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CNA
6 days ago
- Business
- CNA
Indonesia touts ‘big, gutsy' plan for 80,000 cooperatives to help villagers, but experts flag financial risks
JAKARTA: From loans for underbanked farmers to distributing subsidised goods and food aid to poor families, millions of rural Indonesians' woes could be solved by a newly launched initiative, according to officials. These Red-White cooperatives, named after the colours of the country's national flag, will not only distribute goods subsidised by the government, like cooking oil and fertilisers, but also offer a wide range of services. While its intentions might be noble, the initiative - which comes with a 400 trillion rupiah (US$25 billion) price tag – could pose serious risks to the economy if not executed properly, analysts said. They warned that the programme could suffer the same fate as a failed Suharto-era policy, which was riddled with mismanagement and corruption practices. Based on the number of cooperatives set up, current President Prabowo Subianto's programme is nine times bigger than the country's second president's. Due to the sheer scale of the newly-launched programme and the way these cooperatives are financed, experts said Prabowo's initiative could also leave some villages trapped in a cycle of debt while state-owned banks risk having liquidity issues. 'Many cooperatives are not professionally managed and eventually collapsed because of mismanagement, mounting debt and corruption,' Achmad Nur Hidayat, an economics and public policy lecturer from the Jakarta National Development University, told CNA. Speaking at a launch ceremony for the cooperatives in Central Java on Monday (Jul 21), Prabowo said more than 80,000 of these cooperatives will operate across Indonesia over the next three months, adding that 108 are currently operational. "Each village will have a warehouse to store (people's) harvests. We will also have shops for basic necessities, along with savings and loans services,' Prabowo said. Each cooperative will also operate a small clinic and a pharmacy as well as offer transportation solutions for farmers looking to bring their goods to nearby markets, he added. HOW ARE THE COOPERATIVES FINANCED? In launching the cooperatives, Prabowo sought to explain why his government did so with a big bang. He said the cooperatives will provide rice milling services so farmers no longer need to sell their grains for cheap to private millers. Prabowo argued that there have been many cases where subsidised fertilisers ended up in the hands of brokers who resold them to farmers with huge mark-ups. There were also times when farmers had to borrow money from loan sharks because a family member fell ill. 'These (areas) are what we must address and we are addressing them with big steps,' he said, explaining why the cooperatives were launched at such a scale and in less than five months since the idea was floated in early March. 'We are a big nation, so we have to think big and have the guts to take big actions.' The cooperatives initiative is just one of a series of ambitious programmes spearheaded by Prabowo since he took office in October. In January, the president launched his signature free meal initiative, which aims to feed 83 million children, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers with one free meal a day. Prabowo also plans to build three million houses for low-income families annually and establish 100 boarding schools for the poor every year. On Jul 1, the Finance Ministry predicted all of these programmes would cause a government deficit of around US$40 billion, or 2.7 per cent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) by the end of 2025. Not wanting to cause further deficit, Indonesian officials decided to partially finance these cooperatives by reallocating money meant for the village fund programme, an initiative meant to support small-scale infrastructure and economic empowerment projects, which Prabowo's predecessor, Joko Widodo, initiated in 2015. Prabowo has said that the village fund programme 'does not bring the needed changes' and that money for the legacy programme should be redirected to his village cooperative initiative instead. But Zulkifli Hasan, coordinating minister for food affairs and chief of a government task force in charge of the Red-White cooperative project, said money from the village fund programme would cover only part of the initial capital needed to set up a single cooperative. Each cooperative must then apply for loans of up to 3 billion rupiah from state-owned banks to develop the many business arms these cooperatives are expected to have. Banks will scrutinise the loan applications so that they can reduce the risk of default. '(Cooperatives) will have to state how they plan to use the money, when they expect to be profitable and so on. So we are (giving loans) the right way, not the easy way,' he said at the programme's launch. Experts however warn that loan defaults among the newly built cooperatives will be high. 'It's a preposterous financing scheme,' Media Askar, a researcher from Jakarta-based think-tank Center for Economic and Law Studies (CELIOS), told CNA. For one, he said that state-owned lenders might not have enough money to lend to all 80,000 cooperatives. Indonesia's biggest state-owned lender, Bank Mandiri, for example, manages an asset of 2,400 trillion rupiah for 30.7 million customers while its smallest, Bank Syariah Indonesia, oversees 400 trillion rupiah for 19 million account holders. 