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Nebraska football to face Cincinnati in primetime on ESPN

On3 imageby:HuskerOnline Staff05/13/25
NFL: New Orleans Saints at Kansas City Chiefs
Oct 7, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; A general view of the field under red lights prior to a game against the New Orleans Saints at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images

The first kickoff time on Nebraska football’s 2025 schedule became official on Tuesday. The Huskers’ season opener against Cincinnati on Thursday, August 28, at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, will start at 8 p.m. CT on ESPN.

Future kickoff times and television coverage information should continue to roll out over the coming weeks.

Nebraska will be under the lights in primetime for its third trip to Arrowhead Stadium. NU previously played there in 1998 (vs. Oklahoma State) and 2006 (vs. Oklahoma in the Big 12 Conference championship).

The showdown with Cincinnati (a home game for the Bearcats) was initially scheduled for Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Moving the 2025 game to Kansas City ensures a much bigger gate for Cincinnati at the 76,416-seat Arrowhead Stadium, compared to Lucas Oil Stadium (70,000).

The Huskers should have a significant crowd advantage with Kansas City’s proximity to Omaha and Lincoln. Cincinnati’s campus is just two hours from Indianapolis.

Moving to Arrowhead Stadium potentially allows the Bearcats to double their largest crowd (38,007) from the 2024 season.

Nebraska was supposed to play host to Cincinnati in 2020, but that game was canceled due to COVID and the Big Ten’s scheduling policies that season. The teams will now meet in Lincoln on September 10, 2033.

All tickets for the game are currently on sale at www.chiefs.com/tickets/ and www.ticketmaster.com. No tickets will be sold through the Nebraska Athletic Ticket Office.


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