NCAA investigating Nebraska football program
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska announced Wednesday that the NCAA is looking into its football program after a report said Cornhuskers staff improperly used analysts and consultants with the knowledge of coach Scott Frost and even moved workouts off campus last year when such activities were banned during the pandemic.
"The University of Nebraska Athletic Department has been working collaboratively with the NCAA to review a matter concerning our football program," athletic director Trev Alberts said in a prepared statement. "We appreciate the dialogue we have had with the NCAA and cannot comment further on specifics of this matter."
Citing unidentified sources, The Action Network report said Nebraska has "significant video footage" confirming practice violations occurred in the presence of Frost and other assistants.
The NCAA has interviewed Frost, current and former staff members, administrators and football players, and Frost has hired an attorney. The alleged violations occurred in the last 12 months.
The report comes less than two weeks before the Huskers open Frost's fourth season with a game at Illinois. Frost, who quarterbacked the Huskers to the 1997 national championship, returned to his alma mater after being named national coach of the year for leading Central Florida to a 13-0 record in 2017.
Frost has struggled at Nebraska, going 12-20 in his first three years and never finishing higher than fifth in the Big Ten West. The program has had four straight losing seasons, its most in a row since the late 1950s.
Frost is under contract through 2026, and his current buyout is $20 million. The NCAA investigation includes Nebraska's impermissible use of experts running special teams drills, according to The Action Network. Analysts are not among the 10 full-time on-field assistants and are not allowed to speak with players.
A year ago, the NCAA disallowed organized workouts because of the pandemic. According to the report, Nebraska allegedly relocated its strength workouts to an undisclosed off-campus location to avoid detection at the direction of NU's strength and conditioning staff.
Frost and former Nebraska athletic director Bill Moos had been vocal in wanting to play in 2020 after the Big Ten initially canceled its season. The Big Ten reversed course and set up an eight-game conference-only schedule starting in late October.
The special teams analyst, Jonathan Rutledge, was fired in January. Moos unexpectedly announced his retirement in June. Gerrod Lambrecht, Frost's chief of staff, resigned two weeks ago.