Matt Rhule praises Nebraska’s NIL investment, explains importance of spending ‘CFP money’

When he took the Nebraska job, Rhule recalled conversations with former athletics director Trev Alberts about where college athletics was heading. At the time, the House v. NCAA lawsuit was still going through the process. The suit, of course, resulted in the landmark settlement which ushered in the rev-share era in college athletics.

At the same time, Nebraska did not have any athletics-related debt during the 2022 fiscal year. That, Rhule said, was also important to ensure there were resources available as the arms race in college football picked up steam. Of course, others in the Big Ten were also starting to ramp up their own investments.

“We looked at the University of Nebraska and our fan base, we looked at, at the time, we were the only Big Ten school with no debt,” Rhule said. “[Alberts] was like, ‘Matt, there’s gonna come a time when we can really capitalize on this.’ So I’m excited for these next years where we we have resources coming in.

“At the same time, as we invest more, so does the Ohio States, the Indianas, the Michigans. We have to continue to chase that. We have to continue to chase the ways in which we can retain our best players and get the best players here.”

Matt Rhule: ‘We have the ability to be at the top level’

As Nebraska gets ready for the 2026 season, Matt Rhule said conversations continued with current athletics director Troy Dannen and university president Jeff Gold about investing in the roster. He also issued a call to action for local businesses to get involved by signing Huskers athletes to NIL deals. In fact, Rhule’s wife runs a hair business in Lincoln and has partnered with multiple Nebraska female athletes.

“When we went through this year, Troy Dannen, our AD, really made a commitment, along with Jeff Gold, to [say], ‘Hey, let’s invest the resources to get Nebraska to that level,'” Rhule said. “But I’ll say this, the market continues to move. Part of my job, that was not my job in other places, is to continually go outside and find ways to gain resources.

“And I think that’s what’s really cool about Nebraska is, Jacory Barney’s one of the best punt returners in the Big Ten, if not the country. People should want him to represent their business. … My wife has a business here in town, a hair business. She has NIL deals with female athletes not to support me, but because they move the needle. We have the ability to be at the top level, and we’re chasing that right now.”