Upcoming Nebraska Cornhuskers football dates
Dates and live ticket listings appear here as soon as they are on sale. The guide below covers what to know before you buy.
Nebraska football and why it fills 85,000 seats
Nebraska plays its home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, where it has played since 1923 and has sold out every game since 1962. The home season runs from late August or early September through November. The Cornhuskers joined the Big Ten in 2011 after more than a century in the Missouri Valley, Big Eight and Big 12 conferences.
Nebraska ranks among the winningest programs in major college football, with five national championships (1970, 1971, 1994, 1995 and 1997) and 46 conference titles. Bob Devaney, hired in 1962, built the program into a national power and won the 1970 and 1971 titles. Tom Osborne followed in 1973 and coached for 25 seasons, winning three titles in his last four years. Johnny Rodgers, Mike Rozier and Eric Crouch won the Heisman Trophy, and the 1971 and 1995 teams are often ranked among the best in the sport's history.
Head coaches and rosters change, so check the program's official site for the current staff.
Memorial Stadium: East, West, North and South
Memorial Stadium opened on October 13, 1923, with sideline grandstands on the east and west sides and 31,080 seats. End zone seating arrived in the 1960s, and expansions of West Stadium (1999), North Stadium (2006) and East Stadium (2013) enclosed the original structure. Seat widening reduced capacity to the current 85,458. The field, named Tom Osborne Field since 1998, runs north to south and has used FieldTurf since 1999.
The four sides go by compass names, and they are not alike:
- West Stadium holds the press box, skyboxes and club seating added in 1999.
- East Stadium was expanded in 2013 and added the stadium's first standing-room section.
- North Stadium was extended in 2006 with more seats and luxury boxes, and sits under the main video board.
- South Stadium has never had a major renovation. A rebuild approved in April 2026 is scheduled for completion in 2028 and is expected to remove about 5,000 seats, so check for construction impacts when buying in that end.
Where to sit in the Sea of Red
Lower rows on the east and west sidelines between the 30-yard lines are the best football seats and the hardest to find. The West Stadium club and skybox levels add indoor space and padded seating at a premium. Upper sections on either sideline give a full view of the field at much lower demand, and they are often the best value for a big game.
The student section, nicknamed the Boneyard after Nebraska's defense, sits in the southeast corner of East and South Stadium. The athletic department notes that everyone in student sections normally stands for the whole game. Avoid those sections unless you want to stand with the students.
Sun and shade. With the field running north to south, the east side faces the sun during afternoon kickoffs while the west side has it at its back, a meaningful difference on a hot September day. Some North Stadium seats sit beneath the main video board, and extra screens were added so those fans can still see replays.
Much of the crowd sits on bench seating rather than chairbacks, which is part of why the planned renovation will cut capacity. If seat comfort matters, the West Stadium premium areas are the main chairback option.
Rivalries and the Husker games that sell first
Since the Big Ten's 2024 scheduling change, Iowa is Nebraska's only permanent conference opponent, and the two play for the Heroes Trophy. That makes the Iowa game the anchor of the home schedule in years it is played in Lincoln. Other demand drivers:
- Wisconsin (Freedom Trophy). A trophy game since 2014.
- Minnesota. A regular opponent since 2011 with a long, uneven history.
- Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State and the West Coast members. Brand-name visitors that bring national television windows and traveling fans.
- Old Big Eight rivals. Oklahoma and Colorado, Nebraska's historic rivals, are no longer annual opponents, so any scheduled meeting draws heavy demand.
Night games also carry weight. Memorial Stadium hosted its first night game in 1986, and permanent lights were not installed until 1999, so a prime-time kickoff in Lincoln is still treated as an event.
Gameday traditions in Lincoln
The Tunnel Walk has opened home games since the early 1990s: the crowd trades a Husker Power chant, then the team takes the field to the Alan Parsons Project instrumental Sirius. Since the home locker room moved to the Osborne Legacy Complex in 2023, the team enters from the northeast corner. The Cornhusker Marching Band plays the visiting team's fight song before the game, and the crowd has long applauded the visiting team as it leaves the field, win or lose.
Fans have released red balloons when Nebraska first scores since the 1960s, though helium shortages paused the tradition in 2012 and 2022, so do not count on seeing it. Nebraska approved beer sales at football games in 2025, the last Big Ten school to do so; as of the current gameday guide, alcohol service ends after the third quarter and requires ID for every purchase.
Tickets, the sellout streak and the resale market
The sellout streak, more than 400 straight games and an NCAA record for any sport, shapes how tickets work. Season-ticket holders and donors hold most of the stadium, and the university counts a game as sold out when every ticket is sold, whether or not every seat is used. Students buy a separate allotment. Few single-game tickets reach the public for the biggest games.
That makes resale the practical route for most fans. Demand climbs for Iowa week, ranked opponents and night games, and it can soften for early non-conference games or when the season is not going well, which is when bargains appear. Lower sidelines carry the biggest premium; upper sidelines and end zones are where value sits. Every order through GoodSeats is backed by a 100% guarantee.
As of the current season, gates open 90 minutes before kickoff (student gates earlier), entry stops at the start of the fourth quarter, the stadium is fully cashless, and only clear bags up to 12 by 6 by 12 inches are allowed. Parking next to the stadium is reserved for athletic donors, so plan for a shuttle or a walk. Check the official gameday page before you go.
Frequently asked questions
Where do the Nebraska Cornhuskers play football?
Nebraska plays at Memorial Stadium on the University of Nebraska–Lincoln campus. It has been the team's home since it opened in 1923.
How many people does Memorial Stadium hold?
Listed capacity is 85,458. A South Stadium rebuild scheduled to finish in 2028 is expected to reduce capacity by about 5,000 seats.
Has every Nebraska home game really sold out since 1962?
Yes. The streak began in November 1962 and has passed 400 consecutive games, an NCAA record for any sport. The school counts a sellout when every ticket is sold, even if not every seat is filled.
Where is the student section at Memorial Stadium?
The student section, called the Boneyard, is in the southeast corner of the stadium where East and South Stadium meet. Students stand for the whole game.
Does Memorial Stadium sell beer?
Yes. Nebraska approved beer sales at football games in 2025. As of the current season, service ends after the third quarter and ID is required for every purchase.
What is Nebraska's biggest home game?
Iowa, Nebraska's only permanent Big Ten opponent, is the anchor game when it is played in Lincoln. Ranked opponents and night games also draw strong demand.