A game day at Memorial Stadium is the closest thing Nebraska has to a statewide holiday. The stadium seats more than 85,000, has sold out every game since 1962 — an NCAA record — and when it’s full, it holds more people than any Nebraska city except Omaha and Lincoln. Built in just over 90 working days and dedicated in October 1923 as a memorial to Nebraskans who died in the nation’s wars, it’s one of the most storied venues in college football. The corner inscriptions by former UNL philosophy professor Hartley Burr Alexander — “Not the victory but the action; not the goal but the game; in the deed the glory” — are worth reading on your way in.
Even without a ticket, there’s plenty to see: the Tom Osborne and Brook Berringer statues outside the north entrance, the Bob Devaney statue on the east side. And the stadium keeps setting records — in 2023 it hosted Volleyball Day in Nebraska, drawing more than 92,000 fans for a women’s volleyball match, a world record for a women’s sporting event.
Tickets for big games are scarce and pricey; that’s the reality of the sellout streak. For non-football visitors, free guided tours are occasionally offered during UNL Family Weekend and similar events. Otherwise, plan the visit around the fall schedule and check huskers.com for availability.