'The banks' assets would be reduced to zero just by lending billions of rupiah to thousands of cooperatives,' Media said. 'And these (cooperatives) are newly established entities with zero experience, no credit history and no proof that their businesses are heading towards profitability. So the risk that they will not be able to pay back their loans is high.' If a significant number of cooperatives default simultaneously, Media said, 'it could shake the stability of the entire banking sector'. Achmad of Jakarta National Development University echoed the sentiment. "Not all of these cooperatives will be profitable, certainly not immediately. In the meantime, (the villages) will have to pay (back the loans) in instalments. If they cannot repay then it will be a disaster for these villages and the banks," he said. For the villages, Achmad added, they might see strategic assets seized by the banks if they defaulted. Meanwhile for the banks, they might face liquidity issues from these non-performing loans. HIGH RISK INVESTMENT Analysts also expressed doubts on whether the cooperatives will be well-managed, given the relatively short lead time from its inception to launch, with the Red-White cooperative programme first floated by Prabowo at a Cabinet meeting only in March. 'I doubt the government can find competent people to manage these cooperatives in such a short amount of time,' Achmad said, adding that the short timeframe also leaves little room for the government to come up with proper business models. 'Coming up with a business model that works is not easy. They must be tailored to the specific characteristics of a village, its economic potential and its people. Even then, it takes years to build the solid foundation needed for a cooperative to be profitable and sustainable.' Experts say the lack of a viable business model and the top-down nature of the programme are reminiscent of Suharto's Village Unit Cooperative (KUD) programme, which was also designed to be multi-functional rural enterprises. When it was launched in 1973, Suharto made a pledge similar to Prabowo's that the programme would cut down the middlemen, eradicate the predatory lending practices of loan sharks and ensure subsidised goods would not fall into the wrong hands. 'But because of mismanagement, debts were mounting, loans went unpaid, corruption was rampant,' Acuviarta Kartabi, an economist from Pasundan University, told CNA. Government support for the 9,000 KUDs established during the Suharto regime ended when he stepped down as president in 1998. Since then, most have declared bankruptcy or have been abandoned by their members and fallen into obscurity. Only 385 are still active today. 'Such is the risk of establishing cooperatives born out of a top-down policy. They become dependent on government incentives and support because they were born not out of people's needs and initiatives,' Acuviarta said. Prabowo has promised that his Red-White cooperatives will be closely monitored, preventing cases of embezzlement and corruption. 'Technology will allow (cooperatives) to be monitored closely. All money coming in and out (will be monitored) through technology. (Corruption involving cooperatives) will be a thing of the past,' he said. Prabowo also said that his programme 'will be the backbone of local economies' and that people will do what they can to keep their local cooperatives afloat, with or without support from the central government in Jakarta. COMPETENT PEOPLE NEEDED Despite the risks, experts and industry players believe that some of these cooperatives can thrive and have the potential to improve local economies. 'There are farmers who struggle to get bank loans because they do not have bank accounts or because they are not legal entities. The savings and lending services provided by these cooperatives can offer solutions for our members,' Muhlis Wahyudi, secretary-general of the Indonesian Poultry Farmers Association, told CNA. Muhlis said his association is also hoping these cooperatives would buy chicken meat and eggs from traditional farmers at fair and stable prices. 'Because prices fluctuate, we sometimes have to buy feed when prices are high and sell our chicken when prices are low. Many of our members went bankrupt because of this issue,' he said. Experts said in order for these cooperatives to work, the government needs to recruit people who have a good understanding of the problems faced by locals in certain areas and turn these problems into economic opportunities. 'Each village has their own unique sets of challenges and opportunities. One village might benefit more from the logistics arm of the cooperative because of how remote it is and (be) less reliant on storage facilities because the products they sell are not so perishable,' Media of CELIOS said. 'Some villages might not even need a new cooperative because they already have one born out of their own initiative that is working and thriving.' Economist Achmad echoed the sentiment. 'It takes more than the big budget and goodwill of the government to build a cooperative programme. They must be based on people's needs, run professionally and monitored closely by internal and external mechanisms,' he said. Acuviarta of Pasundan University said Prabowo should have started small to prove whether his concept actually works. 'Training cooperative officials, monitoring their performance, determining what system and business models work and which don't, making adjustments and improvements, these all take time,' Acuviarta said. 'There's no need to rush.'
