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Can Nebraska Football's Memorial Stadium Regain Its Intimidating Status Against Colorado?

The Huskers' home field has a chance to reclaim its former glory as one of the premier locations in all of college football with a prime-time rivalry matchup Saturday night against Colorado.

Austin Jacobsen

Oct 1, 2022; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Fans participate in a light show at the end of the third quarter between the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium.
Oct 1, 2022; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Fans participate in a light show at the end of the third quarter between the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium. / Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports
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Saturday's Nebraska and Colorado matchup will have many factors outside of just the game on the field.

The rivalry, the coaches' "beef" that began stewing last season, Coach "Prime" and his entourage of bravado and swagger - not only to mention the impact of the game on the greater landscape of the respective team's seasons. All of this is important, yes, outside of the X's and O's that each program will bring into Lincoln on Sep. 7.

But there is still something greater on the line, and one that can be directly influenced by the expected 90,000 fans that would arrive to the 'Sea of Red' for the evening kickoff. It is time for Memorial Stadium to once again return to its former glory.

What better environment to do it in than against the Colorado Buffaloes - likely the "loudest" of teams in college football over the past two years. Not that Nebraska fans need any reminding, as Colorado celebrated heavily at Folsom Field a year ago in a Buffs victory over NU.

The coach for the Huskers knows the impact the fans could have as well, stating during his Monday presser that "it should be a loud, loud raucous atmosphere" in Lincoln.

It also appears that social media is rallying its resources with Husker fans to create an unforgettable environment.

Memorial Stadium has often been critically acclaimed for the fans' reverence of the sanctity of college football: cheering for its opponents whether win or lose, shaking hands in pre-and-post game conversations, and providing a friendly environment. Nebraska considers itself such a patron saint of the sport, the university has even engraved the self-proclaimed "Greatest Fans in College Football" onto the stadium entrance.

In many experiences, Nebraska has not had that same shared experience when visiting Boulder. Expletives shouted at players and Husker fans, trash and bottles thrown onto the field, and harrowing parking lot stories have filled my understanding of the hatred between the former Big Eight foes. (To be fair, Colorado forums have added that trips to Lincoln have not always been as peachy as expected.)

Colorado Buffaloes fans wave towels against the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the first quarter at Folsom Field.
Sep 9, 2023; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes fans wave towels against the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the first quarter at Folsom Field. / Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

This weekend's contest can become a true factor in Memorial Stadium's national demeanor. While memories of impactful games and heated environments stay fresh with local fans, the home of the Huskers has lost its luster and intimidation in the landscape of the spot. One of the largest cities in Nebraska on game day did not even receive mention in preseason conversations of the most "intimidating" environments in college football.

That can change on Saturday. A stand-alone night game in Lincoln with a national television audience on NBC can witness the newest fourth-quarter tradition that could lift Memorial Stadium into a new stratosphere of menacing for opposing teams.

While attending the season-opener against UTEP, I noted that there was a different feeling about Nebraska's stadium entering 2024:

That was during the opening drive of the contest for UTEP, which resulted in not only two penalties against the Miners, but the use of a timeout from coach Scotty Walden. Imagine how far the decibel meter on the HuskerVision screens will boom for Shadeur Sanders on his first third down against the Blackshirts.

When it comes to "best environments" or "loudest moments" at Memorial Stadium in recent memory, most come with the caveat of a memorable play that catapulted Nebraska fans into a frenzy. For example, the Miami matchup from 2014:

Or, the game-winning touchdown by Tommy Armstrong over Oregon in 2016:

Regardless, Saturday's environment is almost guaranteed to become an instant classic even before the opening kickoff. Emotions will be running high on the field, but there is no doubt that even the most tame of Nebraska fans will be pushed to match-pitch with the capacity crowd expected in Lincoln.

The table is set; a quarterback dual between the brash, showman of Sanders and the young rising star of Dylan Raiola, a game Nebraska fans have had circled for 363 days, and the return of the rivalry to Memorial Stadium since 2018. If the game matches its expectations, the national narrative will write the victor of the contest as having "survived" the hostile crowd for the visiting team, or using the home-grown spark to further advance the program's rapid development under a new regime.

Buckle up, Buffaloes. The Sea of Red is warming up its voices - even if we need to be "Nebraska Nice" on Sunday.

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Austin Jacobsen
AUSTIN JACOBSEN

Austin Jacobsen is a radio broadcaster and former Sports Director in Central Nebraska. He has seen the Cornhusker state from all corners; growing up in the Panhandle, completing his college degree in Kearney, working in the rural Sandhills, and now residing in Omaha. Austin is a statewide, regional, and national radio award winner and can usually be found at a high school football field on Friday nights and tuning in to the Huskers wherever they travel. If he is not on the road, Austin enjoys movie dates with his girlfriend and their dog, Ava.

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