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.
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
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 127 recorded seasons dating back to 1896-97.
| Season | Record | Conference | Coach | AP peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 26-6 | 15-5 (Big Ten) | Fred Hoiberg | AP #5 |
| 2024-25 | 21-14 | 7-13 (Big Ten) | Fred Hoiberg | |
| 2023-24 | 23-11 | 12-8 (Big Ten) | Fred Hoiberg | |
| 2022-23 | 16-16 | 9-11 (Big Ten) | Fred Hoiberg | |
| 2021-22 | 10-22 | 4-16 (Big Ten) | Fred Hoiberg | |
| 2020-21 | 7-20 | 3-16 (Big Ten) | Fred Hoiberg | |
| 2019-20 | 7-25 | 2-18 (Big Ten) | Fred Hoiberg | |
| 2018-19 | 19-17 | 6-14 (Big Ten) | Tim Miles | AP #24 |
| 2017-18 | 22-11 | 13-5 (Big Ten) | Tim Miles | |
| 2016-17 | 12-19 | 6-12 (Big Ten) | Tim Miles | |
| 2015-16 | 16-18 | 6-12 (Big Ten) | Tim Miles | |
| 2014-15 | 13-18 | 5-13 (Big Ten) | Tim Miles | AP #21 |
| 2013-14 | 19-13 | 11-7 (Big Ten) | Tim Miles | |
| 2012-13 | 15-18 | 5-13 (Big Ten) | Tim Miles | |
| 2011-12 | 12-18 | 4-14 (Big Ten) | Doc Sadler | |
| 2010-11 | 19-13 | 7-9 (Big 12) | Doc Sadler | |
| 2009-10 | 15-18 | 2-14 (Big 12) | Doc Sadler | |
| 2008-09 | 18-13 | 8-8 (Big 12) | Doc Sadler | |
| 2007-08 | 20-13 | 7-9 (Big 12) | Doc Sadler | |
| 2006-07 | 17-14 | 6-10 (Big 12) | Doc Sadler | |
| 2005-06 | 19-14 | 7-9 (Big 12) | Barry Collier | |
| 2004-05 | 14-14 | 7-9 (Big 12) | Barry Collier | |
| 2003-04 | 18-13 | 6-10 (Big 12) | Barry Collier | |
| 2002-03 | 11-19 | 3-13 (Big 12) | Barry Collier | |
| 2001-02 | 13-15 | 6-10 (Big 12) | Barry Collier | |
| 2000-01 | 14-16 | 7-9 (Big 12) | Barry Collier | |
| 1999-00 | 11-19 | 4-12 (Big 12) | Danny Nee | |
| 1998-99 | 20-13 | 10-6 (Big 12) | Danny Nee | |
| 1997-98 | 20-12 | 10-6 (Big 12) | Danny Nee | |
| 1995-96 | 21-14 | 4-10 (Big 8) | Danny Nee | |
| 1994-95 | 18-14 | 4-10 (Big 8) | Danny Nee | AP #19 |
| 1993-94 | 20-10 | 7-7 (Big 8) | Danny Nee | AP #22 |
| 1992-93 | 20-11 | 8-6 (Big 8) | Danny Nee | AP #17 |
| 1991-92 | 19-10 | 7-7 (Big 8) | Danny Nee | AP #25 |
| 1990-91 | 26-8 | 9-5 (Big 8) | Danny Nee | AP #11 |
| 1989-90 | 10-18 | 3-11 (Big 8) | Danny Nee | |
| 1988-89 | 17-16 | 4-10 (Big 8) | Danny Nee | |
| 1987-88 | 13-18 | 4-10 (Big 8) | Danny Nee | |
