Trev Alberts is reportedly making a major — and shocking move — this week.

According to Brent Zwerneman with the Houston Chronicle, Alberts is being targeted to leave Nebraska to become the new athletic director at Texas A&M. The Aggies are in the process of replacing Ross Bjork who left for Ohio State to succeed Gene Smith in Columbus.

Alberts is a former Nebraska football star, capturing the Dick Butkus Award in 1993 before becoming a first-round draft pick of the Indianapolis Colts. He had been at Nebraska since 2021.

According to Zwerneman’s report, Alberts is expected to take the job at Texas A&M.

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Reaction to the report

To call the move a stunning one would be an understatement. Not only is Alberts reportedly leaving his alma mater, he had produced strong results during his tenure with the program.

In November, Alberts received a long-time contract extension to remain in Lincoln through 2031. The deal included a new base salary of $1.7 million that was set to increase to $2.1 million in 2026. That contract elevated Alberts among the highest-paid ADs in the country.

Along with the hiring of new head football coach Matt Rhule, Alberts oversaw the historic “Volleyball Day in Nebraska” venture that saw a record-setting crowd inside Memorial Stadium. He also engineered a new $300 million multimedia rights agreement for the Huskers, unveiled an ambitious renovation vision for historic Memorial Stadium and oversaw a sports program that saw 10 Husker sports teams finish in the top 20 nationally during the 2022-23 academic season.

Alberts was highly regarded with a strong track record at his alma mater, leading many fans and analysts stunned at his reported departure. Take a look:

Impact of the move

The impact on Nebraska if Alberts’ move is finalized cannot be overstated. The Huskers are still without a president following Ted Carter’s departure to Ohio State, and losing an established AD would further complicate the current outlook in Lincoln.

In Alberts, Nebraska had stability at the top of the athletic department to go with strong programs in women’s basketball and volleyball, among others. Fred Hoiberg also turned a corner this season with men’s basketball looking at an NCAA Tournament bid, and hopes for the future remain high for Rhule with the football program.

The void left behind by Alberts does not immediately change those programs, but it does create some unwelcome uncertainty for the Huskers. Meanwhile, it should be regarded as a big win for Texas A&M and the Aggies to land an AD of Alberts’ stature.

The uncertainty created by a lack of president likely played a big role in Alberts’ decision, but there’s no denying the deep pockets at Texas A&M. Those deep pockets allowed the Aggies to move on from Jimbo Fisher in spite of a massive buyout.

Considering Alberts was already making $1.7 million, it stands to reason he is likely looking at an even bigger pay raise to make the move to College Station. In the end, that’s the big lesson here for any program that has desirable leaders in place.

At the end of the day, no one can turn down A&M’s money if the Aggies come calling.