Scott Frost’s role in Nebraska’s decision to explore backing out of a series with Oklahoma this spring came back into the news on Wednesday.
The Action Network reported that Frost, as well as former chief of staff Gerrod Lambrecht, were “key proponents” in NU trying to get out of a game against the Sooners set for Sept. 18 in Norman, Oklahoma.
On Wednesday, Frost briefly addressed that report and said he “never made one single phone call in regards to our schedule. That’s not my job.”
Frost made that comment in a brief appearance with NU athletic director Trev Alberts after NU’s practice on Wednesday morning. They appeared together to acknowledge an active NCAA investigation into the football program, which surrounds the use of analysts and consultants. The first report of that investigation came from The Action Network, which also delved into the Oklahoma game fiasco from March.
“I’ve talked about that a bunch. I love that rivalry. Once our Ireland game got canceled, our schedule didn’t make sense,” Frost said Wednesday. “I love where we landed with, instead of having a Week 1 bye, having a Week 1 game. There was a lot of discussion about how to adjust our schedule so we didn’t play Week 0 and then wait until Week 2.”
On Wednesday, a source told the Journal Star that former athletic director Bill Moos was opposed to back out of the Oklahoma game.
Back in March, Moos acknowledged that the university had looked into the possibility of moving the game against Oklahoma but presented it as one of several options.
However, the situation became a boondoggle for the NU Athletic Department when the news broke on March 12. Nebraska didn’t release any kind of statement on the matter for several hours as frustration from the Husker fan base began to bubble over.
Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione released a statement on March 12 that read, in part, “We fully intend and expect to play the game as it is scheduled.”
“The University of Nebraska is looking forward to playing Oklahoma in Norman on (Sept. 18),” former NU athletic director Bill Moos said in a March statement. “Due to the economic devastation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic to Husker Athletics and the local community, our administration did explore the possibility of adding an eighth home game this fall. That option would have helped us mitigate cost-cutting measures and provide a much-needed boost to our local economy. Ultimately, the decision was made to move forward with our game at Oklahoma in 2021.”
In late March, Frost claimed he didn’t know who first broached the possibility of backing out of the Oklahoma game.
“I don’t remember where the conversation started for sure, I just know that with a $45-50 million cut to last year’s budget, any and all things were on the table,” he said then.
The Huskers and Sooners put the home-and-home together back in 2012. The announcement of the game came in the final weeks before then-athletic director Tom Osborne retired. The programs timed the games to line up with the 50th anniversary of the 1971 “Game of the Century.” Oklahoma is scheduled to visit Nebraska in 2022. The teams are also scheduled to meet in 2029 and 2030.
