Dave Feit: Alternatives to Nebraska’s Balloon Release

Time for a new tradition. How about converting Lil’ Red into a blimp?

Joe Hudson photo / HuskerMax

Nebraska Athletic Director Trev Alberts announced that the tradition of releasing red balloons after the Huskers’ first touchdown will not continue in the 2022 football season.

Alberts cited a global helium shortage as the main reason for ending the practice that has occurred for more than 50 years. And while that is an absolutely valid reason, I suspect the decision was made easier with years of equally valid complaints from environmentalists.* Additionally, in the survey the Athletic Department completed over the winter, fans were asked to rate their satisfaction with several gameday elements/traditions. The balloon release tied with “Come A Runnin’ Boys” for the least popular.

*Let’s pause to acknowledge two separate environmental truths:
  1) The balloon release was literally littering. As “biodegradable” as the balloons were touted to be, they didn’t magically disintegrate the moment they left our eyesight. In 2018, a Huskers balloon was found on a beach in New York. Animals with brains the size of peanuts can’t distinguish hazardous latex from delicious snack.
  2) The environmental impact of the balloon release pales in comparison to other things that occur on a game day, such as the tens of thousands of plastic water and soda bottles that end up in landfills.

If Nebraska was ever going to end the balloon release tradition, now is the perfect time.

But I’ll admit to being a little saddened by the end. I have fond memories of going to games as a kid, a red balloon tied around my wrist by my dad so I wouldn’t accidentally lose it. This was followed by frantically trying to get it off my wrist after Doug DuBose or Keith Jones scored. My phone has dozens of pictures – from several years, and all corners of the stadium - of red balloons filling a blue sky on a Saturday afternoon. In offensively challenged games, it was telling to see how long fans would hold onto their balloons.

Alberts said Nebraska would work to find some alternatives – such as animations on the video boards.

But we can do better than that.

Here are my suggestions for ways Nebraska can – and should – replace the balloon tradition:

 • Stadium ushers bring a bottle of schnaps or Fireball to each row. Take a nip and pass it on.
 • The player who scores the game's first touchdown gets an NIL deal with the Arbor Day Foundation. They plant a tree on the player’s behalf.
 • The entire stadium tweets: "Touchdown! Touchdown! Touchdown! #Balloons #Huskers 🎈🎈🎈
 • Der Viener Schlinger is retrofitted to become a confetti cannon.
• A clown – one that bears a striking resemblance to Steve Pederson – attempts to make the opposing team's mascot out of balloons (a Badger, Gopher, Hoosier, etc.). Former Blackshirts are invited back to tackle the clown and destroy the balloon animal.
• The Scarlets dance team does a routine to “99 Luftballoons.”
• Lil’ Red is converted into a blimp that circles the stadium. Sadly, this goes tragically awry when Nebraska’s first touchdown occurs just before the “Thunderstruck” show and Lil’ Red flies too close to the fire cannons.
• Fans revive another old tradition and throw oranges on the field.
• A different kind of red latex item is handed out in the student section.
• A video animation of thousands of balloons flying is played on the screens, with an anti-littering message at the end. Fans pat themselves on the back as they toss their empty plastic soda bottles and pizza boxes on the ground in front of them.
• Seven ceremonial balloons are released, but members of the NU rifle team keep them from leaving the stadium.
• UNL fraternities release blowup dolls.
• Voice of the Huskers Greg Sharpe takes a big hit of helium and recaps the scoring drive.
• When Nebraska scores, bushels of seed corn are shot into the sky from all four corners of the stadium.
• The airplane that performed the pregame flyover returns and carpet bombs the stadium with red balloons.

---