| 1986-87 | 21-12 | 7-7 (Big 8) | Danny Nee | |
| 1985-86 | 19-11 | 8-6 (Big 8) | Moe Iba | |
| 1984-85 | 16-14 | 5-9 (Big 8) | Moe Iba | |
| 1983-84 | 18-12 | 7-7 (Big 8) | Moe Iba | |
| 1982-83 | 22-10 | 9-5 (Big 8) | Moe Iba | |
| 1981-82 | 16-12 | 7-7 (Big 8) | Moe Iba | |
| 1980-81 | 15-12 | 9-5 (Big 8) | Moe Iba | |
| 1979-80 | 18-13 | 8-6 (Big 8) | Joe Cipriano | |
| 1978-79 | 14-13 | 7-7 (Big 8) | Joe Cipriano | |
| 1977-78 | 22-8 | 9-5 (Big 8) | Joe Cipriano | AP #19 |
| 1975-76 | 19-8 | 10-4 (Big 8) | Joe Cipriano | |
| 1974-75 | 14-12 | 7-7 (Big 8) | Joe Cipriano | |
| 1973-74 | 14-12 | 7-7 (Big 8) | Joe Cipriano | |
| 1972-73 | 9-17 | 4-10 (Big 8) | Joe Cipriano | |
| 1971-72 | 14-12 | 7-7 (Big 8) | Joe Cipriano | |
| 1970-71 | 18-8 | 8-6 (Big 8) | Joe Cipriano | |
| 1969-70 | 16-9 | 7-7 (Big 8) | Joe Cipriano | |
| 1968-69 | 12-14 | 5-9 (Big 8) | Joe Cipriano | |
| 1967-68 | 15-10 | 8-6 (Big 8) | Joe Cipriano | |
| 1966-67 | 16-9 | 10-4 (Big 8) | Joe Cipriano | |
| 1965-66 | 20-5 | 12-2 (Big 8) | Joe Cipriano | AP #8 |
| 1964-65 | 10-15 | 5-9 (Big 8) | Joe Cipriano | |
| 1963-64 | 7-18 | 5-9 (Big 8) | Joe Cipriano | |
| 1962-63 | 6-19 | 1-13 (Big 8) | Jerry Bush | |
| 1961-62 | 9-16 | 5-9 (Big 8) | Jerry Bush | |
| 1959-60 | 7-17 | 4-10 (Big 8) | Jerry Bush | |
| 1958-59 | 12-13 | 5-9 (Big 8) | Jerry Bush | |
| 1957-58 | 10-13 | 5-7 (Big 8) | Jerry Bush | |
| 1956-57 | 11-12 | 5-7 (Big 7) | Jerry Bush | |
| 1955-56 | 7-16 | 3-9 (Big 7) | Jerry Bush | |
| 1954-55 | 9-12 | 6-6 (Big 7) | Jerry Bush | |
| 1953-54 | 8-13 | 5-7 (Big 7) | Harry Good | |
| 1952-53 | 9-11 | 4-8 (Big 7) | Harry Good | |
| 1951-52 | 7-17 | 3-9 (Big 7) | Harry Good | |
| 1950-51 | 9-14 | 4-8 (Big 7) | Harry Good | |
| 1949-50 | 16-7 | 8-4 (Big 7) | Harry Good | AP #16 |
| 1948-49 | 16-10 | 9-3 (Big 7) | Harry Good | |
| 1947-48 | 11-13 | 5-7 (Big 7) | Harry Good | |
| 1946-47 | 10-14 | 3-7 (Big 6) | Harry Good | |
| 1945-46 | 7-13 | 3-7 (Big 6) | L.F. Klein | |
| 1944-45 | 2-17 | 1-9 (Big 6) | Adolph Lewandowski | |
| 1943-44 | 2-13 | 1-9 (Big 6) | Adolph Lewandowski | |
| 1942-43 | 6-10 | 5-5 (Big 6) | Adolph Lewandowski | |
| 1941-42 | 6-13 | 4-6 (Big 6) | Adolph Lewandowski | |
| 1940-41 | 8-10 | 6-4 (Big 6) | Adolph Lewandowski | |
| 1939-40 | 6-12 | 2-8 (Big 6) | William Browne | |
