Nebraska football learns kickoff times for 2024 season

The Big Ten Conference released kickoff times on Thursday for the league’s nonconference slate and select conference matchups.

Nebraska’s season opener against UTEP on Aug. 31 will kick off at 2:30 p.m. and broadcasted on FOX. NU’s Week 2 matchup against Colorado had already been set for a 6:30 p.m. kick on NBC, and the Huskers will round out their nonconference slate with a 6:30 p.m. kick against Northern Iowa on the Big Ten Network on Sept. 14.

Nebraska’s first conference game of the season, a matchup with Illinois, will be played on Friday, Sept. 20 at 7 p.m. as previously announced.

NU will hit the road on Sept. 28 for an 11 a.m. kick at Purdue, followed by an 11 a.m. or 2:30 p.m. kick in Nebraska’s homecoming matchup against Rutgers on Oct. 5.

Kickoff times for Nebraska’s back-to-back road games in late October at Indiana and Ohio State have not yet been set. That’s also the case for Nebraska’s home matchups against UCLA and Wisconsin in November, while NU’s road game at USC on Nov. 16 has a variety of options.

Nebraska’s matchup against USC could kick off at either 2:30 or 3 p.m. Central with nighttime windows of 6:30 p.m. and 10 p.m., in what would be an 8 p.m. local kick on the West Coast.

For such conference matchups late in the season, kickoff times are generally announced 12-13 days prior to the game after the league’s television partners select matchups.

The television networks can also exercise a six-day option window where kickoff times are not determined until the Sunday preceding a matchup.

The Huskers’ annual Black Friday matchup against Iowa will be a night game in Iowa City, with Nebraska set for a 6:30 p.m. game on NBC against the Hawkeyes.