Nebraska Cornhuskers basketball — program history
Nebraska's basketball program was founded in 1897, making it one of the oldest in the country, though football has historically dominated the school's identity. Before 1900, teams went by names like 'Bugeaters' and 'Rattlesnake Boys' until Lincoln sportswriter Charles Sherman borrowed the 'Cornhuskers' name from Iowa, whose fans preferred 'Hawkeyes.' The nickname became so popular it eventually became the official name of the entire state. Under Fred Hoiberg, Nebraska has worked to elevate its basketball profile, earning a No. 4 seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
The name
Sportswriter Charles Sherman coined 'Cornhuskers' around 1900, borrowing it from Iowa (whose fans preferred 'Hawkeyes'); the name stuck and became the state's official nickname too
Signature moment
Danny Nee's 1990s era brought four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and made the Devaney Center a feared venue
Nebraska's inflatable mascot Lil' Red, introduced in 1993, was the first inflatable mascot in either college or professional sports history, standing 8 feet 4 inches tall
The Nebraska Cornhuskers compete in the Big Ten and hold an all-time record of 1627–1479 (.524 winning percentage) across 130 recorded seasons dating back to 1896-97.
Season-by-season results
* Season vacated by the NCAA — absent from the official season table; record computed from the game log and not counted in official totals or rankings.
More Big Ten programs
Illinois Fighting Illini · Indiana Hoosiers · Iowa Hawkeyes · Maryland Terrapins · Michigan State Spartans · Michigan Wolverines · Minnesota Golden Gophers · Northwestern Wildcats · Ohio State Buckeyes · Oregon Ducks · Penn State Nittany Lions · Purdue Boilermakers · Rutgers Scarlet Knights · UCLA Bruins · USC Trojans · Washington Huskies · Wisconsin Badgers
All Division I programs · Historical rankings · Championship journeys · Hoopsipedia home