Step Inside: Memorial Stadium – Home of Nebraska Football

Home of the Nebraska Cornhuskers

Memorial Stadium – Lincoln is home to the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers football team. Located at One Memorial Stadium Drive in Lincoln, Nebraska, the stadium is near the Sheldon Museum of Art and the University of Nebraska State Museum on the northwest corner of the school’s campus.

Memorial Stadium – Lincoln History

Memorial Stadium was built in 1923. Originally envisioned as a combination gymnasium-stadium-war museum called the Nebraska Soldiers and Sailors Memorial, the project was reconceived as just a football stadium due to the post-WWI economy.

Initially, the stadium was dedicated to native Nebraskans who died fighting in the Civil War, the American-Spanish War and World War I, but has since been broadened to include those who died in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Each corner of the stadium contains an inscription about the fallen soldiers given by the philosopher and University of Nebraska professor, Hartley Burr Alexander.

By the mid-1930s, the stadium was already being expanded to add additional facilities, with the Schute Fieldhouse opening in 1946 to include locker rooms, extra practice facilities and showers. While the complex had open end zones in its original construction, both end zones were enclosed with permanent seating by 1966 to increase the overall capacity of the venue. A press box was added the following year.

The west side of the stadium was expanded in the 1990s to include luxury suites, a larger press box, a stadium lounge and a new facade along Memorial Drive. By the end of the decade, a statue of longtime coach Tom Osborne and former quarterback Brook Berringer was commissioned for the main entrance on the stadium’s north side.

In 2004, the luxury boxes known as the Skyline Suites were added to the stadium’s north side and the expansion of the east side was approved in 2010. That expansion included the first standing-room-only area in the complex, as well as two 20,000 square foot research facilities, a new statue of former head coach Bob Devaney and more.

A total renovation of the south end of the stadium — complete with demolition and a temporary decrease of 22,000 seats — was approved in the fall of 2023. However, an exact timeline for the latest renovation has yet to be determined.

Parking and Admission at Memorial Stadium – Lincoln

University of Nebraska offers parking on game days for $25, with garages located throughout campus at 19th & Vine, 17th & R and 14th & Avery. Donor parking, six ADA accessible parking areas, parking for UNL permit holders and limited RV parking is spread across the University of Nebraska campus. Additional public parking is located in numerous university parking facilities east of 14th St. See a complete color-coded parking map here.

Memorial Stadium – Lincoln enforces a clear bag policy at all events. Bags allowed in the stadium include a clear plastic bag (no larger than 12 in x 6 in x 12 in), a gallon-size clear plastic freezer bag and/or a small clutch-style bag (no larger than 4.5 in x 6.5 in). Other items permitted upon inspection include blankets (carried in on the shoulder), small cameras without a case, binoculars without a case, handheld radios and TVs, empty water bottles (plastic only), infant feeding supplies and seat cushions (no larger than 16 in x 16 in, no arms and no zippers).

For a complete list of stadium policies, visit University of Nebraska’s Football Game Day Information site.

Memorial Stadium – Lincoln Capacity & Seating Options

Memorial Stadium – Lincoln has a capacity of 85,458, though at times, attendance at the stadium has surpassed 90,000 fans.

The stadium contains multiple levels of seating, including traditional stadium seating on all sides. Skyline suites and the Skyline Club are located at the top level on the north end zone. The east side of the stadium contains six levels of seating, with levels three and five both encompassing additional suites. The west side of the stadium houses the West Stadium Indoor Club above the 200-level seats, with two levels of suites above it followed by the press box on level 6.

Check out a detailed seating chart of Memorial Stadium – Lincoln via Ticketmaster.

Food & Beverage Options at Memorial Stadium – Lincoln

Dining options at Memorial Stadium – Lincoln include Klein’s, Deb’s Hamburger, LoLo’s, Chick-Fil-A, in addition to standard concessions like burgers and brats, nachos, brisket, chicken tenders, popcorn, pizza ice cream and more. To see where specific concessions are located throughout the venue, visit the Memorial Stadium Concessions Map.