CNA
6 days ago
- Business
- CNA
Indonesia touts ‘big, gutsy' plan on 80,000 cooperatives to help villagers, but experts flag financial risks
JAKARTA: From loans for underbanked farmers to distributing subsidised goods and food aid to poor families, millions of rural Indonesians' woes could be solved by a newly launched initiative, according to officials. These Red-White cooperatives, named after the colours of the country's national flag, will not only distribute goods subsidised by the government like cooking oil and fertilisers but also offer a wide range of services. While its intentions might be noble, the initiative - which comes with a 400 trillion rupiah (US$25 billion) price tag – could pose serious risks to the economy if not executed properly, analysts said. They warned that the programme could suffer the same fate as a failed Suharto-era policy which was riddled with mismanagement and corruption practices. Based on the number of cooperatives set up, current President Prabowo Subianto's programme is nine times bigger than the country's second president's. Due to the sheer scale of the newly-launched programme and the way these cooperatives are financed, experts said Prabowo's initiative could also leave some villages trapped in a cycle of debt while state-owned banks risk having liquidity issues. 'Many cooperatives are not professionally managed and eventually collapsed because of mismanagement, mounting debt and corruption,' Achmad Nur Hidayat, an economics and public policy lecturer from the Jakarta National Development University, told CNA. Speaking at a launch ceremony for the cooperatives in Central Java on Monday (Jul 21), Prabowo said more than 80,000 of these cooperatives will operate across Indonesia over the next three months, adding that 108 are currently operational. "Each village will have a warehouse to store (people's) harvests. We will also have shops for basic necessities, along with savings and loans services,' Prabowo said. Each cooperative will also operate a small clinic and a pharmacy as well as offer transportation solutions for farmers looking to bring their goods to nearby markets, he added. HOW ARE THE COOPERATIVES FINANCED? In launching the cooperatives, Prabowo sought to explain why his government did so with a big bang. He said the cooperatives will provide rice milling services so farmers no longer need to sell their grains for cheap to private millers. Prabowo argued that there have been many cases where subsidised fertilisers ended up in the hands of brokers who resold them to farmers with huge mark-ups. There were also times when farmers had to borrow money from loan sharks because a family member fell ill. 'These (areas) are what we must address and we are addressing them with big steps,' he said, explaining why the cooperatives were launched at such a scale and in less than five months since the idea was floated in early March. 'We are a big nation, so we have to think big and have the guts to take big actions.' The cooperatives initiative is just one of a series of ambitious programmes spearheaded by Prabowo since he took office in October. In January, the president launched his signature free meal initiative, which aims to feed 83 million children, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers with one free meal a day. Prabowo also plans to build three million houses for low-income families annually and establish 100 boarding schools for the poor every year. On Jul 1, the Finance Ministry predicted all of these programmes will cause a government deficit of around US$40 billion, or 2.7 per cent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) by the end of 2025. Not wanting to cause further deficit, Indonesian officials decided to partially finance these cooperatives by reallocating money meant for the village fund programme, an initiative meant to support small-scale infrastructure and economic empowerment projects, which Prabowo's predecessor, Joko Widodo, initiated in 2015. Prabowo has said that the village fund programme 'does not bring the needed changes' and that money for the legacy programme should be redirected to his village cooperative initiative instead. But Zulkifli Hasan, coordinating minister for food affairs and chief of a government task force in charge of the Red-White cooperative project, said money from the village fund programme would cover only part of the initial capital needed to set up a single cooperative. Each cooperative must then apply for loans of up to 3 billion rupiah from state-owned banks to develop the many business arms these cooperatives are expected to have. Banks will scrutinise the loan applications so that they can reduce the risk of default. '(Cooperatives) will have to state how they plan to use the money, when they expect to be profitable and so on. So we are (giving loans) the right way, not the easy way,' he said at the programme's launch. Experts however warn that loan defaults among the newly built cooperatives will be high. 'It's a preposterous financing scheme,' Media Askar, a researcher from Jakarta-based think-tank Centre for Economic and Law Studies (CELIOS), told CNA. For one, he said that state-owned lenders might not have enough money to lend to all 80,000 cooperatives. Indonesia's biggest state-owned lender, Bank Mandiri, for example, manages an asset of 2,400 trillion rupiah for 30.7 million customers while its smallest, Bank Syariah Indonesia, oversees 400 trillion rupiah for 19 million account holders. 