On Saturdays in the fall, visiting teams step onto the field of a stadium known as a “Sea of Red,” as nearly 90,000 fans from across Nebraska fill Memorial Stadium to cheer on the Cornhuskers. The passionate atmosphere makes Memorial Stadium one of the most intimidating venues in college football. The history of the stadium dates back to the early 1920s, when support grew for the construction of a new football stadium. Construction began in early 1923 and was completed later that year. The Cornhuskers played their first game at Memorial Stadium on October 20, 1923, against Kansas. Memorial Stadium was named in honor of Nebraska citizens who fought in the Civil War, Spanish American War and World Wars I and II. Originally, the stadium consisted of grandstands on the east and west sides of the field.
By 1946, the Schulte Field House had been constructed on the north end of the stadium. The first major expansion of Memorial Stadium took place before the 1964 season, when stands were constructed in the south end zone, giving the stadium its horseshoe configuration. Within the next two years, additional stands were built on the north side of Memorial Stadium, increasing the capacity to 65,000 by 1966. A modern press box was added in 1967, and before the start of the 1970 season, the grass field was replaced with Astroturf. In 1972, the stands in the south end zone were expanded, increasing the capacity by 9,000 seats to 73,650.
During the 1990s, two new video scoreboards, known as HuskerVision, were installed at Memorial Stadium. A $36 million renovation and expansion project was completed before the 1998 season. The project included construction of the Don Bryant press box, which features 42 luxury suites and 1,500 club seats. FieldTurf also replaced the Astroturf playing surface. Prior to the start of the 2006 season, 6,500 seats were added in the north end zone along with the Osborne Athletic Complex. The most recent major addition to the stadium was completed before the 2013 season, when 6,000 seats and 38 luxury suites were added to the east side of Memorial Stadium. This increased the seating capacity to 92,000. The capacity has since declined as bench seating throughout the stadium has been replaced, bringing the capacity to approximately 90,000. Memorial Stadium has sold out every Cornhuskers game since November 1962.
In September 2023, the University of Nebraska announced plans for a $600 million modernization of Memorial Stadium. Originally scheduled for completion by the 2026 season, the project includes demolishing the existing south end zone and replacing it with a new multi tier grandstand featuring a student section, lounge areas, premium seating and general admission seating. All bench seating in the east and west grandstands will also be replaced with chairback seats. Concession areas, restrooms, concourses and other areas throughout the stadium will be updated as well. Construction is now scheduled to begin following the 2026 season and will be completed by the 2028 season. The overall seating capacity at Memorial Stadium, once completed will be approximately 80,000.
