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"Through these gates pass the greatest fans in college football."
Chances are, if you’ve been to a Nebraska football game, you’ve noticed these signs above every gate into Memorial Stadium. It’s a pretty bold statement when you think about it. So what is it that makes Husker football fans so great? I think it boils down to three reasons: 1) devotion to our team; 2) knowledge of the game; and 3) respect for opponents and their fans.
Those of you who’ve had the opportunity to see a Husker game at Memorial Stadium sometime during the last 44 years are a part of history. Since November 1962, Memorial Stadium has sold out every game. That’s over 300 consecutive home sellouts. Winning nearly 90% of these games sure helps endear fans to a team. Beyond the winning, Nebraskans take to their Husker football team because we don’t have a pro sports team and we don’t have another major college football program in the state. Therefore, the Huskers get our full support, turning Memorial Stadium into the state’s third largest city on game days. Watching a Husker game is a very different experience than watching basketball, soccer, poker, or a tennis match. It is football that is closest to Husker hearts.
Nebraska football fans pride themselves on their knowledge of the game as well as Husker football history. Ask any NU fan what years the Huskers won National Championships and they’ll quickly reply, “1970, ‘71, ‘94, ‘95, and ‘97.” They’ll go on to say, “We would have had a title in 1983 if we make the two-point conversion or if we would have kicked an extra point. Then we had a shot in 1993 but Byron Bennett’s field goal attempt missed badly.”
If you have the opportunity to visit Memorial Stadium and you’re rooting for the “other” team, don’t be surprised to be treated well by Husker fans. You’ll notice that the Husker Faithful clap when an injured player is helped off the field, not only for our boys, but for yours, too. And if you stick around until the end of the game, you’ll hear Husker fans clap when your team runs off the field. That’s our way of saying “good game,” even though 90% of the time you'll head home disappointed. But we still appreciate the effort.
Over the years, the Husker Faithful have witnessed some great games, great teams, and great players. If you ask a Nebraska fan what Husker tradition means to them, you will no doubt get a variety of answers. To some it all comes down to winning. To others it's more about the way the team plays and conducts itself on and off the field. And yet others might tell you it has more to do with the great fan support. But however you define tradition, Nebraska football would have to be included in the Top 10 of all schools for college football tradition. With programs such as USC, Notre Dame, Michigan, Ohio State, Alabama, Oklahoma, and Texas on that list, the Huskers are in great company.
Think about this, five National Championships, 43 conference championships, three Heisman Trophy winners, nine Outland Trophy winners, five Lombardi Award winners, and a growing list of All-Americans and Academic All-Americans. That’s a pretty impressive foundation for a college football program. Over the coming years, this list will only get better. That much is certain. Just as certain is the devotion to its team, knowledge of the game, and respect for an opponent and their fans that the Husker Faithful will show. There is no place like Nebraska. GO BIG RED!
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