Husker football game-day information announced for 2023

The Nebraska football team will kick off its home slate Sept. 16 versus the Northern Illinois Huskies.

Fans are reminded to arrive early and plan ahead to find an appropriate parking location, entrance gate, restroom, concession stand and postgame meeting place. They are also advised to stay hydrated and follow the instructions of security and safety officials. Each fan is allowed to bring in a clear, empty water bottle, but it may be inspected.

Nebraska has a clear-bag policy for all ticketed sporting events. Details are available here. Clear backpacks, string bags, rues and fanny packs are prohibited.

Exceptions will be made for approved medical needs. Medical bags or equipment can be inspected and tagged at any stadium gate. For questions about medical equipment or other needs, contact the Nebraska Athletic Event Management and Operations Office at 402-472-1003 or click here.

Guests carrying bags that do not meet the criteria will be asked to return them to their vehicles, hotel rooms or homes. Fans also may transfer their personal items into a provided, clear, Ziploc-style bag and discard the bag that does not meet the guidelines.

Guests can carry personal items in their pockets or jackets. These include keys, makeup, feminine products, combs, phones, wallets and credit cards. Attendees also may bring blankets into the stadium by carrying them over a shoulder or arm. Guests who don’t have a bag can use the express entry lanes at Gates 2, 4, 10, 12, 14, 16 and 20.

Game-day information

• Gates 1, 6, 8, 18, 19 and 21 will close shortly after kickoff. If a gate is closed, fans can use the next open gate to gain access into the stadium. Fans will be required to open outer garments for visual inspection upon entry.

• Fans who have mobile tickets are encouraged to save them to their Apple Wallet or Google Pay apps before arrival on game day. For more information and step-by-step videos on mobile tickets and how to transfer them, click here.

• Tickets at all gates will be scanned with an optical reader for entry and re-entry. No entry is allowed after the start of the fourth quarter.

• Fans will again have the ability to utilize Memorial Stadium’s text-messaging service. For fan assistance, text to 402-472-0800. Standard text-message rates will apply.

• University of Nebraska–Lincoln students will be seated in Sections 9 through 13B in the southeast corner of Memorial Stadium. All student seating is general admission. Students will need to enter the gate printed on their ticket (Gate 23 or 24) and sit in the corresponding seating area. All student tickets are delivered to their mobile device, which will be scanned at the gate for admission. Students are encouraged to save their mobile tickets to their Apple Wallet or Google Pay apps before arrival on game day. Tickets must be scanned in and out like a regular ticket. Student ticket transfers may be done with other students enrolled at the university. All transfers are done electronically from ticket accounts here. Student-to-student transfers are delivered as a mobile ticket to the receiving students’ account. Students may not transfer tickets to non-students.

• Fans are asked to help the Go Green for Big Red recycling program by depositing plastic bottles and cups in marked recycling bins near trash receptacles.

• Memorial Stadium gates open 90 minutes before kickoff, and ticket holders are encouraged to enter the gate number printed on their tickets. Fans are encouraged to travel light when trying to gain entry to Memorial Stadium, as all fans and their belongings are subject to inspection at stadium entrances. Fans are encouraged to review the list of prohibited items here. All prohibited items must be discarded at the gate or returned to a vehicle, hotel room or home. Unattended bags are prohibited.

• Husker Fan Zone (formerly the Husker Nation Pavilion) has been relocated due to the Go Big project. A scaled-down version will be available outside Gates 22 and 23, near the southeast corner of the stadium. It will open three hours before kickoff and close 30 minutes before kickoff.

• Food and beverage vendors, along with sponsorship activations, will be open to the public outside the east and west sides of the stadium. Food and beverages from approved vendors are allowed inside the stadium.

Memorial Stadium policies

• The Athletic Ticket Office will open four hours before kickoff except for 11 a.m. games, when it will open at 8 a.m.

• The Huskers Shop will open three to five hours before kickoff, depending on start time. Outside locations and pop-up shops inside the stadium will also be available.

• Mobile tickets will be accepted; tickets can be stored on mobile devices and scanned at the gates.

• Outside chairbacks are not allowed in Memorial Stadium. About 20,000 chairback seats will be available for rental at $5 each. Seat cushions are permitted if they are a plain cushion with no straps, zippers or back rest.

• Escalator and elevator access will be restricted to fans holding tickets to their specific ticketed areas.

• The university prohibits the use of all smoking, tobacco and vaping products on its properties. Learn more.

