# Iowa–Nebraska football rivalry

The Iowa–Nebraska football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Iowa Hawkeyes and Nebraska Cornhuskers. The rivalry is usually held on the Friday after Thanksgiving.

## History

The proximity of the two teams played an important role in the early days of the game, with exclusive trains running between Iowa City and Lincoln to allow fans to travel. The first meeting of the series, which occurred on Thanksgiving Day in Omaha, Nebraska, was the first game Iowa had ever played outside of its home state. Other notable games during the 20th century occurred during the four-year renewal of the rivalry from 1979 to 1982. In the 1979 meeting, #7 Nebraska prevailed over unranked Iowa after overcoming a two-touchdown deficit late in the third quarter, which resulted in a standing ovation from fans of both teams. In the 1981 meeting, unranked Iowa upset #7 Nebraska at Kinnick Stadium in what legendary Iowa coach Hayden Fry called "the biggest win since I’ve been here."
When Nebraska moved to the Big Ten Conference in 2011, the teams resumed the rivalry on an annual basis and played on the Friday following Thanksgiving. Starting that year, the game was referred to as the "Heroes Game" and the Heroes Trophy was awarded to the winner. Sponsored by Hy-Vee, the game recognizes individuals from both states for acts of heroism in their communities.
In 2017, it was announced by the Big Ten Conference that in 2020 and 2021, the game would not take place on the Friday following Thanksgiving. After significant opposition from fans, Nebraska athletic director Bill Moos made it a priority to restore the game to the Friday after Thanksgiving; accordingly, the Big Ten has scheduled the Iowa-Nebraska game for the Friday after Thanksgiving for all future post-2021 games through 2025. In the end, due to schedule changes related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 and 2021 games were ultimately rescheduled to Black Friday as well.
Since 1903, the rivalry has never been contested anyplace besides Lincoln, Nebraska or Iowa City, Iowa; and now alternates between the two respective campuses. Odd-year games are played in Lincoln, while even-year games are played in Iowa City.

## Game results

| Iowa victories | Nebraska victories |
| No. | Date | Location | Winner | Score |
| 1 | November 26, 1891 | Omaha, NE | Iowa | 22–0 |
| 2 | November 24, 1892 | Omaha, NE | Tie | 10–10 |
| 3 | November 30, 1893 | Omaha, NE | Nebraska | 20–18 |
| 4 | November 29, 1894 | Omaha, NE | Nebraska | 36–0 |
| 5 | November 28, 1895 | Omaha, NE | Nebraska | 6–0 |
| 6 | November 26, 1896 | Omaha, NE | Tie | 0–0 |
| 7 | November 28, 1896 | Omaha, NE | Iowa | 6–0 |
| 8 | November 25, 1897 | Council Bluffs, IA | Nebraska | 6–0 |
| 9 | November 24, 1898 | Council Bluffs, IA | Iowa | 6–5 |
| 10 | November 4, 1899 | Omaha, NE | Iowa | 30–0 |
| 11 | October 31, 1903 | Iowa City, IA | Nebraska | 17–6 |
| 12 | November 5, 1904 | Lincoln, NE | Nebraska | 17–12 |
| 13 | October 31, 1908 | Iowa City, IA | Nebraska | 11–8 |
| 14 | October 23, 1909 | Lincoln, NE | Tie | 6–6 |
| 15 | November 22, 1913 | Lincoln, NE | Nebraska | 12–0 |
| 16 | November 21, 1914 | Iowa City, IA | Nebraska | 16–7 |
| 17 | November 20, 1915 | Lincoln, NE | Nebraska | 52–7 |
| 18 | November 25, 1916 | Iowa City, IA | Nebraska | 34–17 |
| 19 | October 13, 1917 | Lincoln, NE | Nebraska | 47–0 |
| 20 | October 5, 1918 | Lincoln, NE | Iowa | 12–0 |
| 21 | October 4, 1919 | Iowa City, IA | Iowa | 18–0 |
| 22 | November 22, 1930 | Iowa City, IA | Iowa | 12–7 |
| 23 | November 7, 1931 | Lincoln, NE | Nebraska | 7–0 |
| 24 | November 5, 1932 | Iowa City, IA | Nebraska | 14–13 |
| 25 | November 25, 1933 | Lincoln, NE | Nebraska | 7–6 |
| 26 | October 13, 1934 | Lincoln, NE | Nebraska | 14–13 |
| 27 | November 20, 1937 | Lincoln, NE | Nebraska | 28–0 |
| 28 | November 19, 1938 | Iowa City, IA | Nebraska | 14–0 |
| No. | Date | Location | Winner | Score |
| 29 | November 9, 1940 | Lincoln, NE | Nebraska | 14–6 |
| 30 | November 22, 1941 | Lincoln, NE | Nebraska | 14–13 |
| 31 | September 26, 1942 | Iowa City, IA | Iowa | 27–0 |
| 32 | November 20, 1943 | Lincoln, NE | Iowa | 33–13 |
| 33 | November 4, 1944 | Iowa City, IA | Iowa | 27–6 |
| 34 | November 24, 1945 | Lincoln, NE | Nebraska | 13–6 |
| 35 | October 12, 1946 | Iowa City, IA | Iowa | 21–7 |
| 36 | September 22, 1979 | Iowa City, IA | #7 Nebraska | 24–21 |
| 37 | September 20, 1980 | Lincoln, NE | #6 Nebraska | 57–0 |
| 38 | September 12, 1981 | Iowa City, IA | Iowa | 10–7 |
| 39 | September 11, 1982 | Lincoln, NE | #3 Nebraska | 42–7 |
| 40 | September 4, 1999 | Iowa City, IA | #5 Nebraska | 42–7 |
| 41 | September 23, 2000 | Lincoln, NE | #1 Nebraska | 42–13 |
| 42 | November 25, 2011 | Lincoln, NE | #22 Nebraska | 20–7 |
| 43 | November 23, 2012 | Iowa City, IA | #17 Nebraska | 13–7 |
| 44 | November 29, 2013 | Lincoln, NE | Iowa | 38–17 |
| 45 | November 28, 2014 | Iowa City, IA | Nebraska | 37–34$^{OT}$ |
| 46 | November 27, 2015 | Lincoln, NE | #3 Iowa | 28–20 |
| 47 | November 25, 2016 | Iowa City, IA | Iowa | 40–10 |
| 48 | November 24, 2017 | Lincoln, NE | Iowa | 56–14 |
| 49 | November 23, 2018 | Iowa City, IA | Iowa | 31–28 |
| 50 | November 29, 2019 | Lincoln, NE | #17 Iowa | 27–24 |
| 51 | November 27, 2020 | Iowa City, IA | #24 Iowa | 26–20 |
| 52 | November 26, 2021 | Lincoln, NE | #16 Iowa | 28–21 |
| 53 | November 25, 2022 | Iowa City, IA | Nebraska | 24–17 |
| 54 | November 24, 2023 | Lincoln, NE | #17 Iowa | 13–10 |
| 55 | November 29, 2024 | Iowa City, IA | Iowa | 13–10 |
| Series: Nebraska leads 30–22–3 |||||