Trev Alberts is gone.
Alberts is a Husker legend who starred as an All-American for Tom Osborne and the Nebraska football program. He won the Dick Butkus Award and parlayed that into becoming the fifth overall pick of the 1994 NFL Draft. Years later, he took over as the athletic director at the University of Nebraska Omaha and, ultimately, fought back tears at his introductory press conference when he took over as the Huskers' athletic director.
Despite all of those ultra-strong ties to Nebraska and Husker Athletics, despite the $450 million Memorial Stadium Project that he proposed just a few months ago, and despite having sought after and attained Matt Rhule, the man leading the football program into a new age, Alberts is gone.
News of Alberts' departure sent shockwaves throughout all of Husker Nation, including those within the athletic department, when reports circulated Wednesday morning that Alberts was being targeted as the top candidate to become the new athletic director at Texas A&M.
Then, the back and forth ensued.
Due to the strong years-long reputation of all those reporting on Alberts and the Aggies' AD search, it appeared to be a foregone conclusion that Alberts was out. Then, multiple statements trickled out from both the A&M and Nebraska sides that Alberts had not yet made a decision and that A&M had not yet received official word from the Husker AD.
Was it a power play by Alberts to kick the Nebraska higher-ups into high gear and move on the hire of a new university president? Some sort of negotiating tactic by Alberts? Did the media perhaps jump the gun after getting the inside info from sources? All of the people (and there were many) who Inside Nebraska reached out to on both sides of the aisle for any information on Alberts all said relatively the same thing – that sources had gone radio silent – so perhaps there was hope of Alberts staying in Lincoln after all?
No ... was and is the answer to all of those questions.
Texas A&M officially announced Alberts as the Aggies' new director of athletics at 5:20 p.m. and the Alberts-led Husker Athletics regime had an official ToD.
“Earlier today, I informed Interim President Kabourek that I will be resigning my position as Director of Athletics to accept the same role at Texas A&M," Alberts said in a statement. "I recognize that the timing of this change is not ideal, and I apologize in advance for any negative impact that it might have.
"I am grateful for the 15 years that I had the privilege to serve both the University of Nebraska-Omaha and my alma mater, UNL. My family and I want to say thank you for all the special memories that we were able to create together."
Alberts' departure comes at an objectively odd time that leaves many questions.
Nebraska football, coming off arguably its most notable recruiting win this millennium and supplemented by a strong incoming transfer class, is trending in the direction of a true turnaround season in Year 2 of the Rhule Era.
Both the Husker men's and women's basketball teams are stone-cold locks to reach the NCAA Tournament. The women's team just reached the Big Ten Tournament championship game and showcasing themselves extremely well under the CBS national spotlight against Caitlin Clark and Iowa. The men's program is about to secure a bid to the Big Dance for the first time in 10 years and is in position to make a deep run in the Big Ten Tournament as the No. 3 seed following a transcendent season that tied for the second-most wins in program history.
The volleyball program was highlighted in a national spotlight throughout all of the fall and winter after the outdoor volleyball game at Memorial Stadium – which was pitched and driven by Alberts' innovation and motivation – resulted in breaking the attendance record for a women's sporting event.
The baseball team has gotten off to its best start in 16 years, and the softball program netted the transfer addition of the biggest superstar in the sport this past offseason.
Other non-revenue sports just experienced Top 10 national finishes in 2022-23 (wrestling, rifle, bowling, women's outdoor and men's indoor track & field, and men's gymnastics)
All of those are just to name a handful of upward trending happenings around Husker Athletics programs. Others include the new 15-year multimedia rights agreement between UNL and Playfly Sports (a sports marketing, multimedia and technology company) that is valued at just over $300 million over the 15-year period.
“A short time ago, Trev Alberts informed me that he has accepted the athletic director position at Texas A&M, effective Friday," University of Nebraska Interim President Chris Kabourek said in a statement shortly after A&M issued its press release. "I’m disappointed to see Trev leave, but I am grateful for his 15 years of service to the University of Nebraska. Both the Mavericks and the Huskers achieved great things under Trev’s leadership, and we wish him and his family all the best."
On top of all of the athletic achievements under his guide, Alberts just signed a hefty eight-year contract extension in November to make him the Nebraska AD through 2031, an extension that was set to pay him $1.7 million annually (nearly a $1 million raise in annual value) and then increase to $2.1 million annually in 2026. Those figures were in addition to retention bonuses ($500,000 bonus if he stayed through September 2025 and then an annual $300,000 bonus for every year thereafter if he stayed) and a big completion bonus ($3 million if he completed the entire eight-year agreement).
So, the questions will flow about why Alberts – whose contract also included a liquidation damage buyout that will force him to pay back the university now that he's leaving – decided to get out. And we'll have to ask those, and try to answer them, in due time.
For now, it's a massive and painful hit to the athletic department and to a football program that remains trending in the right direction. Now, there is a very tough road ahead for the Nebraska brass to trudge as they seek out both a new president to lead the UNL athletics system and a new athletic director.
"We have incredible momentum in Husker Athletics thanks to the hard work and dedication of all our staff, coaches and student-athletes," Kabourek said. "We will not hit pause. As I’ve said many times, I’ve never been more excited about the future of the University of Nebraska and the opportunities we have to work together toward our vision to compete at the highest levels in all facets. I have full confidence we will find a visionary leader who will build on Trev’s great work and keep the Huskers at the forefront in this changing landscape for college athletics.
"In the meantime, my immediate focus is on doing everything I can to support our student-athletes, coaches and staff. I intend to name an interim AD very soon and will quickly begin the process for a national search for our next leader.”
The Huskers will be forced to pick up the pieces and press on without Alberts, who played a massive hand in the now-unified direction the football program – and most of Husker Athletics at large – is heading, and he was the leading voice at the table in Big Ten meeting rooms, rules committee gatherings and more.
"Nebraska is well positioned for the evolving changes within our industry," Alberts said. "Tough decisions will need to be made and unity of vision and high execution will be necessary, but I am confident that leadership in Nebraska will rise to the occasion.
"Nebraska Athletics is full of high character, hardworking and talented staff, and coaches. It was an honor to get to partner with them as we experienced unprecedented success.”
Alberts played a massive hand in the success of the athletic department. But it is now left in a precarious position.
Discuss the departure of Trev Alberts with fellow Husker fans on the INSIDER'S BOARD
