3 takeaways from Matt Rhule’s contract extension with Nebraska football

The rumored contract extension for Matt Rhule came to fruition on Thursday as the Nebraska football program announced a new deal for its head coach.

Rhule agreed to a new contract that will run through the 2032 season. There is now a $15 million buyout for this season, according to Pete Thamel, which effectively takes Rhule out of the running for the Penn State job or any other this cycle.

The devil is in the details.

Some fans didn’t want Rhule extended. But that ignored the reality that Penn State had a genuine interest. Was he the leading candidate? Perhaps not.

Yet, if the Huskers win Saturday against USC, they would be one win away from heading to Happy Valley with an 8-2 record, as a ranked team. That might have been enough to pique Penn State’s interest.

Now, Nebraska football doesn’t have to worry about that, and here are three takeaways from Matt Rhule’s contract extension with Nebraska football.

The focus goes back to Nebraska football (on the field)

This is the best part of this: Nebraska’s best team since 2016 gets a chance to focus on what it needs to do. Rhule did a good job of minimizing the distraction.

I don’t think it was a reason the team lost to Minnesota. Nebraska had a bad game. They have happened less frequently under Rhule, a lot less frequently. There have been some tough defeats, no doubt.

But the arrow is pointing up for this program, and now this 2025 team can attack the rest of this season without worrying whether their head coach is leaving.

Good on all parties involved.

A smart deal for both sides

A good contract is one with some give and take. Rhule didn’t get any added money, which surprises me. I assumed that would just be part of the deal. His salary will stay the same in 2031 and 2032 as it will be in 2030. It will also be the same in the other years of the deal.

I didn’t expect a ton of new money. However, there is none. Troy Dannen worked in some incentives. Rhule gets a $1 million bonus every time Nebraska football makes the College Football Playoff.

The deal goes until 2032. I haven’t seen the buyout information beyond this season. That will be interesting. But with the Penn State job open, and that being the only job Nebraska should really worry about, Rhule will be the head coach in Lincoln for as long as the Huskers will have him.

That’s a big takeaway

More resources to win

Maybe the thing that should have Nebraska football fans most excited is that this deal should bring more NIL investment. I’ve always wondered how that would be worded in a contract, if it can be.

Yet, there could have been a verbal commitment behind the scenes that if he stayed, more money would flow that could be used to acquire talent. That’s the name of the game in college football.

Rhule is good at it. He’s proven that. Arm the man with more resources, and he’ll start cashing in those College Football Playoff bonus checks.

All in all, it’s exciting to be a Nebraska football fan. Celebrate this deal and don’t be shocked if the team plays well on Saturday, with the future feeling more secure than ever.

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