'The banks' assets would be reduced to zero just by lending billions of rupiah to thousands of cooperatives,' Media said. 'And these (cooperatives) are newly established entities with zero experience, no credit history and no proof that their businesses are heading towards profitability. So the risk that they will not be able to pay back their loans is high.' If a significant number of cooperatives default simultaneously, Media said, 'it could shake the stability of the entire banking sector'. Achmad of Jakarta National Development University echoed the sentiment. "Not all of these cooperatives will be profitable, certainly not immediately. In the meantime, (the villages) will have to pay (back the loans) in instalments. If they cannot repay then it will be a disaster for these villages and the banks," he said. For the villages, Achmad added, they might see strategic assets seized by the banks if they defaulted. Meanwhile for the banks, they might face liquidity issues from these non-performing loans. HIGH RISK INVESTMENT Analysts also expressed doubts on whether the cooperatives will be well-managed, given the relatively short lead time from its inception to launch, with the Red-White cooperative programme first floated by Prabowo at a Cabinet meeting only in March. 'I doubt the government can find competent people to manage these cooperatives in such a short amount of time,' Achmad said, adding that the short timeframe also leaves little room for the government to come up with proper business models. 'Coming up with a business model that works is not easy. They must be tailored to the specific characteristics of a village, its economic potentials and its people. Even then, it takes years to build the solid foundation needed for a cooperative to be profitable and sustainable.' Experts say the lack of a viable business model and the top-down nature of the programme are reminiscent of Suharto's Village Unit Cooperative (KUD) programme, which was also designed to be multi-functional rural enterprises. When it was launched in 1973, Suharto made a pledge similar to Prabowo's that the programme would cut down the middle-men, eradicate the predatory lending practices of loan sharks and ensure subsidised goods would not fall into the wrong hands. 'But because of mismanagement, debts were mounting, loans went unpaid, corruption was rampant,' Acuviarta Kartabi, an economist from Pasundan University, told CNA. Government support for the 9,000 KUDs established during the Suharto regime ended when he stepped down as president in 1998. Since then, most have declared bankruptcy or have been abandoned by their members and fallen into obscurity. Only 385 are still active today. 'Such is the risk of establishing cooperatives born out of a top-down policy. They become dependent on government incentives and support because they were born not out of people's needs and initiatives,' Acuviarta said. Prabowo has promised that his Red-White cooperatives will be closely monitored, preventing cases of embezzlement and corruption. 'Technology will allow (cooperatives) to be monitored closely. All money coming in and out (will be monitored) through technology. (Corruption involving cooperatives) will be a thing of the past,' he said. Prabowo also said that his programme 'will be the backbone of local economies' and that people will do what they can to keep their local cooperatives afloat, with or without support from the central government in Jakarta. COMPETENT PEOPLE NEEDED Despite the risks, experts and industry players believe that some of these cooperatives can thrive and have the potential to improve local economies. 'There are farmers who struggle to get bank loans because they do not have bank accounts or because they are not legal entities. The savings and lending services provided by these cooperatives can offer solutions for our members,' Muhlis Wahyudi, secretary-general of the Indonesian Poultry Farmers Association, told CNA. Muhlis said his association is also hoping these cooperatives would buy chicken meat and eggs from traditional farmers at fair and stable prices. 'Because prices fluctuate, we sometimes have to buy feed when prices are high and sell our chicken when prices are low. Many of our members went bankrupt because of this issue,' he said. Experts said in order for these cooperatives to work, the government needs to recruit people who have a good understanding of the problems faced by locals in certain areas and turn these problems into economic opportunities. 'Each village has their own unique sets of challenges and opportunities. One village might benefit more from the logistics arm of the cooperative because of how remote it is and (be) less reliant on storage facilities because the products they sell are not so perishable,' Media of CELIOS said. 'Some villages might not even need a new cooperative because they already have one born out of their own initiative that is working and thriving.' Economist Achmad echoed the sentiment. 'It takes more than the big budget and goodwill of the government to build a cooperative programme. They must be based on people's needs, run professionally and monitored closely by internal and external mechanisms,' he said. Acuviarta of Pasundan University said Prabowo should have started small to prove whether his concept actually works. 'Training cooperative officials, monitoring their performance, determining what system and business models work and which don't, making adjustments and improvements, these all take time,' Acuviarta said. 'There's no need to rush.'
