Miscellaneous
Memorial Stadium/Football Postcards
updated 05/11/2007

A collection of postcards covering Memorial Stadium, the Cornhuskers, or Husker Football in general. Any assistance in obtaining more scans is greatly appreciated. I an adding larger scans as I collect postcards of my own, some of the latest additions are thumb-nailed for a larger view.  I have added a souvenir set from the 1941 Rose Bowl game below, with the help of Bob Ihrig - thanks Bob!

     Memorial Stadium was built in 1923 with an original seating capacity of 12,000.  The first game played in the stadium was 24-0 victory over Oklahoma on October 13, 1923.  It was officially dedicated the following week on October 20th, during a scoreless tie between Nebraska and the Kansas Jayhawks.  The capacity was expanded to 31,000 by the end of 1923.  It was named to honor those who had fallen in The Great War, later to be known as World War I.  The four corners of the facade are inscribed as follows:

Southeast: In commendation of the men of Nebraska who served and fell in the Nation’s Wars.
Southwest: Not the victory but the action; Not the goal but the game; In the deed of the glory.
Northwest: Courage; Generosity; Fairness; Honor; In these are the true awards of manly sport.
Northeast: Their lives they held their country’s trust; they kept its faith; they died its heroes.

     Construction of the Schulte Memorial Field house was started in 1941, but was postponed due to World War II.  It was completed in 1946.  The central entry featured the scoreboard and game clock on the facade.

     The South Endzone was added in 1964, bringing the seating capacity to 48,000 and giving the stadium a horseshoe appearance.  The center of the North Endzone was added in 1965, bringing the capacity to more than 53,000, followed by the addition of the remainder of the North Endzone, which brought the capacity to more than 65,000.

     A new press box was added in 1967, complete with a guest section.  1970 saw the first astroturf, followed by the addition of 9,400 seats to the South Endzone in 1972, and the completion of the Athletic office building in 1973.  The astroturf was later replaced in 1977, 1984, and 1992.

     The 1980's saw many renovations.  A new west stadium weight room and visitors locker rooms (in Schulte Field House) were added in 1981.   The Schulte Fieldhouse indoor practice area was expanded in 1982.  1985 saw the completion of the Hewitt Center (dining area/study hall) in the West Stadium, followed by an expansion of the strength complex and Hewitt Center in 1989.

     The 90's brought many more improvements.  Installation of Mitsubishi Instant Replay boards and remodeling of Section 14 to accommodate disabled, reduced seating to 72,700 in 1994.  In 1995, the South Stadium training room was remodeled and new interview room and player lounge completed during season.  In 1997, groundbreaking began on a $36-million stadium improvement project to take place over a two-year period. East concourse was renovated with new restrooms and concessions and the stadium lights were installed on the east side.  The stadium was rededicated in 1998 and the football field was named in honor of Hall of Fame Coach Tom Osborne on April 24, who retired as the winningest active coach in college football, with a 255-49-3 career record. Lights were installed on the west side.  In 1999, the Stadium Improvement project was completed, including 42 skyboxes, a club seating area, stadium view lounge, new media facility and renovated concourses, concessions and restrooms, raising the capacity to 74,031.  Field Turf was installed in August, making Memorial Stadium the first Division I collegiate program to use the synthetic surface.

     More than 6,500 seats were added in the North Stadium as part of the 2006 Memorial Stadium Expansion Project, which will bring the historic stadium's capacity to 81,067. The impressive changes, including one of the largest in-stadium replay screens in the nation were evident on the opening day game of 2006 versus Louisiana Tech.

     As part of the expansion, Memorial Stadium gained an enlarged new North end with the addition of the Osborne Athletic Complex. The project not only includes a new home for Nebraska football, as the coaches' offices and players' locker room moved from the South Stadium to the North Stadium, it also includes the Charles and Romona Myers Performance Center.

     Enjoy the images of Memorial Stadium.  More will follow as I obtain more scans.  Read more about the history of Memorial Stadium from the source of much of the above information here at Huskers.com.