The Nebraska Cornhuskers are preparing for the home opener of the 2022 college football season as they welcome the North Dakota Fightin’ Hawks to Memorial Stadium on Saturday afternoon. It’s been a busy offseason for the venue the Huskers have called home since 1923.
First a few facts about the famous home of the Huskers.
Address: 600 Stadium Drive
Capacity: 85,458
Record Attendance: 91,585
First Game: vs. Oklahoma (Win 24-0) October 13th, 1923
Broke Ground: April 26th, 1923
Cost: $430,000
Expanded: 1694, 1965, 1966, 1972, 1998, 2006, 2013
There are a few changes at Memorial Stadium this year. One is that a long-standing tradition will not occur during the 2022 season. Athletic Director Trev Alberts says fans will not be releasing red balloons from the stands after the first home touchdown in each game this year. He cited a helium shortage for the cancelation heading into the season. Alberts stated that any helium the university acquires would be used only for medical purposes.
There will also be a new playing surface this season. The school had first looked at replacing the current field in 2020 but scrapped that plan due to budget concerns. FieldTurf was first installed at Memorial Stadium in 1999 and was replaced in 2005 and 2013. The 2013 replacement cost approximately $380,000.
The new turf looks a little different than in years past. The Huskers dropped the two-toned green field seen in recent years for a single shade of darker green. However, the end zones have not changed, with the north end zone reading Huskers with the south end zone reading Nebraska. The traditional N remains at midfield as well.
@TrevAlberts with an update on replacing the field turf inside Memorial Stadium. pic.twitter.com/LkW3YfySDp
— Huskers Radio Network (@HuskersRadio) January 27, 2022
Director Trev Alberts did admit during a radio interview in January that the school did look at replacing the field turf with a grass surface but decided against it due to the cost of the project and the heavy use of Memorial Stadium. Alberts said the project estimate for a grass playing surface came in at “nearly $8 million.” He also said, “we’re doing more and more things in Memorial Stadium.” “… we’re hosting convocations and graduations in there (Memorial Stadium).
Now a recap of every Nebraska home opener since 2000.