Updated September 4, 2026, entering the 2026 season opener against Ohio. Figures follow the NCAA official records and Nebraska’s record book; Winsipedia shows one more win (932) because it counts the disputed 1892 Missouri forfeit differently.
Nebraska enters 2026 with an all time record of 931 wins, 436 losses and 40 ties, a .676 winning percentage, eighth most wins in FBS history. The program has been playing since 1890, has never gone more than a few decades without a dominant stretch, and built most of its win total across 36 seasons under Bob Devaney and Tom Osborne, when it went 356 wins, 69 losses and 5 ties and never had a losing year.
Where Nebraska Ranks
| Rank | Program | Wins entering 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michigan | 1,021 |
| 2 | Ohio State | 990 |
| 3 | Alabama | 985 to 988 depending on source |
| 4 and 5 | Texas and Notre Dame | 972 to 974, order disputed by a game |
| 6 | Oklahoma | 960 |
| 7 | Penn State | 947 |
| 8 | Nebraska | 931 |
Nebraska was as high as fourth on this list in the early 2000s. Sixteen straight seasons without a conference title, including seven without a bowl from 2017 to 2023, let Oklahoma and Penn State pass it. The full ranking is at winningest college football programs.
Record by Coach
| Coach | Years | Record | Pct. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Osborne | 1973 to 1997 | 255-49-3 | .836 | 3 national titles, 13 conference titles, never fewer than 9 wins, ranked in 304 of 307 games |
| Bob Devaney | 1962 to 1972 | 101-20-2 | .829 | 2 national titles, 8 conference titles, started the sellout streak |
| Frank Solich | 1998 to 2003 | 58-19 | .753 | 1999 Big 12 title, 2001 BCS title game; fired after 9-3 in 2003 |
| Bo Pelini | 2008 to 2014 | 67-27 | .713 | 9 or more wins every season, no titles, 3 title game losses |
| Dana X. Bible | 1929 to 1936 | 50-15-7 | .743 | 6 conference titles in 8 years, Hall of Fame |
| Jumbo Stiehm | 1911 to 1915 | 35-2-3 | .913 | Best percentage of any Nebraska coach; 1915 unclaimed title |
| Bill Callahan | 2004 to 2007 | 27-22 | .551 | 2004 was the first losing season since 1961 |
| Mike Riley | 2015 to 2017 | 19-19 | .500 | Fired after 4-8 in 2017 |
| Scott Frost | 2018 to 2022 | 16-31 | .340 | Worst stretch in over 60 years; fired three games into 2022 |
| Matt Rhule | 2023 to present | 19-19 | .500 | 5-7, 7-6, 7-6; back to back bowls in 2024 and 2025 |
Nebraska recognizes 31 permanent head coaches since Frank Crawford in 1893, with five others coaching at least one game on an interim basis. Eight are in the College Football Hall of Fame: Edward N. Robinson, Fielding Yost, Dana X. Bible, Biff Jones, Pete Elliott, Bob Devaney, Tom Osborne and Frank Solich. Osborne’s .836 is the fifth highest career percentage in major college history.
Record by Era
1890 to 1940, the first power. Between 1900 and 1916 Nebraska had five undefeated seasons and a 34 game unbeaten streak that still stands as the program record. Walter Booth’s teams won 24 straight from 1901 to 1904, and Jumbo Stiehm lost twice in five seasons. The Cornhuskers won 24 conference titles before World War II under Booth, Stiehm, Fred Dawson, Bible and Biff Jones, and played in their first bowl, the 1941 Rose Bowl.
1941 to 1961, the drought. Jones left for West Point during the war and seven coaches failed to fix the program over two decades. Nebraska went 22 seasons without a conference title and had losing records in most of them.
1962 to 1997, Devaney and Osborne. Thirty six consecutive winning seasons, 33 of them with nine or more wins under Osborne, five national titles, 21 conference titles, and a 35 year bowl streak that began in 1969. From 1993 to 1997 Nebraska went 60 wins and 3 losses, the best five year run in modern college football, with three titles in four seasons.
1998 to 2014, still winning. Solich and Pelini combined for 125 wins in 13 seasons, a 1999 Big 12 title and the 2001 BCS championship game, but the conference title drought that began in 2000 continued.
2015 to present, the rebuild. Riley and Frost went 35 and 50 across eight seasons, including seven straight years without a bowl. Rhule has produced two 7 and 6 seasons and consecutive bowl trips, the first since 2015 and 2016.
Streaks and Milestones
| Longest unbeaten streak | 34 games, 1912 to 1916 |
| Longest win streak | 26 games, 1994 to 1996 (also 24 straight 1901 to 1904) |
| Longest home win streak | 47 games, 1991 to 1998, third longest in major college history |
| Longest streak over one opponent | 36 straight over Kansas, 1969 to 2004, second longest ever |
| Bowl streak | 35 straight seasons, 1969 to 2003, the NCAA record |
| Sellout streak | 410 games entering 2026, since November 1962 |
| Best five year record | 60-3, 1993 to 1997 |
| Weeks at No. 1 in the AP poll | 70, seventh most |
| Weeks in the AP poll | 733, eighth most |
The Number to Watch
Nebraska needs 69 wins to reach 1,000. At the seven win pace of the last two seasons that is roughly a decade away; at Osborne’s pace it would be seven years. Penn State sits 16 wins ahead and Oklahoma 29, so the order of the top eight is unlikely to change soon.
Related Reading
Nebraska football history covers the best seasons in detail, the national championships page breaks down all five titles, and conference championships lists all 46. Compare with Oklahoma and Penn State, the two programs directly above Nebraska.