Memorial Stadium, Tom Osborne Field
Memorial Stadium, Tom Osborne Field, known as “The Sea of Red”, is a college football stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska, home of the Nebraska Cornhuskers, who play in the Big Ten of NCAA Division I FBS. It opened in 1923, making it 103 years old in 2026 and seats 85,458 fans. That makes it the 13th-largest stadium in FBS.
The team plays on artificial turf. Its record crowd is 91,585 for football (2014); 92,003 for volleyball (2023).
Stadium facts
- Location
- Lincoln, Nebraska
- Home of
- Nebraska Cornhuskers
- School
- University of Nebraska–Lincoln
- Conference
- Big Ten
- Subdivision
- Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS)
- Opened
- 1923
- Capacity
- 85,458
- Playing surface
- Artificial turf
- Nickname
- The Sea of Red
- Record crowd
- 91,585 for football (2014); 92,003 for volleyball (2023)
- Size rank in FBS
- 13th of 138
Famous games at Memorial Stadium, Tom Osborne Field
- 1923: Nebraska beat Oklahoma 24-0 in the stadium's first game
- 1986: Nebraska beat Florida State 34-17 in the first night game
Game day
Tradition. The Huskers take the field via the Tunnel Walk to 'Sirius,' and fans release red balloons after Nebraska's first score.
Tailgating. Fans tailgate in the stalls of permitted lots around the stadium, staying in front of or behind their own space.
Parking. Lots next to the stadium are reserved for Huskers Athletic Fund donors with permits; lots open at 6 a.m. for day games, and the Lot 9 garage offers accessible parking.
Seating & views
Memorial Stadium seats 85,458, a figure set in 2017 when bleacher seats were widened. The bowl is fully enclosed, with West Stadium holding the press box, skyboxes and club seating, North Stadium adding luxury boxes, and East Stadium's 2013 expansion bringing upper-level seats with built-in backrests. Elsewhere seating is mostly benches, and personal backrests are banned, though rentals cost $10. Students sit in the Boneyard in the southeast corner. Nebraska's sellout streak dates to 1962. A $600 million Big Red Rebuild of South Stadium starts after the 2026 season and will remove about 5,000 seats by 2028.
Parking & tailgating
Most stadium lots, including Lots 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 12, 23, 24 and 26, are reserved for donors. The Lot 9 garage at 14th and Avery is the main accessible option at $25 per game. StarTran's Big Red Express is not running in 2026, and iPronto runs shuttles from four Lincoln locations instead. RVs use public lots such as Lot 56 for a fee. Nebraska is technically a dry campus. Many fans gather downtown instead, in the Railyard entertainment district near Pinnacle Bank Arena. The free Cornhusker Kickoff fan fest opens four hours before kickoff. Check Huskers.com game day info, since details change.
Seating and parking sources: huskers.com, huskers.com, en.wikipedia.org.
Plan your trip to Memorial Stadium, Tom Osborne Field
Stadiums near Memorial Stadium, Tom Osborne Field10
- 1FBSBill Snyder Family Football Stadium — Kansas State Wildcats 109 mi
- 2FCSDakotaDome — South Dakota Coyotes 137 mi
- 3FBSDavid Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium — Kansas Jayhawks 149 mi
- 4FCSDrake Stadium — Drake Bulldogs 171 mi
- 5FBSJack Trice Stadium — Iowa State Cyclones 180 mi
- 6FCSDana J. Dykhouse Stadium — South Dakota State Jackrabbits 243 mi
- 7FCSUNI-Dome — Northern Iowa Panthers 251 mi
- 8FBSFaurot Field at Memorial Stadium — Missouri Tigers 265 mi
- 9FBSKinnick Stadium — Iowa Hawkeyes 273 mi
- 10FBSRobert W. Plaster Stadium — Missouri State Bears 308 mi
Questions about Memorial Stadium, Tom Osborne Field
Where do the Nebraska Cornhuskers play home games?
The Nebraska Cornhuskers play at Memorial Stadium, Tom Osborne Field in Lincoln, Nebraska.
How many people does Memorial Stadium, Tom Osborne Field hold?
Memorial Stadium, Tom Osborne Field has a capacity of 85,458.
When did Memorial Stadium, Tom Osborne Field open?
Memorial Stadium, Tom Osborne Field opened in 1923.
What is Memorial Stadium, Tom Osborne Field’s nickname?
Memorial Stadium, Tom Osborne Field is known as “The Sea of Red.”
What is the attendance record at Memorial Stadium, Tom Osborne Field?
The record crowd at Memorial Stadium, Tom Osborne Field is 91,585 for football (2014); 92,003 for volleyball (2023).
Where do fans tailgate at Memorial Stadium, Tom Osborne Field?
Fans tailgate in the stalls of permitted lots around the stadium, staying in front of or behind their own space.
Where do I park for games at Memorial Stadium, Tom Osborne Field?
Lots next to the stadium are reserved for Huskers Athletic Fund donors with permits; lots open at 6 a.m. for day games, and the Lot 9 garage offers accessible parking.
Does Memorial Stadium, Tom Osborne Field have grass or turf?
Memorial Stadium, Tom Osborne Field has an artificial turf field.
Facts are for the 2026 season. Distances are straight-line miles between city centers. Capacity figures vary by source. See something wrong? Let us know. Is this your stadium? Get the “Listed on All Football Stadiums” badge for your website.