Memorial Stadium (Lincoln, NE)

Interstate 80 passes north of Lincoln, with downtown approaches from I-180 and major streets including 9th, 10th, 14th and O. Football traffic control changes exits and one-way patterns, so route to the selected garage or shuttle lot.

Driving & Parking

• Driving
  Stadium Drive closes between T and V streets on gameday, and donor lots have prescribed entrances. Follow Nebraska's current Waze links and city traffic bulletin rather than forcing a direct stadium route.
• Parking
  Lots directly surrounding Memorial Stadium are reserved for Huskers Athletic Fund donors. Public parking is found in downtown garages, university facilities released for the game and private Haymarket inventory; rates and availability vary.
• Parking
  Reserve a downtown garage early. The 10–20-minute walk from the Haymarket or Pinnacle Bank Arena passes directly into the pregame crowd.
• Parking
  Single-game accessible parking is offered first come, first served in limited donor lots 9 and 12 and at university locations near 14th and U, 14th and W and the Lot 9 garage. The current listed rate is $25.
• Parking
  Lot 9 is the principal accessible option. Donor lots 5 and 9 provide complimentary mobility carts toward the northeast and east sides, while public meter spaces at 14th and Vine may be available without charge.
• Parking
  Day-of RV parking without a season Lot 11 permit is offered near the Bob Devaney Sports Center off 14th and Military Road, first come, first served. Donor lots prohibit overnight parking.
• Drop-off
  General passenger drop-off is northwest of Lot 8 along eastbound Salt Creek Roadway. Attempts to enter restricted zones nearer the gates are prohibited.

Public Transit

• StarTran's Big Red Express provides round-trip football shuttles from Gateway Mall, SouthPointe Pavilions, Lincoln North Star High School and Lincoln Northwest High School.
• Service begins two hours before kickoff, with the last bus leaving remote lots 45 minutes before the game. Stadium unloading and pickup are on R Street between 12th and 14th.
• Return boarding begins after the fourth quarter starts, but buses depart for their lots only when full after the game. Note the route name and remote parking location before leaving the bus.
• Recent fares were $15 for adults and $10 for children ages 4–12. Confirm 2026 pricing and buy before boarding.
• Ordinary StarTran routes can reach downtown, but the Big Red Express is designed around stadium closures and late postgame crowds. It is the safer choice for visitors leaving a car outside the center city.

Rideshare (Uber/Lyft)

• Use the official Salt Creek Roadway drop-off northwest of the stadium before closures intensify, or choose a downtown hotel or Haymarket intersection and walk.
• Do not request a pickup at a gate or donor lot. Police routing and the stadium security halo can leave the driver on the opposite side of the building.
• After the game, walk into the Haymarket or south of O Street before requesting a car. Restaurants provide a comfortable place to wait while traffic clears.

Lincoln's compact downtown allows visitors to move from breakfast or a Haymarket bar to an official fan festival, the team walk and the stadium without a vehicle. Arrive four hours before kickoff and wear red unless intentionally supporting the visitor.

Tailgating

• Donor lots open at 6 a.m. for kickoffs before 6 p.m. and 11 a.m. for later games, with specific exceptions for Lots 19–21. Do not queue before the designated time or assume every lot follows one schedule.
• Each permit covers one vehicle and one stall. Tailgating may extend only into available space immediately in front of or behind the vehicle without occupying another stall or blocking movement.
• Parking passes and spaces are reserved for vehicles, not stand-alone tents or parties. Oversized vehicles that do not fit the marked stall can be denied entry.
• Garages prohibit open fires and do not provide electricity. Portable restroom placement is controlled by athletics, and donor lots do not permit overnight stays.
• Nebraska's rules promote responsible alcohol use, but city and university property restrictions vary outside official hospitality areas. Follow posted rules and do not carry open drinks toward the stadium gates.
• Cornhusker Kickoff
  The official free fan festival inside Hawks Championship Center opens four hours before kickoff, or at 8 a.m. for an 11 a.m. game. It includes live entertainment, children's activities, merchandise, food, drinks and Husker personalities.
• Cornhusker Kickoff uses Memorial Stadium screening and clear-bag rules even though no game ticket is required. Enter at the southwest Hawks Center doors near Gate 14 and leave enough time for a second movement into the stadium.

