Shouldn't Nebraska Demolish Memorial Stadium?

[SWVAHusker]

I mentioned this months ago. It’s time. Find a place for the Huskers to play for 2 years. Demolish, and rebuild it. State of the art. 75,000 capacity. NFL style, with some college flare. Make the fans right on top of you. You’d have a leg up on every single college out there.

IMO the problem is the "find a place for the Huskers to play for 2 years" part. Haymarket Park would obviously be out of the question. Other than Memorial Stadium, isn't Charles Schwab Field in Omaha the biggest venue in the state? According to Wikipedia, that stadium is expandable to 35,000. Unfortunately, I've never been there. Is that stadium even conducive to hosting football games? If it is, how would NU decide who gets tickets and who doesn't?

The only other example of this I know about is when the Chicago Bears played their home games at Illinois in 2002. Before that season, Illinois expanded their stadium to 69.249. That was roughly 8,000 more seats than Soldier Field holds now (61,500). Even before considering the travel costs for the university (and fans), I doubt Arrowhead would be a viable alternative because of the grass playing surface. The stadium's owned by the Jackson County Sports Authority, so the Chiefs couldn't outright say "no" to a proposal from NU, but IMO they'd do some heavy lobbying against it. IMO Missouri and the SEC would probably be against such a proposal too because it might help Nebraska in recruiting in a state that's now SEC country.

 

[Husker In Oklahoma]

IMO the problem is the "find a place for the Huskers to play for 2 years" part. Haymarket Park would obviously be out of the question. Other than Memorial Stadium, isn't Charles Schwab Field in Omaha the biggest venue in the state? According to Wikipedia, that stadium is expandable to 35,000. Unfortunately, I've never been there. Is that stadium even conducive to hosting football games? If it is, how would NU decide who gets tickets and who doesn't?

The only other example of this I know about is when the Chicago Bears played their home games at Illinois in 2002. Before that season, Illinois expanded their stadium to 69.249. That was roughly 8,000 more seats than Soldier Field holds now (61,500). Even before considering the travel costs for the university (and fans), I doubt Arrowhead would be a viable alternative because of the grass playing surface. The stadium's owned by the Jackson County Sports Authority, so the Chiefs couldn't outright say "no" to a proposal from NU, but IMO they'd do some heavy lobbying against it. IMO Missouri and the SEC would probably be against such a proposal too because it might help Nebraska in recruiting in a state that's now SEC country.

Then you live with it and move forward. Nothing would be ideal. There would be some suffering for everyone involved, so you’d just have to make the best of it. It won’t happen, so it’s a moot point, but it probably should be done sooner than later. It’s served it’s purpose, and is time.

 

[SWVAHusker]

Didn’t Virginia Tech and Texas A$M do something like that? I could be wrong. VT may have just added, not sure.

VT enclosed their south endzone, adding 11,120 seats in 2002. They added another 11,000 seats (including club and suites) on the west side in 2006. Thanks to a recent $5 million donation their next project is an expansion of the VT locker room, which is already one of the largest in the country at 14,800 sq. ft.

 

[SWVAHusker]

Then you live with it and move forward. Nothing would be ideal. There would be some suffering for everyone involved, so you’d just have to make the best of it. It won’t happen, so it’s a moot point, but it probably should be done sooner than later. It’s served it’s purpose, and is time.

I (sadly) haven't been back to Lincoln since the 1990s. Is there viable land outside of Lincoln that could be bought by the university or Lancaster County for a new stadium?

What about moving volleyball to PBA and tearing down the Devaney Center? Apparently, it's one of the worst swimming venues in the Big Ten and the most recent renovation for track was back in 2011, so even that renovation has to be showing its age by now. The move from the NU Coliseum to The Bob made the volleyball program profitable back in 2016. IMO moving to PBA might make it even more profitable.

 

[weaver75]

Then you live with it and move forward. Nothing would be ideal. There would be some suffering for everyone involved, so you’d just have to make the best of it. It won’t happen, so it’s a moot point, but it probably should be done sooner than later. It’s served it’s purpose, and is time.

Oregon State imploded one whole side of its stadium to modernize. I don’t know how the newish East Stadium construction or the press box relate to the lower East and west stadium seats. Could you implode/ remove the lower East bowl one Christmas and have new construction with cupholder seating and better access ready for September? Then do the same on the west lower bowl the next year? No idea. Nebraska must be the only P5 program with absolutely no alternative stadium to borrow anywhere in the state. (Now if UNO had built a stadium to play competitive football a decade ago instead of ending football, we would have an option. Who did that? I kid.)

