Nevada football adds Nebraska to 2029 schedule as Mountain West implements injury reporting
The Nevada Wolf Pack football program continues building its future schedule with marquee opponents, announcing a return trip to Nebraska for the 2029 season opener while the Mountain West Conference prepares to implement new player availability reporting requirements for the upcoming season.
Wolf Pack returns to Lincoln after 22 years
Nevada will travel to Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska, on September 1, 2029, marking exactly 22 years since the teams’ only previous meeting. In that 2007 matchup, the Cornhuskers dominated the Wolf Pack 52-10 in what was a challenging road test for Nevada.
The game represents another significant payday for the Wolf Pack athletic department, with Nevada set to receive $1.6 million for the one-game contract. This marks the 12th game worth more than $1 million that Nevada has scheduled and ties for the second-largest single-game payout in program history, matching what the Wolf Pack received for playing at USC in 2023.
Nevada’s largest guarantee remains the $1.85 million they’ll receive for playing at Ohio State in 2030. The program has strategically scheduled these high-paying games against Power 4 opponents to boost athletic department revenues while providing valuable experience against elite competition.
Building the 2029 schedule
The Nebraska game becomes the third confirmed contest on Nevada’s 2029 schedule. The Wolf Pack will host UTEP on September 8, though that game is expected to become a Mountain West Conference matchup when the Miners officially join the league in 2026. Nevada will also travel to Kansas on September 15, receiving $300,000 for that road game after hosting the Jayhawks in 2023.
Looking at Nevada’s broader future scheduling strategy, the Wolf Pack has lined up an impressive slate of Power 4 opponents across multiple seasons:
2026 non-conference games:
- vs. Western Kentucky
- at UCLA
- at Middle Tennessee
2027-2031 highlights:
- 2027: at USC
- 2028: at Utah, at SMU
- 2030: at Ohio State
- 2031: vs. Troy
Currently, Nevada has eight future non-league games scheduled against Power 4 opponents, with five paying at least $1.3 million. These guarantee games provide crucial funding for the athletic department while testing the program against top-tier competition.
Mountain West implements player availability reporting
In a significant policy change aimed at transparency and competitive integrity, the Mountain West Conference announced it will require public player availability reporting for all conference games beginning with the 2025 football season.
The new Mountain West Conference Availability Reporting Policy standardizes how teams submit information about player availability for football contests. According to the conference, the policy aims to protect student-athlete privacy, reduce outside pressure on players for inside information, ensure transparency, and promote competitive integrity.
How the reporting will work
The policy requires teams to follow a specific timeline for reporting player availability:
- Two days before each conference game: Teams must identify players who are questionable to play or will be unavailable
- Three hours before kickoff: Schools must update their designations with final availability status
Reports will include only players’ names and participation status—no specific injury details will be disclosed. The availability reports will be posted publicly on TheMW.com, making the information accessible to fans, media, and the public.
Importantly, schools are only required to submit availability reports for conference games. They may choose to provide reports for non-conference games but are not obligated to do so.
Addressing sports betting concerns
The Mountain West explicitly stated that the new policy “addresses public confidence in fair play and the integrity risks associated with sports wagering.” The required availability reporting will be integrated into the conference’s existing sports wagering integrity and compliance partnership with IC360, a global leader in comprehensive integrity and compliance solutions for sports and sports betting.
This move aligns the Mountain West with other major conferences that have implemented similar policies. The Big Ten became the first college conference to require mandatory player availability reports in 2023, followed by the SEC in 2024. The ACC and Big 12 are implementing availability reports for the 2025 season, with the Big 12 expanding its requirements to include men’s and women’s basketball.
Looking ahead for Nevada football
As Nevada prepares for the 2025 season under head coach Jeff Choate, who went 3-10 in his first year with the program, the Wolf Pack faces significant challenges. The team went winless in Mountain West play last season (0-7) and has won just seven games over the past three seasons.
The 2025 season opener provides an immediate test, as Nevada travels to face Penn State on August 30 in a game that will pay the Wolf Pack $1.45 million. With the new player availability reporting requirements in place for conference games and a challenging schedule ahead, transparency around player health and availability will be more important than ever for Nevada and its Mountain West opponents.
The addition of the Nebraska game to the 2029 schedule continues Nevada’s strategic approach of balancing competitive opportunities with financial necessities, ensuring the program can fund its operations while giving players the chance to compete on college football’s biggest stages.
Image Sources: https://eu.rgj.com/story/sports/college/2025/08/11/nevada-football-adds-nebraska-to-2029-schedule/85611824007/
Category: State News, Sports
Subcategory: Football
Date: 08/20/2025
