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The Sea of Red

Memorial Stadium (Lincoln, NE)

Memorial Stadium (Lincoln, NE) in Lincoln, NE, home of Nebraska. Capacity 85,458. Opened October 13, 1923.

Memorial Stadium (Lincoln, NE) in Lincoln, NE
Memorial Stadium (Lincoln, NE), Lincoln, NEPhoto: HuskerPower, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Capacity
85,458
Opened
1923
Surface
Hellas Matrix Helix
Roof
Open air
Elevation
1,164 ft
Home team
Nebraska
Nebraska here
120–⁠57 games on file since 2001
College GameDay
seven times

Since it opened: Nebraska is 444–⁠156–⁠13 in home games from the 1923 season on. Our source names a game’s stadium only from 2001, so that count takes every earlier home game not marked neutral and may include a few played elsewhere.

Biggest games here

From the games on file here, 2001 on: title and postseason games, meetings of two ranked teams, upsets by our pregame Elo ratings and the biggest swings in CollegeFootballData.com’s excitement index.

Crowds season by season

Average and biggest crowd at Memorial Stadium (Lincoln, NE) by season, 2001 to 202660k80k100k2001: 77,854 a game over 6 games; biggest 78,1182002: 77,802 a game over 8 games; biggest 78,2682003: 77,754 a game over 7 games; biggest 78,0582004: 77,692 a game over 6 games; biggest 77,8872005: 77,485 a game over 7 games; biggest 77,7612006: 85,044 a game over 7 games; biggest 85,8002007: 84,515 a game over 7 games; biggest 84,9592008: 85,071 a game over 8 games; biggest 85,8312009: 85,888 a game over 7 games; biggest 86,3042010: 85,664 a game over 7 games; biggest 85,9072011: 85,267 a game over 7 games; biggest 85,6412012: 85,517 a game over 7 games; biggest 86,1602013: 90,933 a game over 8 games; biggest 91,4712014: 91,249 a game over 7 games; biggest 91,5852015: 89,998 a game over 7 games; biggest 90,8302016: 90,200 a game over 7 games; biggest 90,5462017: 89,798 a game over 7 games; biggest 90,1712018: 89,034 a game over 7 games; biggest 89,8532019: 89,348 a game over 7 games; biggest 89,7592021: 86,173 a game over 7 games; biggest 87,3802022: 86,637 a game over 7 games; biggest 87,1612023: 86,802 a game over 7 games; biggest 87,1342024: 86,900 a game over 7 games; biggest 87,4642025: 86,549 a game over 7 games; biggest 87,2782026: 85,735 a game over 5 games; biggest 86,217200120062011201620212026

Biggest crowds on file

91,585Miami at Nebraska2014
91,471UCLA at Nebraska2013
91,441Florida Atlantic at Nebraska2014
91,260Iowa at Nebraska2013
91,255Illinois at Nebraska2014

Bars are each season’s average crowd, dots its biggest (the record in orange), the dashed rule today’s capacity. Attendance is on file for most games from 2001 on.

The pregame shows here

ESPN’s College GameDay has broadcast from Memorial Stadium (Lincoln, NE) seven times, first in 1994; Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff twice.

Oct 10, 2026Big Noon KickoffIndiana 20, Nebraska 17
Sep 17, 2022Big Noon KickoffOklahoma 49, Nebraska 14
Sep 28, 2019College GameDayOhio State 48, Nebraska 7Outside Memorial Stadium
Sep 15, 2007College GameDayUSC 49, Nebraska 31Memorial Stadium
Oct 27, 2001College GameDayNebraska 20, Oklahoma 10Memorial Stadium
Sep 8, 2001College GameDayNebraska 27, Notre Dame 10Memorial Stadium
Sep 26, 1998College GameDayNebraska 55, Washington 7
Oct 29, 1994College GameDayNebraska 24, Colorado 7
Sep 17, 1994College GameDayNebraska 49, UCLA 21

College GameDay’s sites from Wikipedia’s list of College GameDay locations (CC BY-SA). Big Noon Kickoff’s from Wikipedia’s list of its sites (CC BY-SA).

Weather on game day

Coldest kickoffs

Hottest kickoffs

Coldest game days before 2004

Hottest game days before 2004

Snow on game day

Kickoffs: the NOAA report nearest kickoff from the closest weather station (NOAA NCEI Integrated Surface Database). Game days: the day’s high and snowfall at the NOAA station nearest the stadium, for Nebraska’s home games before 2004 (NOAA GHCN-Daily, public domain).

The stadium’s history

Opened
October 13, 1923
Architect
John Latenser Sr.
Ellery L. Davis
Surface over the years
Hellas Matrix Helix (2025-Present)
FieldTurf
AstroTurf
Natural grass
Expanded
1964, 1965, 1966, 1972, 1999, 2006, 2013
Renovated
1967, 1994, 2000, 2026 (planned)
Record crowd
92,003
91,585

From the stadium’s Wikipedia article, Memorial Stadium (Lincoln).

From above

50 mN ↑
The stadium’s footprint, north up: about 220 by 260 meters (710 by 860 feet), the field in green. Outline from OpenStreetMap, © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Recent games here

Oct 10, 20267Indiana 20, Nebraska 17
Oct 3, 2026Nebraska 48, Maryland 23
Sep 19, 2026Nebraska 34, North Dakota 7
Sep 12, 2026Nebraska 56, Bowling Green 7
Sep 5, 2026Nebraska 49, Ohio 21
Nov 28, 2025Iowa 40, Nebraska 16
Nov 1, 202523USC 21, Nebraska 17
Oct 25, 2025Nebraska 28, Northwestern 21
Oct 4, 2025Nebraska 38, Michigan State 27
Sep 20, 202521Michigan 30, Nebraska 27
Sep 13, 2025Nebraska 59, Houston Christian 7
Sep 6, 2025Nebraska 68, Akron 0

Pouring rights

PepsiCo has the stadium’s soft-drink pouring rights, on record since 2019. Official source.