Early Iowa FB notes: Tom Osborne on Nebraska-Iowa series, Gary Barta on 2012 game

LINCOLN, Neb. - Nebraska Athletic Director Tom Osborne likes how the Big Ten set up an Iowa-Nebraska match-up for the regular-season finale on Black Friday.

"People have said this may be a rivalry," Osborne said. "If it is, then that would be a logical time to do it, play it."

But Osborne, a legendary Nebraska football coach, added that rivalries develop over time on the field, not in the league offices.

"A pretty good example will be the so-called rivalry with Colorado that was one that was declared primarily by Colorado," Osborne said. "They said we are their rival. Rivalries usually develop over a number of years and usually there's a shared excellence.

"Probably the best example (of a rivalry) we would have would be Nebraska-Oklahoma. For like 30 years, I think 29 of 30 years that game determined the Big Eight championship, and quite often had national championship implications. I think  usually those things develop over time more than they do by declaration."

Osborne said he has enjoyed his first year in the Big Ten and said both the league and fellow schools have accommodated the Cornhuskers. He said Nebraska's fans have been treated well "for the most part."

"I don't think we've been treated any worse certainly than anybody else," Osborne said. "Overall it's been good."

Osborne said he still keeps tabs on his former Big 12 rivals. He isn't surprised that Texas A&M and Missouri have elected to leave the Big 12 after this season.

"There's no question that the instability was a factor (in leaving the Big 12)," Osborne said. "I guess the way things played our this year maybe further reinforced that, I'm not totally certain that's over yet. When television contracts come up, that's when these things tend rear their head. So there will be a new contract in 2016. We're pleased where we are, and hopefully the Big 12 will do well."

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Next year Iowa will play host to Nebraska on Black Friday. Iowa's students will remain out of school for Thanksgiving break next year, which could provide for gaping holes in the southwest corner of Kinnick Stadium.

Iowa Athletic Director Gary Barta said he hasn't "really given that a lot of thought" but shared a few ideas Iowa might consider for filling those empty seats with Hawkeye fans.

"One of the things we'll do is give the students first shot at it," he said. "Maybe if they want to volunteer that they're not going to be there, maybe we can fill in with other students or fill in with other fans. But right now I haven't thought that far out."