Actions by the University of Nebraska Board of Regents Thursday will kick off fundraising and initial construction for the massive $450 million makeover of Memorial Stadium.
Meeting in Omaha, the regents authorized the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to draft detailed construction plans for the ambitious revamping of the home of Husker football.
The regents’ 8-0 vote Thursday also allows the school to move ahead on what’s being called Phase 1 of the renovations. That part involves up to $45 million of behind-the-scenes stadium infrastructure and mechanical systems work that should launch by next spring.
In addition, the regents endorsed a $5.5 million contract with Omaha-based Nebraska Philanthropic Trust to raise $225 million in private contributions toward the stadium project.
The overhaul is intended to give fans more elbow room, enhance the game-day experience and ensure the facility that turned 100 years old this year will remain structurally sound into its next century.
People are also reading…
“We are well aware of the size and scope and challenge of the project,” NU Athletic Director Trev Alberts said. “This is going to be hard.”
Much of the discussion among regents Thursday centered on how the massive project will be funded.
Regent Barbara Weitz of Omaha said she supported the project but was concerned about its size at the same time the university system is facing more than $50 million in budget cuts and has a $3 billion capital campaign ongoing.
“I have been going to games since I was 6 years old and know how important Husker athletics are,” she said. “But I’m deeply concerned about the amount of money we are expecting to raise from a lot of the same people. And especially I'm concerned about committing this much money to a project I know very little details about."
Regent Jim Scheer of Norfolk expressed concern about construction getting out in front of money raised. He wanted to make sure there are "off ramps" if the funding falls short, saying the construction process should “follow the funds.”
“I just want to make sure we don’t get caught behind the eight ball,” he said.
Weitz and Scheer were assured by University of Nebraska President Ted Carter and other university officials that the school will be back before the regents with detailed construction and funding plans before the next phase of construction begins.
“We will not put a shovel in the ground until we have raised all private dollars necessary,” Regent Tim Clare of Lincoln assured.
Plans call for half the $450 million cost of the stadium overhaul to be raised from private donors. Under the $5.5 million contract approved by the regents Thursday, that responsibility falls to Omaha-based Nebraska Philanthropic Trust.
Alberts had previously worked with the Omaha nonprofit's founder, Sue Morris, to raise money for athletic facilities at UNO. She managed the private donor drives that raised half the $82 million cost of Baxter Arena and the entire $24 million cost for the school’s baseball and softball complex.
The NU athletic department hired Nebraska Philanthropic Trust early in the project planning process to provide strategy development, research and fundraising consulting on the project.
The agreement approved Thursday continues that relationship by making the nonprofit responsible for raising private donations.
The agreement calls for Nebraska Philanthropic Trust to be paid sums between $137,500 and $275,000 monthly through December 2025 as it works to raise the funds.
Clare, chairman of the regents, acknowledged in an interview the fundraising contract is a lot of money. But he noted the size of the fundraising task and the strong reputation and connections Nebraska Philanthropic Trust has within the Omaha business and philanthropic community.
"We have a tall order," Clare said. "So it's gonna to take a lot of work, and it's gonna take a lot of expertise to handle that. Unfortunately, that comes with a price tag sometimes."
Regent Elizabeth O'Connor of Omaha said in talking to university officials, she received assurances that the university can cancel the contract if Nebraska Philanthropic Trust “is not performing according to our standards.”
When it comes to other funding for the project, at least $100 million more will come from athletic funds, including $50 million in donor-given reserves and $50 million from currently generated revenues.
Where the final $125 million will come from remains to be seen. Alberts has not ruled out seeking public funds for the project. But he made clear the school would not tap any of the tax dollars, tuition or student fees that currently fund the university.
The NU athletic department has historically been so successful generating dollars on its own that it does not receive any tax dollar, tuition or student fee support — one of just a handful of college athletic programs that can make that claim.
Since 1923, fall Saturdays in Nebraska have meant a packed Memorial Stadium decked out in red, an experience that has united Nebraskans for generations. But game day in Lincoln for most fans also means cramming in together shoulder-to-shoulder on outdated, narrow bench seating.
The preliminary plans approved by the regents Thursday call for the total demolition of South Stadium. It will be replaced by a new multiple-level grandstand featuring a new student section and back concourse where students can gather and mingle, new premium seating with lounge areas, and general seating with chair backs.
Clare praised the plan for putting students first, noting today’s students are the business and community leaders of tomorrow, as well as the parents of the next generation of Huskers.
“As a lifelong Nebraskan myself and a lifelong Husker fan, I’m excited to see this vision come together,” Clare said.
Plans similarly call for chairback seats to replace benches in the East and West Stadiums, and there would be restroom, concession and accessibility upgrades throughout the stadium. For the first time, fans on the field level will have 360-degree concourse access around the stadium.
The improvements also will mean displacement of some 23,000 fans in South Stadium for one or two seasons beginning in 2025, plus a permanent reduction of the stadium’s seating capacity to the mid-70,000s.
Major construction is set to launch in January 2025 with the demolition of South Stadium. That will make South Stadium unavailable for the 2025 season, and possibly in 2026 if the August 2026 goal for completion is not attained.
The completion of the “Go Big” project — providing a new locker room and training facilities for football, as well as academic support and a training table for athletes in all sports — has opened up other space within the stadium that formerly served those purposes.
Alberts said plans already call for turning over space in East Stadium for academic use. Clare said he is excited to see how academic programs are incorporated into the stadium project.
"The prospect of it is a huge thing," Clare said.
Clare also noted football helps drive interest among students, gets alumni and donors more excited and helps make the university more competitive.
A renovated Memorial Stadium also provides numerous opportunities to generate more dollars, which Alberts said is critical at a time financial demands are increasing.
While it started off as a stadium improvement project, Alberts told the regents it evolved into a long-term business strategy for the entire athletic department. He said it’s critical to the department’s continued financial independence and ability to invest in the school’s successful women’s athletic programs.
“This is about the future, the next 25 to 50 years,” Alberts said.
Though fans will be disrupted in the 2025 season, Memorial Stadium's $450 million renovation aims to make Nebraska "the best place to watch a college football game." Here's all we know so far about the revamp.