Nebraska fans attending Saturday night’s season opener against Akron will see several new features and game-day enhancements.
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New features at Memorial Stadium this fall include new stadium lights, enhanced lighting and video screens in the tunnel walk area, additional concession stands and restrooms in the North Stadium, and improved historical displays in the lobby of the Osborne Athletic Complex.
Below is a closer look at some of the changes at Memorial Stadium in 2018:
Memorial Stadium Lights
· Nebraska football will shine brighter than ever under the lights this fall. Memorial Stadium has new LED lighting above the East and West Stadiums. The lights replace the original permanent lights that were installed in 1999.
· Not only do the lights provide a brighter playing field at Memorial Stadium, but they will also provide the opportunity for additional game presentation opportunities.
Nebraska Tunnel Walk
· Fans lining up under the North Stadium as the Huskers enter the stadium prior to kickoff will see new lighting and video features in the Tunnel Walk area.
North Stadium Improvements
· Nebraska fans in the North Stadium will find increased concessions and restrooms options on the upper concourse.
· The improvements increased the number of restrooms and concession windows available in the North Stadium by approximately 33 percent.
Husker Nation Pavilion
· The Husker Nation Pavilion will return to its original location on the Ed Weir Track, and as always is free to the public. The primary entrance to the Husker Nation Pavilion will be on the South side of Ed Weir Stadium near the columns.
· The Husker Nation Pavilion features various forms of family fun and games for kids of all ages. Inflatable games (weather permitting) will be a regular feature, including an obstacle course, quarterback toss, hoops tic-tac-toe, hoops hotshot, and baseball toss. Face painting will also be available.
· Fans may sit in the Ed Weir Track and Field Stadium and have the opportunity to meet friends before the game or watch a game on the Ed Weir video board. Throughout the day, the video board will show other games of interest from around the country.
· For the season opener against Akron on Saturday, the HNP will open five hours prior to kickoff at 2 p.m. For the remainder of the season, the Pavilion will open three hours before kickoff.
· Updated weekly information on the Husker Nation Pavilion will be posted athttp://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=100&ATCLID=18618 [huskers.com]
IMG Husker Sports Network Pre-Game Show
· A prominent feature of the Husker Nation Pavilion will be the return of the IMG Husker Sports Network pre-game show to the Pavilion. The radio show set will be located in the southeast corner of the Ed Weir Track near the Coliseum.
· Husker Sports Network personalities and guests will be on site for the pre-game show up until one hour before kickoff.
Unity Walk
· The Nebraska football team will arrive at Memorial Stadium a little more than two hours before home games (approximately 4:50-4:55 p.m. this Saturday) and fans are encouraged to welcome the team to the stadium. The team will arrive on the East side of Memorial Stadium and enter the stadium at Gate 20.
Osborne Athletic Complex Lobby
· The Osborne Athletic Complex lobby will once again open four hours before kickoff and remain open until one hour before kickoff.
· Fans will see a remodeled Osborne Complex lobby that includes more prominent displays for Nebraska’s five national championship trophies, three Heisman trophies and other major national awards.
POW/MIA Chair
· At 11 a.m. on Nov. 11, 2018, the world will mark the 100th anniversary of the armistice that ended the hostilities of World War I. To commemorate this event, Memorial Stadium has designated a special POW/MIA chair.
· Each game this season, a decorated veteran of U.S. military service will take his or her post next to this unoccupied chair in honor of the more than 800 Nebraskans lost in combat, but whose fate remains “UNKNOWN.” The chair is located in North Memorial Stadium Section 33, Row 18.
· Nebraska will salute all Veteran's and active military at the Nov. 10 football vs. Illinois when there will be special recognition for the 100th anniversary.
Commercial Break Clocks
· A clock showing the time remaining in each media break will now be visible in Memorial Stadium. The new feature will allow fans to know when game action will resume on the field.
Husker App
· Nebraska Athletics debuted a new Husker App for mobile devices earlier this month, which is designed to assist Husker fans on game day at all NU athletic venues.
· The new app includes free audio of the entire Husker Sports Network game-day broadcast, as well as live stats.
· Fans can receive notifications with score updates and other important game-day information through the app.
· The app includes a map of each of Nebraska’s athletic facilities with parking, gate and concession information.
Captioning
· For the second year in Memorial Stadium all play descriptions, scoring, player information, referee and penalty announcements, in-game promotions, entertainment action, advertising videos, emergency messaging, and post-game messages will be transcribed.
· The information will be distributed to all fans via Twitter at @HuskerCaption. Twitter service is available to every fan regardless of where their seats were located or where they were positioned in the stadium at any time. Fans who do not have devices enabled to access Twitter may check out iPads at the East and West Stadium Guest Services.
· Fans interested in participating in a focus group for the first three games using the Husker Caption service, please contact Chris Anderson at canderson@huskers.com.
Other
· New this season the recommended fan drop-off and pickup location is 12th and R streets. Fan drop-off attempts around the stadium are prohibited.
· Uber, Lyft and taxi drop-offs and pick-ups will be at 14th and Vine streets.
· Fans are reminded that Memorial Stadium and all ticketed Husker sports venues have a Clear Bag Policy.