Business Times
21-07-2025
- Business
- Business Times
Indonesia's Prabowo rolls out first of 80,000 cooperatives to boost growth
[JAKARTA] President Prabowo Subianto on Monday (Jul 21) launched the first of thousands of planned new community cooperatives, betting on a top-down approach and billions of dollars in loans from Indonesia's state banks to spur development and food self-sufficiency in the South-east Asian nation. Prabowo, speaking at a launch event in the central Java town of Klaten, described the initiative as part of his administration's efforts to shorten distribution chains and improve access to essential goods across the sprawling archipelago nation. Especially for 'those with weaker economic conditions,' he added. 'They must have access at affordable prices.' Zulkifli Hasan, Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs, said that more than a hundred of the new cooperatives are now operational, with plans to replicate the results in more than 80,000 communities across the country in the next three months. The ambitious initiative represents a significant state-driven effort to stimulate economic growth by channelling as much as US$15 billion in state-bank loans directly into local communities. The plan, which seeks to establish cooperatives in each village and urban ward across a nation of more than 280 million people, aims to bypass traditional bureaucratic and supply chain hurdles, expanding the president's grassroots influence. The rollout extends a string of populist measures introduced by Prabowo in his first year in office, following a countrywide free meals programme, enhanced health checks, and an economic stimulus package. The push is part of his broader strategy to boost food security and reduce rural poverty, as well as to eliminate predatory lending, long-standing challenges in the region's largest economy. He also hopes they'll play a role in his signature goal of boosting economic growth rates to 8 per cent, a mark last seen three decades ago. 'We shouldn't rely on food imports,' Hasan said in describing the administration's hopes for the initiative. 'We must be sovereign.' A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 8.30 am Asean Business Business insights centering on South-east Asia's fast-growing economies. Sign Up Sign Up Named 'Red-White cooperatives' after Indonesia's national flag colours, the community-run facilities are envisioned as centres for local economic activities ranging from grocery distribution, fertiliser supply, subsidised cooking gas distribution, financial services, logistics and health care. Officials expect the initiative to create 2 million jobs while improving supply chain efficiency by eliminating middlemen and reducing the influence of loan sharks. Village heads are expected to lead the cooperatives. The Red-White cooperatives can each propose borrowing of as much as 3 billion rupiah from state banks, potentially placing collective lending at more than 240 trillion rupiah (S$18.8 billion). Critics have cautioned that the model could strain rural budgets and expose some of the nation's largest banks to heightened credit risks. In November, Prabowo directed state banks to forgive as much as US$550 million in bad loans held by micro and small businesses, particularly in agriculture and fisheries sectors, stoking concerns of the banks' exposure. The cooperative concept has deep roots in Indonesia, with mixed historical results. Cooperatives existed during the Dutch colonial era, and upon independence the concept was enshrined in Indonesia's constitution as foundational for economic democracy – aimed at promoting social equity and preventing economic domination by foreign powers or domestic elites. Founding president Sukarno championed cooperatives as tools of food self-sufficiency, though many remained informal and loosely organised. Under Suharto, the country's long-ruling strongman, cooperatives expanded dramatically beginning in the late 1970s. His centrally managed Village Unit Cooperatives, backed by state mandates and subsidies, played a central role in distributing fertiliser and rice and providing credit to farmers, often enjoying local monopolies. While credited with helping Indonesia achieve rice self-sufficiency in the 1980s, their top-down structure, close ties to the ruling Golkar party and heavy dependence on state support made them susceptible to inefficiency and politicisation. Many faltered following the 1997–98 Asian financial crisis, when subsidies were slashed and political support evaporated. Thousands were dissolved in the years that followed, leaving behind a legacy of public distrust and institutional fragility that continues to cloud perceptions of state-led cooperatives today. Still, they remain common, with active cooperatives numbering more than 130,000 nationwide last year. Membership comprises more than 10 per cent of the population. 