Pregame Bars & Restaurants

• Lazlo's Brewery & Grill
  A Haymarket landmark tied to Empyrean Brewing, Lincoln's first brewery, serving hickory-grilled comfort food and house beer. It is a strong Friday-night introduction and an easy stadium walk.
• LeadBelly
  A contemporary Haymarket pub with inventive burgers, scratch cooking and local or regional taps. Its location near 8th and Q puts visitors squarely in the pedestrian pregame flow.
• Barry's The Husker Bar
  A red-heavy sports bar near the Haymarket with a rooftop patio. It delivers the loudest overt Nebraska atmosphere and fills early on football Saturdays.
• The Mill Coffee & Tea
  The Haymarket coffeehouse offers pastries, lighter food and a calmer early start. It is useful for families and visitors who want atmosphere without beginning in a bar.
• Yia Yia's Pizza & Beer
  A downtown choice for pizza by the slice and a broad beer selection. It works well for a quick meal before walking north.

• Husker Legacy Walk
  Approximately two hours and 15 minutes before kickoff, the team unloads near 14th and Vine, walks past the Nebraska Coliseum and through the Athletics Hall of Fame into the Osborne Legacy Complex.
• The Tunnel Walk
  Since 1994, HuskerVision has followed Nebraska from its locker room as the Alan Parsons Project's “Sirius” builds. The players touch a lucky horseshoe, cross the red “Big Red Carpet” and emerge through bronze gates in the northwest corner.
• The Sea of Red
  Nearly every home fan wears Nebraska red, producing the stadium's defining visual identity. Visiting supporters are generally treated well, but a neutral guest should join the color rather than arrive in blue or black.
• “Go Big Red”
  The three-beat chant moves through tailgates and the bowl. The Cornhusker Marching Band and cheer squad organize it, but spontaneous versions begin all over downtown.
• The Cornhusker Marching Band
  The “Pride of All Nebraska” performs a traditional pregame built around school songs and field formations. Enter when gates open so the narrow historic concourses do not hide the show.
• “There Is No Place Like Nebraska”
  The university fight song and “Hail Varsity” punctuate scores, entrances and victories. The lyrics celebrate the school and statewide identity more than a single city.
• Herbie Husker and Lil' Red
  Herbie supplies the classic agricultural mascot, while inflatable Lil' Red bounces, tumbles and interacts with children. Both appear at Cornhusker Kickoff and inside the stadium.
• Blackshirts
  Nebraska's defensive identity originated with black practice jerseys and became a broader skull-and-crossbones tradition. Blackshirts imagery appears in the team entrance, student signs and concession names.

• Four corner inscriptions
  Philosopher Hartley Burr Alexander wrote the stadium's limestone inscriptions, connecting military memorialization with courage, sportsmanship and public life. Walk the exterior to read more than the famous east-side phrase.
• “Greatest Fans” gates
  The east entrance bears “Through these gates pass the Greatest Fans in College Football,” a claim reinforced by the long sellout streak and statewide attendance.
• Sellout markers
  Nebraska's NCAA-record home sellout streak began against Missouri on November 3, 1962, and reached 400 in 2024. The 2026 season is scheduled to begin with 410 consecutive sellouts.
• Osborne Legacy Complex and Hall of Fame
  The north-side football complex presents trophies, championship history and prominent figures before the team disappears into its locker-room route. Gameday access can be controlled around the Legacy Walk.
• Retired numbers and honors
  Displays around the stadium recognize Nebraska's Heisman winners, College Football Hall of Famers and championship teams. Use the concourse as a history walk before seats fill.

History & Notable Moments

• Nebraska constructed the original east and west stands in little more than 90 working days. The stadium opened October 13, 1923, with a 24-0 victory over Oklahoma and was dedicated one week later during a 0-0 tie with Kansas.
• The $450,000 privately financed project memorialized Nebraskans who served and died in the nation's wars. End-zone additions from 1964 through 1972 enclosed the bowl.
• Bob Devaney's first season began the 1962 sellout streak and launched the era that produced five national championships under Devaney and Tom Osborne.
• Nebraska played its first night football game in the stadium on September 6, 1986, defeating Florida State 34-17.
• HuskerVision debuted in 1994 as a pioneering on-campus video system, making the Tunnel Walk visible to the full crowd.
• A stadium-record 86,304 watched Nebraska defeat Louisiana-Lafayette 55-0 at the 300th consecutive sellout in 2009.
• The $63.5 million East Stadium expansion completed in 2013 added roughly 6,000 seats, 38 suites, club areas, wider concourses and research facilities.
• Nebraska volleyball defeated Omaha before 92,003 on August 30, 2023, setting what was then the world attendance record for a women's sporting event.
• Regents approved a $600 million rebuild in April 2026. Work is planned after the 2026 season for completion in 2028, so visitors should expect future construction and a capacity near 80,000 only after this guide's current season.

