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14 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER 2016
emorial Stadium hasn't always been the home
of Cornhusker football; it just seems that way.
Between 1909 and 1922, the team played at
Nebraska Field, more or less at the same location
as the present-day stadium. The field ran east-west instead
of north-south.
Nebraska Field was packed with 16,000 fans for the
stadium's final game, a 14-6 Nebraska victory over Notre
Dame on November 30, 1922. Nebraska had a big rivalry
with Coach Knute Rockne's Fighting Irish, and games
between the two teams were always well-attended.
Today, good seats at Memorial Stadium cost a lot of
money. At Nebraska Field, cheapskate fans could watch the
game with a little creativity and determination. In the photo
at right, spectators perch on rooftops, ladders, makeshift
scaffolding, a tree just outside the stadium and even a
telephone pole. By comparison, the top of the stadium
awning was a veritable luxury box.
How did people get up on the awning, anyway? A photo
from a different angle provides a clue. Notice the boards
nailed to the back corner post – they appear to be a crude
ladder. It's something for today's fans to ponder while
making the long climb to the East Stadium's lofty upper
deck. ■
Visit the Nebraska State Historical Society's website at
nebraskahistory.org.
A Brief History
Game Day 1922
By David L. Bristow, Nebraska State Historical Society
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On ladders, trees, poles, roofs, an awning (and even in the
bleachers!), Nebraska fans watch their team defeat Notre
Dame, November 30, 1922.
Another view, same day, of Nebraska Field's awning-covered bleachers.