• Possessing dangerous weapons, including knives and firearms, on any university property is a violation of Nebraska state law and the university’s weapons policy. The following items are also prohibited in Memorial Stadium: bags that do not meet the clear-bag policy above, glass, cans, coolers, beverage containers, video cameras, open umbrellas and pets. At the discretion of game management, other items are subject to being prohibited. People will be asked to return prohibited items to their vehicles, hotel rooms or homes. Unattended bags are prohibited, and Nebraska Athletics will not store personal belongings on site. The use of selfie sticks inside Memorial Stadium is prohibited and may result in confiscation of the device if seen used. Camera use is permitted. Learn more.

• Food and beverages from approved game-day vendors selling on university grounds are allowed inside the stadium. All other food and beverages are prohibited. Certain situations may arise (e.g., extreme heat) that initiate exceptions to this policy. The university and the athletic department will communicate to the public if exceptions will be made.

• Alcoholic beverages of any type are not allowed in the stadium. In addition, consumption of alcohol is prohibited in city and university parking lots and property.

• The university does not permit the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) on or over the campus on football game days.

• Throwing of any object in the stadium is prohibited. Any person throwing any object is subject to immediate removal from the stadium. Rules allow game officials to penalize the home team if objects are thrown onto the playing field.

• Nebraska event staff or security personnel can help with any problems fans may encounter. If fans become separated from family or friends, they should report to any First Aid station or Guest Services booth for assistance.

• Lost-and-found areas are in the Guest Relations and Security offices in both the East and West stadiums.

Parking and traffic policies and procedures

• Most parking lots on City Campus are reserved for those who have paid reservations on game days. Most lots surrounding the stadium have been converted to reserved stalls, with patrons assigned to specific numbered stalls. Paid public parking on City Campus is available at $25 per stall. Visa, Mastercard and Discover will be accepted. Cash will not be accepted.

• Parking and Transit Services now offers advance parking reservations for campus events, including home football games. Reservations may be completed on a mobile device or computer through the ParkMobile app. For details, click here.

• Parking for people with disabilities is available for $25 per vehicle on a first-come, first-served basis in the Lot 9 parking garage at the corner of Salt Creek Roadway and North 14th Street; east of Morrill Hall; at 14th and R streets; and at 15th and S streets. Lot 9 has a free cart-shuttle service to the stadium for mobility-impaired guests. This shuttle is radio-equipped and will run to and from the stadium before the game and beginning at the start of the fourth quarter. Shuttles will be limited to specific drop-off and pickup locations (north and east) and will not transport a guest outside the predefined route. If guests are not able to make it to their vehicle or gate entry point outside this route, medical personnel can be called to the location for assistance. Charter and shuttle-bus parking is available on W Street between 14th and 16th streets.

• Parking lots will open at 6 a.m. for games with kickoff scheduled before 6 p.m.; for games that start at 6 p.m. or later, lots will open at 11 a.m. Lots at Haymarket Park will open at 6 a.m. for games with kickoff scheduled at 11 a.m; for all other kickoff times, these lots will open at 8 a.m.

• Faculty and staff permit parking areas — including reserved, non-reserved and garages — are reassigned on home football game days. Campus parking permit holders cannot park in most standard assigned parking areas during game-day preparation and activities. Parking areas close at 10 p.m. the night before a home game. Vehicles parked in violation of campus rules can be ticketed and towed. Vehicles with faculty and staff event stickers or hangtag permits may park in these areas on game days: the surface lots at 16th and X streets (east side of 16th Street near the Boathouse) and 1700 Y St.; the perimeter lot at 15th and Court streets; and the Devaney Sports Center lots at 16th and Court streets. For more information, contact Parking and Transit Services at 402-472-1800 or unlpts@unl.edu or click here.

• Stadium Drive, the street on the west side of the stadium, will be closed on game days.

• StarTran will offer the Big Red Express shuttle service to and from the stadium from sites around Lincoln. For additional information and updated pricing, click here or call 402-476-1234. Game-by-game and season passes are available, with drop-off and pick-up close to the stadium.

• Fan drop-off attempts around the stadium are prohibited. Uber, Lyft and taxi drop-offs and pickups will be at 14th and Vine streets.

• Up-to-date statewide road information can be found here. Highway conditions and a brief weather report can be obtained by calling 511 on a landline or cellphone.

• Fans should be mindful of city road and building construction near the stadium.

• Stadium Drive is closed from T to V streets beginning at 6 a.m. on game days. Access to Lots 1, 3, 4 and 6 are via T Street. No vehicles will have access to the southbound Ninth Street roundabout pre- and postgame.

• For suggested driving routes to leave the stadium area, click here. Athletic officials and the University Police Department work closely with Waze to plan appropriate game-day traffic patterns. Fans are encouraged to download the Waze app.