Memorial Stadium combines historic lower grandstands with steep end-zone and east-side additions. Most general seats are tight aluminum benches, rows can be long, and some routes do not connect cleanly across levels. Use the gate printed on the ticket and enter 90 minutes early.

• West Stadium
  The original west stand includes the press box, suites and West Stadium Club. Lower seats provide classic midfield views, while higher rows can be a demanding climb.
• East Stadium
  The 2013 addition rises dramatically above the field. Club levels offer chairbacks and indoor concourses; the 600 level has a panoramic view but is high and exposed.
• North Stadium
  The Osborne complex and Tunnel Walk entrance sit below the north end. Seats here put fans closest to Nebraska's arrival and major videoboard presentation.
• South and southeast
  Student seating occupies Sections 9 through 13B in the southeast and is general admission. Expect standing and more constant noise; visiting families may prefer the west side.
• Premium seating
  West Stadium Club, East Club, East Balcony Club, Skyline Club, Sideline Club and 101 suites provide varying chairbacks, climate-controlled space and hospitality. Verify the entitlement attached to a resale ticket.
• Accessibility
  Wheelchair and limited-mobility positions are distributed through each side, but elevator access differs by gate. Arrange an exchange before gameday and use one of the specifically accessible entrances.

Memorial Stadium is fully cashless. Aramark Sports + Entertainment took over in 2025, modernized checkout and introduced alcohol while retaining the local foods most closely associated with Nebraska games.

• Runza
  The Nebraska sandwich encloses seasoned ground beef, cabbage and onion in baked dough. It is the essential regional stadium order and is sold at GBR Classics locations.
• Valentino's Pizza and Fairbury red hots
  These longtime local favorites remain throughout the stadium alongside bratwurst, popcorn and drinks. Not every standard stand carries every item.
• Newer concepts
  Blackshirt BBQ, Tunnel Walk Tacos, Herbie's Burger Co., Chick N Coop, Cornhuskers Crunch Nachos, the 1923 Cheesesteak and Cob Co. distribute specialty food across specific sections.
• Hot Beef Sundae
  East and west club levels serve Nebraska beef over mashed potatoes and corn in a bread cone, an intentionally playful regional comfort-food option.
• Alcohol
  Guests 21 and older must show a valid government-issued horizontal ID for every purchase. The limit is two beverages per person per transaction, and sales end after the third quarter.
• Hydration
  Empty personal water bottles may enter and be filled at fountains. Outside food and drinks, including sponsor samples acquired outside, are prohibited unless a heat-related exception is announced.
• Timing
  Buy before halftime, especially in older west and south concourses where circulation is narrow. Walk Thru Bru and automated checkout help, but specialty stands can still draw long lines.

• One clear plastic, vinyl or PVC tote no larger than 12 by 6 by 12 inches, one clear one-gallon plastic bag or one small handheld purse no larger than 4.5 by 6.5 inches is permitted.
• Backpacks, nonclear purses, luggage, diaper bags and other noncompliant bags are prohibited unless required for a medical need and approved through the designated inspection process.
• Personal backrests of every size are prohibited. Backless seat cushions may enter, and cashless single-game backrest rentals are available inside. East upper-level seats already have backrests.
• Empty water bottles and small cameras are permitted. Outside food, filled beverage containers, coolers, cans, glass, video cameras, selfie sticks, weapons, noisemakers and open umbrellas are prohibited.
• Walk-through screening is used at entrances, and Nebraska will not store rejected belongings. Save the mobile ticket to a wallet before approaching the gate.
• Gates open 90 minutes before kickoff. Memorial Stadium has prohibited re-entry since 2025, and no new entry is allowed after the fourth quarter begins.