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Kansas–Nebraska football rivalry

The Kansas–Nebraska football rivalry was an American college football rivalry between the Kansas Jayhawks and Nebraska Cornhuskers. The teams were conference opponents for over 100 years and played what was the longest uninterrupted annual series in college football history until it ended in 2010.

In 1892, Kansas and Nebraska were founding members of the Western Interstate University Football Association, one of college football's first conferences.[2] KU won the WIUFA championship, defeating NU 12–0 in Lincoln in the first meeting between the schools. The WIUFA dissolved in 1897, shortly after Nebraska defeated Kansas to clinch the title in a game that ended due to darkness after a lengthy argument over an NU touchdown.[2]

The series was paused in 1904 and renewed in 1906, the first of what became 105 consecutive seasons in which KU and NU met. Though the series was evenly matched in its early years (each team won eight of the first sixteen games), Nebraska gained the upper hand when the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association (later the Big Eight Conference) was formed. From 1917 to 1943, Nebraska played twenty-seven consecutive games against KU without a loss.[3]

A stretch of Jayhawks success after World War II was followed by a dominant Cornhuskers run – from 1968 through 2004, Nebraska was 36–0 in the series with an average margin of victory of over four touchdowns, the longest win streak over a conference opponent in major college football history.[3] KU's streak-ending 2005 win was described as "euphoric," as was its famous 76–39 victory in 2007, the most points ever allowed by Nebraska.[4][5]

In 2010, Kansas and Nebraska were among six Big 12 schools that sought entry to the Big Ten, though only Nebraska joined.[6] At the time it ended, the rivalry was the longest uninterrupted series in college football history.[7] No future games are scheduled.