| 1938-39 | 7-13 | 3-7 (Big 6) | William Browne | |
| 1937-38 | 9-11 | 4-6 (Big 6) | William Browne | |
| 1936-37 | 13-7 | 8-2 (Big 6) | William Browne | |
| 1935-36 | 13-8 | 7-3 (Big 6) | William Browne | |
| 1934-35 | 6-12 | 3-7 (Big 6) | William Browne | |
| 1933-34 | 7-11 | 5-5 (Big 6) | William Browne | |
| 1932-33 | 3-13 | 3-7 (Big 6) | William Browne | |
| 1931-32 | 3-17 | 2-8 (Big 6) | Charlie Black | |
| 1930-31 | 9-9 | 6-4 (Big 6) | Charlie Black | |
| 1929-30 | 9-9 | 6-4 (Big 6) | Charlie Black | |
| 1928-29 | 11-5 | 5-5 (Big 6) | Charlie Black | |
| 1927-28 | 7-11 | 7-11 (MVC) | Charlie Black | |
| 1926-27 | 12-6 | 7-5 (MVC) | Charlie Black | |
| 1925-26 | 8-10 | 7-7 (MVC) | Ernest Bearg | |
| 1924-25 | 14-4 | 13-3 (MVC) | William Kline | |
| 1923-24 | 11-7 | 10-6 (MVC) | William Kline | |
| 1922-23 | 6-12 | 5-11 (MVC) | Owen Frank | |
| 1921-22 | 8-9 | 8-8 (MVC) | Owen Frank | |
| 1920-21 | 15-3 | 9-1 (MVC) | Paul Schissler | |
| 1919-20 | 22-2 | Ind | Paul Schissler | |
| 1918-19 | 10-6 | 10-6 (MVC) | Doc Stewart | |
| 1917-18 | 7-7 | 4-5 (MVC) | Doc Stewart | |
| 1916-17 | 12-10 | 4-8 (MVC) | Doc Stewart | |
| 1915-16 | 13-1 | 12-0 (MVC) | Samuel Waugh | |
| 1914-15 | 10-8 | 8-4 (MVC) | Jumbo Stiehm | |
| 1913-14 | 15-3 | 7-0 (MVC) | Jumbo Stiehm | |
| 1912-13 | 17-2 | 10-1 (MVC) | Jumbo Stiehm | |
| 1911-12 | 14-1 | 8-0 (MVC) | Jumbo Stiehm | |
| 1910-11 | 9-9 | 6-6 (MVC) | O.F. Field | |
| 1909-10 | 6-10 | 6-2 (MVC) | T.J. Hewiat | |
| 1908-09 | 8-15 | 5-3 (MVC) | R.G. Clapp | |
| 1907-08 | 9-10 | MVC | R.G. Clapp | |
| 1906-07 | 10-6 | Ind | R.G. Clapp | |
| 1905-06 | 12-3 | Ind | R.G. Clapp | |
| 1904-05 | 11-5 | Ind | R.G. Clapp | |
| 1903-04 | 9-5 | Ind | R.G. Clapp | |
| 1902-03 | 7-5 | Ind | Walter Hiltner | |
| 1901-02 | 5-3 | Ind | Fred Morrell | |
| 1900-01 | 3-3 | Ind | E. Berry | |
| 1899-00 | 5-0 | Ind | T.P. Hewitt | |
| 1898-99 | 4-0 | Ind | Frank Lehmer | |
| 1897-98 | 1-3 | Ind | Frank Lehmer | |
| 1896-97 | 2-0 | Ind | Frank Lehmer |
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| Rank | Team | Conference | All-Time Wins |
|---|
Top 100 by all-time D1 wins. Verified against the NCAA record book — and tiered so you can argue properly.
| # | COACH | RECORD | WIN % | SCHOOL(S) | YEARS | BEST SEASON / LEGACY |
|---|