'A cooperative is the tool of the weak,' Prabowo said at the launch event. 'A single stick is fragile and breaks easily. But when dozens or even hundreds of sticks are bound together, they become a powerful tool.' BLOOMBERG
The Star
21-07-2025
- Business
- The Star
Indonesia's Prabowo rolls out first of 80,000 ‘Red-White' cooperatives to boost economic growth
JAKARTA: President Prabowo Subianto on Monday (July 21) launched the first of thousands of planned new community cooperatives, betting on a top-down approach and billions of dollars in loans from Indonesia's state banks to spur development and food self-sufficiency in the South-East Asian nation. Prabowo, speaking at a launch event in the central Java town of Klaten, described the initiative as part of his administration's efforts to shorten distribution chains and improve access to essential goods across the sprawling archipelago nation. Especially for "those with weaker economic conditions,' he added. "They must have access at affordable prices.' Zulkifli Hasan, Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs, said that more than a hundred of the new cooperatives are now operational, with plans to replicate the results in more than 80,000 communities across the country in the next three months. The ambitious initiative represents a significant state-driven effort to stimulate economic growth by channeling as much as US$15 billion in state-bank loans directly into local communities. The plan, which seeks to establish cooperatives in each village and urban ward across a nation of more than 280 million people, aims to bypass traditional bureaucratic and supply chain hurdles, expanding the president's grassroots influence. The rollout extends a string of populist measures introduced by Prabowo in his first year in office, following a countrywide free meals programme, enhanced health checks, and an economic stimulus package. The push is part of his broader strategy to boost food security and reduce rural poverty, as well as to eliminate predatory lending, long-standing challenges in the region's largest economy. He also hopes they'll play a role in his signature goal of boosting economic growth rates to eight per cent, a mark last seen three decades ago. "We shouldn't rely on food imports,' Hasan said in describing the administration's hopes for the initiative. "We must be sovereign.' Named "Red-White cooperatives' after Indonesia's national flag colours, the community-run facilities are envisioned as centres for local economic activities ranging from grocery distribution, fertiliser supply, subsidised cooking gas distribution, financial services, logistics and health care. Officials expect the initiative to create two million jobs while improving supply chain efficiency by eliminating middlemen and reducing the influence of loan sharks. Village heads are expected to lead the cooperatives. The Red-White cooperatives can each propose borrowing of as much as three billion rupiah from state banks, potentially placing collective lending at more than 240 trillion rupiah (US$14.7 billion). Critics have cautioned that the model could strain rural budgets and expose some of the nation's largest banks to heightened credit risks. In November, Prabowo directed state banks to forgive as much as US$550 million in bad loans held by micro and small businesses, particularly in agriculture and fisheries sectors, stoking concerns of the banks' exposure. The cooperative concept has deep roots in Indonesia, with mixed historical results. Cooperatives existed during the Dutch colonial era, and upon independence the concept was enshrined in Indonesia's constitution as foundational for economic democracy - aimed at promoting social equity and preventing economic domination by foreign powers or domestic elites. Founding president Sukarno championed cooperatives as tools of food self-sufficiency, though many remained informal and loosely organised. Under Suharto, the country's long-ruling strongman, cooperatives expanded