Nebraska athletic director Trev Alberts has signed a new contract that will keep him at the helm of the Cornhuskers’ sports programs until 2031, the university announced on Tuesday. The new deal will also double his annual salary from $800,000 to $1.7 million, making him one of the highest-paid athletic directors in the country.
A Reward for His Leadership and Vision
Alberts, who was hired in July 2021, has impressed the university president Ted Carter with his leadership and vision for Nebraska athletics. Carter said that Alberts has “exceeded every expectation” and has “brought stability, energy and momentum” to the department.
“His focus on the student-athlete experience, academic excellence, competitive success and fiscal responsibility are exactly what we need to move Husker athletics forward,” Carter said in a news release.
Alberts said he was “humbled and honored” by the contract extension and thanked Carter, chancellor Ronnie Green and the board of regents for their support and trust. He also praised the coaches, staff and student-athletes for their hard work and dedication.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to serve this great university and this proud state,” Alberts said. “We have a lot of work ahead of us, but I am confident that together we can achieve our goals and make Husker Nation proud.”
A Former Husker Star and a Successful Administrator
Alberts is no stranger to Nebraska athletics, as he was a star linebacker for the Cornhuskers in the early 1990s. He won the Butkus Award as the nation’s best linebacker in 1993 and was a consensus All-American. He was also a two-time academic All-American and a member of the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame.
After a brief NFL career, Alberts worked as a college football analyst for ESPN and CBS. He then became the athletic director at the University of Nebraska Omaha in 2009, where he oversaw the transition from Division II to Division I and the construction of several new facilities. He also made some controversial decisions, such as cutting the football and wrestling programs, to balance the budget and focus on other sports.
Alberts left UNO in 2021 to take the Nebraska job, replacing Bill Moos, who retired in June. He inherited a department that was facing financial challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as competitive struggles in some of the marquee sports, such as football and men’s basketball.
A Boost for the Cornhuskers’ Future
Alberts has made some bold moves in his short tenure at Nebraska, such as hiring Trevon Edwards as the new men’s basketball coach and extending the contract of Scott Frost, the football coach and his former teammate. He has also been instrumental in organizing the Volleyball Day in Nebraska, a historic event that featured a match between the Huskers and Creighton at the Memorial Stadium in front of a record crowd of 41,000 fans.
Alberts has also been vocal about his support for the Big Ten Conference and his commitment to keeping Nebraska in the league, despite some rumors and speculation about the Cornhuskers’ future alignment. He has also expressed his interest in renewing some of the traditional rivalries, such as with Oklahoma and Colorado, and expanding the non-conference schedule.
Alberts’ new contract will give him more security and authority to shape the direction of Nebraska athletics for the next decade. It will also send a message to the coaches, staff, student-athletes and fans that the university is confident in his leadership and vision.
