At Big 12 Media Days in Frisco this week, Colorado athletic director Rick George said he would “love to play [Nebraska] every year,” adding that the matchup is “good for the game” and for the tradition both schools share.

Despite meeting four times since 2018, the Buffaloes and Cornhuskers have no future dates scheduled, and Colorado’s three non-conference slots are essentially filled through 2033—with several Rocky Mountain Showdowns against Colorado State extending to 2038.

Speaking on the DNVR Buffs Podcast, George invoked the rivalry’s roots under coaches Bill McCartney and Tom Osborne, saying the annual clash helped define each program’s identity in the late 1980s and early ’90s.

Whether the series returns may hinge on Nebraska athletic director Troy Dannen, who told The Denver Post last fall he wants to gauge how the expanded College Football Playoff evaluates non-conference strength before locking in marquee games.

Since conference realignment ended the traditional Black Friday meeting in 2010, the teams have split four games; Colorado still trails the all-time series 21-50-2 and lost 28-10 in Lincoln last season.

Both programs appear to be on an upward trajectory—Colorado under Deion Sanders and Nebraska under Matt Rhule—which only heightens fan interest in rekindling the border war as soon as schedules allow.

From the Cornhuskers’ side, some observers argue the matchup benefits Colorado more than Nebraska in the current CFP landscape, potentially making negotiations trickier.