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Nebraska Coach Matt Rhule Signs Contract Extension; Penn State Grad Was a Nittany Lions Target cover image

Nebraska Coach Matt Rhule Signs Contract Extension; Penn State Grad Was a Nittany Lions Target

Tom Brew
Oct 30, 2025
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Tom Brew
Oct 30, 2025
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It only took a few minutes after Penn State fired James Franklin that all eyes turned to Matt Rhule. The Nebraska coach, after all, is a Penn State grad and he's had success everywhere he's been as a college coach.

But Rhule, who's in his third year at Nebraska and has a 6-2 record this season, isn't going home. He signed a contract extension with the Huskers on Thursday that ties him to Lincoln through 2032 and included a $15 million buyout this year.

So the Nittany Lions will have to look elsewhere for a new coach.

Here's the full story from Penn State Roundtable writer Dylan Feltovich.

 

After a dreadful 3-4 start for the Penn State Nittany Lions, it’s safe to say the program has failed to meet the high expectations set for the 2025 season under head coach James Franklin.
roundtable.ioPotential Penn State HC Candidate Signs Extension With NebraskaAfter a dreadful 3-4 start for the Penn State Nittany Lions, it’s safe to say the program has failed to meet the high expectations set for the 2025 season under head coach James Franklin.

Rhule has been a head coach since 2013. He spent four years at Temple, three at Baylor, three with the NFL's Carolina Panthers, and now three more at Nebraska. And even though it's a longshot, the 6-2 Cornhuskers are hoping for a big finish that might lead to a College Football playoff berth.

They are one of five Big Ten teams with two losses, all sitting behind No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Indiana and No. 6 Oregon. We wrote about what lies ahead for those five two-loss teams earlier this week here at Roundtable Sports. Here's the link to that story.

No. 1 Ohio State was on a bye, but No. 2 Indiana rolled to another 50-point league win and No. 6 Oregon did enough to beat Wisconsin at home. All three seem to be locks to make the College Football Playoff, with the Buckeyes and Hoosiers still unbeaten and Oregon's lone loss to IU.
roundtable.ioBig Ten Spotlight: Can League Get 4th Team into College Football Playoff?No. 1 Ohio State was on a bye, but No. 2 Indiana rolled to another 50-point league win and No. 6 Oregon did enough to beat Wisconsin at home. All three seem to be locks to make the College Football Playoff, with the Buckeyes and Hoosiers still unbeaten and Oregon's lone loss to IU.

Nebraska 2025 Schedule, Results

Aug. 28 (Thurs.) — Nebraska defeated Cincinnati 20-17 in Kansas City, Mo. Record: 1-0.
Sept. 6 — Nebraska defeated Akron 68-0 in Lincoln, Neb. Record: 2-0.
Sept. 13 — Nebraska defeated Houston Christian 59-7 in Lincoln, Neb. Record: 3-0.
Sept. 20 — No. 21 Michigan defeated Nebraska 30-27 in Lincoln, Neb. Record: 3-1, 0-1 in Big Ten. 
Sept. 27 — Bye week.
Oct. 4 — Nebraska defeated Michigan State 38-27 in Lincoln, Neb. Record: 4-1, 1-1 in Big Ten. 
Oct. 11 — Nebraska defeated Maryland 34-31 in College Park, Md. Record: 5-1, 2-1 in Big Ten.
Oct. 17 (Fri.) — Minnesota defeated No. 25 Nebraska 24-6 in Minneapolis, Minn. Record: 5-2, 2-2 in Big Ten.
Oct. 25 — Nebraska defeated Northwestern 28-21 in Lincoln, Neb. Record: 6-2, 3-2 in Big Ten.

Remaining games

Nov. 1 — No. 23 USC vs. Nebraska, 7:30 p.m. ET in Lincoln, Neb. TV: NBC
Nov. 8 — Nebraska at UCLA, Time, TV TBA.
Nov. 15 — Bye week.
Nov. 22 — Nebraska at Penn State, Time, TV TBA
Nov. 28 (Fri.) — Iowa vs. Nebraska, Noon ET, TV: CBS