Nebraska athletic director Troy Dannen spoke this week about the future of Nebraska’s schedule while hinting at a looming 24-team playoff. Woah.

He talked about how in the near future, FCS opponents would become a non-option in scheduling because of the playoffs.

“An FCS game really is a non-factor when it comes to how it’s weighed from a qualification standpoint,” Dannen said. He went on to add, “I don’t think you’re going to be able to afford to have games like that on your schedule.” Nebraska already has a few left on the books (Northern Iowa in 2027, South Dakota State in 2028 and 2030), but they aren’t scheduling any more beyond that point.

Dannen also talked about scheduling old Big 12 rivals where possible. Hello, Colorado.

He further stated that he was working on a home-and-home series with an SEC opponent (plus another Power Four series). Oklahoma is already locked in for 2029-30, so maybe someone else from that league?

Okay. So now comes the how-do-you-feel-about-it part.

On one hand, I love it—as long as everyone is doing it. This year Nebraska plays three non-Power Four teams to start the year. That’s the first time they’ve done that in forever. And while the slate is kinda “boring,” at the same time it should allow for a fast and sure-fire 3-0 start. I think of it like the preseason before the conference-play grind begins.

How many seasons have we started against a Power Four team just to open the year 0-1 and never get any momentum? Going forward, if the opener is a non-Power Four team followed by a Big 12 and then an SEC team—as long as the rest of college football is doing the same thing—I would be very much interested.

Strength of schedule is clearly about to matter more if we really are heading toward a 24-team playoff. Dannen seems to get that. Beefing up the non-conference slate with real Power opponents (especially regional ones fans can actually get to) while still giving the team a chance to build early confidence feels like the right balance.

No more free wins that count for almost nothing in the eyes of the selection committee.

I’m all for it—if the rest of the country follows suit. Otherwise we’re just making life harder on ourselves for no good reason. For now, though, Dannen’s comments feel like a smart look ahead at where this sport is going. Nebraska has always tried to get ahead of change, after all.