dramatically beginning in the late 1970s. His centrally managed Village Unit Cooperatives, backed by state mandates and subsidies, played a central role in distributing fertiliser and rice and providing credit to farmers, often enjoying local monopolies. While credited with helping Indonesia achieve rice self-sufficiency in the 1980s, their top-down structure, close ties to the ruling Golkar party and heavy dependence on state support made them susceptible to inefficiency and politicisation. Many faltered following the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis, when subsidies were slashed and political support evaporated. Thousands were dissolved in the years that followed, leaving behind a legacy of public distrust and institutional fragility that continues to cloud perceptions of state-led cooperatives today. Still, they remain common, with active cooperatives numbering more than 130,000 nationwide last year. Membership comprises more than ten per cent of the population. "A cooperative is the tool of the weak,' Prabowo said at the launch event. "A single stick is fragile and breaks easily. But when dozens or even hundreds of sticks are bound together, they become a powerful tool.' - Bloomberg
New York Times
28-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Nebraska football concludes spring with ‘Husker Games': 10 thoughts from the festivities
LINCOLN, Neb. — Spring turned into summer, figuratively, Saturday at Memorial Stadium. Nebraska staged the Husker Games, a first-time event, that featured a giant garage sale of memorabilia and apparel, tours of the Osborne Legacy Complex, competitions in the spirit of an NFL Pro Bowl, and, yes, a bit of football. Advertisement So was it a hit? Well, about 8,000 fans attended the scrimmage — approximately 10 percent of the figure on this day in 2018, when the popularity of the Red-White game peaked at Nebraska. Last year and in 2023 under coach Matt Rhule, the crowds exceeded 60,000. 'I just can't wait til this place is sold out,' said wide receiver Dane Key, the transfer from Kentucky on track to lead his position group in the fall. The measure of success from Saturday, though, involved more than exposure. Nebraska nixed television options and held its top 60 players out of the scrimmage to avoid transforming the final practice of April into a showcase of talent for interested outside programs. A year after Nebraska lost two key pieces in the spring game to injury, Saturday was simply a fun finish to five weeks of offseason practice. The Huskers accomplished plenty on the field this spring. Here are 10 observations from the end of spring in Lincoln: 1. Dylan Raiola is on solid ground atop the roster. The sophomore quarterback took a few snaps with the Nebraska women's club team in its flag game against Midland at Memorial Stadium. Raiola tossed the ball from 50 yards into a basketball hoop as part of a QB competition during a break in the scrimmage. DR from downtown. 🎯 — Nebraska Football (@HuskerFootball) April 26, 2025 Raiola helped call plays. Rhule used a microphone to speak to fans periodically, but it was Raiola who thanked them at the end for attending. Little moments illustrate Raiola's readiness to lead. He's displayed steady growth since his freshman season ended in December with a win in the Pinstripe Bowl. Raiola said he's more vocal with teammates. His command of the offense has improved. His confidence is up. 'As a leader, it becomes who you are,' he said. 'You don't want to be that leader where you're sometimes on, sometimes off. It's that consistency of being the same guy every day.' Advertisement 2. Nebraska's QB stable is deep but unproven. With Raiola and top backup Jalyn Gramstad on the sideline, true freshman TJ Lateef and Purdue transfer Marcos Davila directed the first two quarters of action. Both of their first drives ended in interceptions, but Nebraska has talent at the position. Lateef, an early enrollee out of Compton, Calif., showed pocket awareness. Davila, a 6-foot-3, 235-pound redshirt freshman from Midland, Texas, possesses the ideal size to survive in the Big Ten. He threw a touchdown pass to DJ Singleton. DJ All Day 💯 TD 👉 DJ Singleton — Nebraska Football (@HuskerFootball) April 26, 2025 3. Young defenders flashed. Freshmen Tanner Terch and Kahmir Prescott recorded interceptions in the first half of the scrimmage. Defensive linemen David Hoffken and Mason Goldman registered sacks. The Huskers who scrimmaged Saturday are fighting for position on the bottom half of the roster — and ultimately to move into the top 57. With a 105-player limit likely off the table in 2025 after a federal judge moved last week in the House settlement case to protect active athletes from mandated cuts, a smaller roster is still coming. Nebraska used the spring to identify 18 to 20 defensive players in spots to contribute as starters or in packages as part of John Butler's scheme. The final scrimmage helped organize depth pieces. 