play.”

NU knew it would need permission from the Big Ten, so Moos and Green had a Wednesday phone conversation with Warren, who agreed to put the matter before the council at its regular monthly meeting, which happened to be 7 a.m. Thursday.

“I was encouraged because he said we could get a communication email-wise, and my feeling was we needed Ronnie to state the case,” Moos said. “It’s like being in a courtroom or whatever, you get a chance to plead your case and hopefully get some support. It was fine and Kevin was good about it, to have it be the first item on the agenda for the presidents and chancellors meeting the next morning.”