As the Nebraska Cornhuskers head into the summer of 2026, there is a clear fault line dividing the fans. That is Matt Rhule and his massive $87 million contract extension. Now, Josh Pate has weighed in on the matter.
Josh Pate Analyzes Matt Rhule’s Contract Extension With Nebraska
Pate recently appeared on his podcast, “Josh Pate’s College Football Show,” and shed light on Nebraska’s last season. Following a 2025 campaign that mirrored the year prior, a 7-6 finish, the leap many expected in Year 3 failed to materialize. Instead, Nebraska lost three straight to end the year and burned through the goodwill Rhule had built during a promising start.
But the frustration boiling over in Lincoln stems from a specific sequence of events late last fall. When the Penn State job opened up, Rhule’s name immediately surfaced as a top candidate for his alma mater. Fearing a return to the coaching carousel, Nebraska leadership doubled down, locking Rhule into a deal that keeps him in Lincoln through 2032, taking the contract’s total value to $87 million.
Pate said, “I think really burned a lot of equity, but then at the same time, remember what happened afterwards, the Penn State job came open and Matt Rhule’s name was in it.”
“So, you come off what was viewed as kind of a failure of a season and then you have to pay a ton of money to keep him. And I think it rubs some folks the wrong way because like you’re sitting there having to having to just grin and bear it and you’re having to give him an extension and give him more money,” Pate added.
The price of that stability is steep. If Nebraska were to pivot today, Rhule’s buyout sits at a staggering $63.36 million. For a program that has seen 5-7, 7-6, and 7-6 records in the first three years of the Rhule era, the sentiment of tiredness might be setting in.
However, Rhule hasn’t spent the 2026 offseason standing still. Recognizing the stagnation, he triggered a massive coaching staff reset. Nebraska enters 2026 with new faces such as defensive coordinator Rob Aurich and new leads for the offensive line, defensive line, special teams, and safeties.
In addition, the transfer portal was equally active. While the Huskers lost local favorites to the transfer portal in recent years, they aggressively targeted depth. The addition of new transfer portal talent signals a desperate need to jumpstart an offense that vanished during the 121-48 scoring drought that defined the final month of 2025.
Not to mention the 2026 schedule offers no soft landings. After a manageable non-conference slate featuring Ohio and Bowling Green, the Huskers face a midseason gauntlet including Oregon in Eugene and a late-season clash with Ohio State.
As a result, the PFSN CFB Playoff Meter projects Nebraska’s win total at 5.39. So, as Pate puts it, it’s not too late for the breakthrough, but the margin for error has evaporated.
Nebraska fans are still showing up, still selling out Memorial Stadium, and still wearing the red. But for $87 million, they are done grinning and bearing it. They want to start winning.