4. In Rhule's program, players swap positions in every offseason. This spring, Nebraska shifted Ian Flynt from tight end to defensive line and Landen Davidson from offensive line to defensive line. Flynt and Davidson, entering their second seasons in the program, moved in a bid to add depth up front on defense. Nebraska is thin on experience behind Elijah Jeudy, Cam Lenhardt and Riley Van Poppel. It signed Jaylen George and Gabe Moore out of the portal in the winter. Advertisement Defensive linemen come at a high premium in the spring portal. Nebraska might stand pat with what it's got. 5. Trent Uhlir and Vince Genatone switched spots. Uhlir, a redshirt freshman, is now playing linebacker, and Genatone, a junior, flipped to running back. The move for Genatone comes with some intrigue. He's a 225-pound Montana transfer out of North Platte, Neb., who ran a 10.5-second 100-meter dash while in high school. Genatone played special teams at Nebraska last season. Can he get traction at running back? The Huskers need someone to break out. 6. Brett Maher, the former NFL kicker who punted and kicked at Nebraska in 2011 and 2012, joined Tristan Alvano and Nico Ottomanelli in a kicking competition before the scrimmage. Maher coaches the Nebraska kickers, and he's done good work with Alvano. The third-year kicker from Omaha Westside performed well on Saturday. He appears on track to regain his freshman season form after an injury kept him out last year. John Hohl emerged in Alvano's absence in 2024, hitting 10 of 15 field-goal attempts. Hohl was sidelined this spring and did not kick Saturday. 7. The Huskers' new leader on special teams, Mike Eleker, delivered an inspiring performance. Rhule challenged the 53-year-old Ekeler to show his strength on the bench press, pledging $5,000 to the Teammates mentoring program for each rep at 225 pounds that Ekeler completed. He got 13. Rhule then doubled the donation to $130,000 after former Nebraska linebacker Will Compton finished 15 reps. Compton and his 'Bussin' With the Boys' podcast co-host Taylor Lewan served as guest coaches at the Husker Games. 8. Raiola praised the leadership of Key, naming him among seven Huskers who've directed efforts to set a high standard in the offseason. The others, in addition to Raiola, are Lenhardt, offensive linemen Justin Evans and Henry Lutovsky and linebackers Marques Watson-Trent and Gage Stenger. Advertisement Rhule has helped Key find his voice as a leader since the receiver arrived in January. Key has embraced the role. 'I feel like everybody on this team respects me,' Key said. The order of depth at receiver features Key, Jacory Barney, newcomer Nyziah Hunter and Janiran Bonner, with freshmen Quinn Clark, Cortez Mills and Isaiah Mozee also pushing for work under new assistant Daikiel Shorts. 9. Barney won the fastest-man competition. He predicted the victory last week. After his 55-reception season last fall, the sophomore from South Florida set a goal to 'be unguardable' in 2025. Barney has worked this year on his route running and body control. 'Mastering my game,' he said. 10. Plenty of smiles at Memorial Stadium followed the NFL Draft selections Saturday of defensive lineman Ty Robinson (fourth round to Philadelphia) and tight end Thomas Fidone (seventh round to the New York Giants). Wide receiver Isaiah Neyor (San Francisco), safety Isaac Gifford (Carolina), defensive lineman Nash Hutmacher (Baltimore), linebacker John Bullock (Tampa Bay), wide receiver Jahmal Banks (Baltimore) and center Ben Scott (Tampa Bay) signed free-agent deals. Despite the unorthodox format of the spring conclusion, it allowed for a festive atmosphere and showcased progress in this third year under Rhule. Nebraska has many strides to take. Chief among the priorities: sign and develop first-round picks. Eleven Big Ten players were drafted in the first round on Thursday. Nebraska's last first-rounder remains Prince Amukamara, 14 years ago.