No.DateLocationWinnerScore
1 November 12, 1892 Lincoln Kansas 12–0
2 November 18, 1893 Lincoln Kansas 18–0
3 November 17, 1894 Lawrence Nebraska 12–6
4 November 16, 1895 Lincoln Kansas 8–4
5 November 7, 1896 Lawrence Kansas 18–4
6 November 13, 1897 Lincoln Nebraska 10–5
7 November 5, 1898 Lawrence Nebraska 18–5
8 November 18, 1899 Lincoln Kansas 36–20
9 November 17, 1900 Lawrence Nebraska 12–0
10 November 16, 1901 Lincoln Nebraska 29–5
11 November 8, 1902 Lincoln Nebraska 16–0
12 November 14, 1903 Lawrence Nebraska 6–0
13 November 17, 1906 Lincoln Kansas 8–6
14 November 9, 1907 Lawrence Nebraska 16–6
15 November 14, 1908 Lincoln Kansas 20–5
16 November 6, 1909 Lincoln Kansas 6–0
17 November 5, 1910 Lawrence Nebraska 6–5
18 November 18, 1911 Lawrence Nebraska 29–0
19 November 16, 1912 Lincoln Nebraska 14–3
20 November 15, 1913 Lawrence Nebraska 9–0
21 November 14, 1914 Lincoln Nebraska 35–0
22 November 13, 1915 Lawrence Nebraska 33–0
23 November 18, 1916 Lincoln Kansas 7–3
24 November 17, 1917 Lawrence Nebraska 13–3
25 November 16, 1918 Lincoln Nebraska 20–0
26 November 15, 1919 Lincoln Nebraska 19–7
27 November 13, 1920 Lawrence Tie20–20
28 November 12, 1921 Lincoln Nebraska 28–0
29 November 11, 1922 Lawrence Nebraska 28–0
30 October 20, 1923 Lincoln Tie0–0
31 October 25, 1924 Lawrence Nebraska 14–7
32 October 24, 1925 Lincoln Nebraska 14–0
33 October 23, 1926 Lawrence Nebraska 20–3
34 November 5, 1927 Lincoln Nebraska 47–13
35 November 3, 1928 Lawrence Nebraska 20–0
36 November 2, 1929 Lincoln Nebraska 12–6
37 November 8, 1930 Lawrence Nebraska 16–0
38 October 24, 1931 Lincoln Nebraska 6–0
39 October 22, 1932 Lawrence Nebraska 20–6
40 November 11, 1933 Lincoln Nebraska 12–0
41 November 17, 1934 Lawrence Nebraska 3–0
42 November 9, 1935 Lincoln Nebraska 19–13
43 November 7, 1936 Lawrence #8 Nebraska 26–0
44 November 6, 1937 Lincoln Tie13–13
45 November 5, 1938 Lawrence Nebraska 16–7
46 November 11, 1939 Lincoln Nebraska 7–0
47 October 19, 1940 Lawrence Nebraska 53–2
48 October 11, 1941 Lincoln Nebraska 32–0
49 October 31, 1942 Lawrence Nebraska 14–7
50 October 23, 1943 Lincoln Nebraska 7–6
51 October 21, 1944 Lawrence Kansas 20–0
52 November 3, 1945 Lincoln Nebraska 27–13
53 October 19, 1946 Lawrence Nebraska 16–14
54 November 8, 1947 Lincoln Kansas 13–7
55 October 23, 1948 Lawrence Kansas 27–7
56 November 5, 1949 Lincoln Kansas 27–13
57 October 28, 1950 Lawrence Nebraska 33–26
58 November 3, 1951 Lincoln Kansas 27–7
59 November 8, 1952 Lawrence Nebraska 14–13
No.DateLocationWinnerScore
60 October 31, 1953 Lincoln Nebraska 9–0
61 November 6, 1954 Lawrence #20 Nebraska 41–20
62 October 29, 1955 Lincoln Nebraska 19–14
63 November 10, 1956 Lawrence Nebraska 26–20
64 November 2, 1957 Lincoln Kansas 14–12
65 November 8, 1958 Lawrence Kansas 29–7
66 October 10, 1959 Lincoln Kansas 10–3
67 November 5, 1960 Lawrence Kansas 31–0
68 November 4, 1961 Lincoln Kansas 28–6
69 November 10, 1962 Lawrence Nebraska 40–16
70 November 9, 1963 Lincoln Nebraska 23–9
71 November 7, 1964 Lawrence #5 Nebraska 14–7
72 November 6, 1965 Lincoln #3 Nebraska 42–6
73 November 5, 1966 Lawrence #6 Nebraska 24–13
74 October 14, 1967 Lawrence Kansas 10–0
75 October 12, 1968 Lincoln #6 Kansas 23–13
76 October 18, 1969 Lincoln Nebraska 21–17
77 October 17, 1970 Lawrence #5 Nebraska 41–20
78 October 16, 1971 Lincoln #1 Nebraska 55–0
79 October 21, 1972 Lawrence #5 Nebraska 56–0
80 October 20, 1973 Lincoln #11 Nebraska 10–9
81 October 19, 1974 Lawrence #12 Nebraska 56–0
82 October 11, 1975 Lincoln #4 Nebraska 16–0
83 October 30, 1976 Lawrence #9 Nebraska 31–3
84 November 12, 1977 Lincoln #12 Nebraska 52–7
85 November 4, 1978 Lawrence #4 Nebraska 63–21
86 October 13, 1979 Lincoln #5 Nebraska 42–0
87 October 11, 1980 Lawrence #10 Nebraska 54–0
88 October 31, 1981 Lincoln #12 Nebraska 31–15
89 October 30, 1982 Lawrence #6 Nebraska 52–0
90 November 12, 1983 Lincoln #1 Nebraska 67–13
91 November 10, 1984 Lawrence #2 Nebraska 41–7
92 November 16, 1985 Lincoln #2 Nebraska 56–6
93 November 15, 1986 Lawrence #6 Nebraska 70–0
94 October 10, 1987 Lincoln #2 Nebraska 54–2
95 October 8, 1988 Lawrence #9 Nebraska 63–10
96 November 11, 1989 Lincoln #6 Nebraska 51–14
97 November 10, 1990 Lawrence #13 Nebraska 41–9
98 November 9, 1991 Lawrence #11 Nebraska 59–23
99 November 7, 1992 Lincoln #7 Nebraska 49–7
100 November 6, 1993 Lawrence #6 Nebraska 21–20
101 November 5, 1994 Lincoln #1 Nebraska 45–17
102 November 11, 1995 Lawrence #1 Nebraska 41–3
103 October 26, 1996 Lincoln #5 Nebraska 63–7
104 October 25, 1997 Lawrence #1 Nebraska 35–0
105 October 17, 1998 Lincoln #8 Nebraska 41–0
106 October 30, 1999 Lawrence #8 Nebraska 24–17
107 November 4, 2000 Lincoln #5 Nebraska 56–17
108 November 3, 2001 Lawrence #2 Nebraska 51–7
109 November 9, 2002 Lincoln Nebraska 45–7
110 November 8, 2003 Lawrence #19 Nebraska 24–3
111 October 2, 2004 Lincoln Nebraska 14–8
112 November 5, 2005 Lawrence Kansas 40–15
113 September 30, 2006 Lincoln #21 Nebraska 39–32
114 November 3, 2007 Lawrence #8 Kansas 76–39
115 November 8, 2008 Lincoln Nebraska 45–35
116 November 14, 2009 Lawrence Nebraska 31–17
117 November 13, 2010 Lincoln #9 Nebraska 20–3
Series: Nebraska leads 91–23–3[1]