They didn't explicitly say 'you can't schedule games on your own if games are cancelled due to COVID' but they did label it as an "eight-game conference only schedule."
I don't necessarily disagree with the short-sighted nature of it all. It is short-sighted from one perspective. But, given the Big 10's consternation about having a season and getting protocols set up just to handle a conference season, it makes 100% sense that they would deny something like this. In fact... it kinda feels like a no-brainer to me, which is why I don't really side with the university on this one.
Maybe it's just one of those things... like what's the worse they can say? No? But perhaps Nebraska felt like they had to ask the question anyways? I don't know. I don't hate it but I don't love it either.