 

[Husker In Oklahoma]

I (sadly) haven't been back to Lincoln since the 1990s. Is there viable land outside of Lincoln that could be bought by the university or Lancaster County for a new stadium?

What about moving volleyball to PBA and tearing down the Devaney Center? Apparently, it's one of the worst swimming venues in the Big Ten and the most recent renovation for track was back in 2011, so even that renovation has to be showing its age by now. The move from the NU Coliseum to The Bob made the volleyball program profitable back in 2016. IMO moving to PBA might make it even more profitable.

I wouldn’t think moving the stadium is, or would be an option. The facilities are right there. Implode, rebuild would be the only option I’d think.

 

[Husker In Oklahoma]

Oregon State imploded one whole side of its stadium to modernize. I don’t know how the newish East Stadium construction or the press box relate to the lower East and west stadium seats. Could you implode/ remove the lower East bowl one Christmas and have new construction with cupholder seating and better access ready for September? Then do the same on the west lower bowl the next year? No idea. Nebraska must be the only P5 program with absolutely no alternative stadium to borrow anywhere in the state. (Now if UNO had built a stadium to play competitive football a decade ago instead of ending football, we would have an option. Who did that? I kid.)

It’s a situation where you may just have to bite the bullet and move forward. Continuing to rebuild memorial stadium IMO, isn’t the answer. Maybe you’ve got to play a few more road games. It’s probably 2 years, for the next 100, or, however long football even lasts into the future. Seems like less and less kids are playing it as youngsters, so that’s an issue as well. In 30 years, might not be enough kids out there to restock the ‘shelves’ and continue onward.

 

[TFrazier]

Though close Nebraska is still trying to get the rest of the money for the new athletic facility. I can’t imagine the challenges associated with trying to raise funds, finance, land acquisition, politics, fan outcry etc… for a new stadium in the current economic climate.

 

[SWVAHusker]

I wouldn’t think moving the stadium is, or would be an option. The facilities are right there. Implode, rebuild would be the only option I’d think.

What about the land where the Devaney Center now sits? Is it large enough?

 

[EastOfEden]

Anything dramatic is probably a waste of money in the long run. Whoever gets the rights to the semi pro team we will have in 10 years will want to build so let them do it. In the meantime, repaint and remark the seats so that there is more fanny room, add toilet facilities, shore up construction where necessary, go with this new field, gussie up the locker rooms, maybe some added facilities for the older crowd since they are a large part of the loyal fans, and paint and patch.

I doubt they would do that since they are trying to raise money to rebuild and I suspect they need to show a little more of their ankle to get the money. Seems to me a new facility on the Old Fair Grounds is best, but not when they just put in a new field at Memorial Stadium

 

[SWVAHusker]

Anything dramatic is probably a waste of money in the long run. Whoever gets the rights to the semi pro team we will have in 10 years will want to build so let them do it. In the meantime, repaint and remark the seats so that there is more fanny room, add toilet facilities, shore up construction where necessary, go with this new field, gussie up the locker rooms, maybe some added facilities for the older crowd since they are a large part of the loyal fans, and paint and patch.

I doubt they would do that since they are trying to raise money to rebuild and I suspect they need to show a little more of their ankle to get the money. Seems to me a new facility on the Old Fair Grounds is best, but not when they just put in a new field at Memorial Stadium

How much land is still vacant at the old fair grounds? I thought UNL had plans for a technology focused campus on that site. Did they end up not building anything?

 

[Megatron]

Where are the big donors? Have they backed off from previous years? Has the number of donors really dwindled?
It’s hard to fathom that places like Arizona State, Louisville, Minnesota and others can rebuild or build new stadiums and NU can’t get the financial support to make it happen. Especially when you add the almost $60 million they get from the conference.
I am also surprised that they are still short of their financial goal for the new center.

 

[EastOfEden]

SW - don't know the answer to that good question.

Unless we are ready to confess that this isn't a college program, you have to play the games in a location to which the students can get easily. That means the campus in Lincoln, one way or another.

 

[EastOfEden]

Mega - Three and four win seasons year after year dulls the interest to donors, as does their being asked to pony up for NILs that really won't add any income to their operations.

 

[Huskerthom]

I mentioned this months ago. It’s time. Find a place for the Huskers to play for 2 years. Demolish, and rebuild it. State of the art. 75,000 capacity. NFL style, with some college flare. Make the fans right on top of you. You’d have a leg up on every single college out there.

The only places you could move it for 2 years is out of state. Bad look. Better off keep it open and build where the recreation fields are. Then when the new one opens tear it down and rebuild the rec fields once the new stadium is built.