Husker Nation Tour Set for Friday

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Lincoln ? Nebraska Athletic Director Steve Pederson and Head Football Coach Bill Callahan will travel to Omaha, Norfolk, Valentine, Chadron and Scottsbluff as a part of the 2004 Husker Nation Tour brought to you by First National Bank, before concluding the event in Lincoln on Friday, June 25.

Pederson and Callahan will open the tour with a send-off event at the First National Tower (16th and Dodge Streets) in Omaha from 7:30 to 8 a.m. (local contact Dean Kratz, 341-3070, and Nancy Lazer, 633-2240). The two will cover more ground than any other group, visiting six cities during the day and traveling as far west as Scottsbluff before returning to Lincoln for the festivities at SouthPointe Pavilions.

Jim Rose, entering his third year as the voice of Husker football on the Pinnacle Sports Network, will emcee each of the stops with Pederson and Callahan and will report back to Gary Sharp, who will host Sports Nightly from the SouthPointe Pavilions at 6 p.m.

Callahan and Pederson will travel to Norfolk for stop number two, where the Husker Nation Tour will kick off at 9:30 a.m. at the YMCA at 301 Benjamin Ave. (Mike Siemsglusz, 371-2662, and Donald Polodna, 371-1500). The tour will feature youth activities.

From Norfolk, the Huskers will move on to Valentine at 11:30 a.m. where the event will be held at the Peppermill (Dick Jeffers, 402-376-3390). The Husker Nation Tour will be free, but tickets will be sold for ($5 for two dinners). Tickets will be sold in advance at the Valentine Dental Clinic, Young’s and the Peppermill.

The tour will begin at the First National Bank parking lot at 1 p.m. (MT) in Chadron, and the bank will hold a tailgate party and provide hamburgers, chips and drinks free of charge beginning at 12:30 p.m. (Carl Larsen, 308-432-2711).

The Husker Nation Tour will roll into Scottsbluff at 3 p.m. (MT) at the Bearcat Stadium at 27th and Broadway. The First National Bank will serve Fairbury hotdogs, Nebraska shaped hamburgers, chips and drinks free of charge. The Gering Drill team will perform.

The full-day event will come to an end in Lincoln at the SouthPointe Pavilions and will be sponsored by First National Bank (Karen Underwood, 472-3016). Patrick Combs will emcee the event beginning at 7 p.m. until Callahan and Pederson arrive for the festivities at 7:30 p.m. Happy D Klown will have free cotton candy, drinks and Colby Ridge popcorn for fans, and Famous Dave’s will sell ribs, sandwiches and drinks at the event. Cold Stone Creamery will also sell a special ice cream creation. The Slyde Brothers band will kick off the event at 6:30 p.m. as a part of the SouthPointe Friday Nights Live Concert Series.

Callahan was named Nebraska’s 27th head coach on Jan. 9, bringing a wealth of NFL and collegiate experience to the Big Red program. Callahan came to Nebraska after two seasons as the head coach of the Oakland Raiders, where he led the Raiders to the AFC West title and Super Bowl XXXVII in 2002, to become just the fourth rookie head coach to lead his team to the Super Bowl.

Pederson began the Husker Nation Tour in 2003 and has made several stops along the way since Chancellor Harvey Perlman named Pederson as the University’s 12th athletic director on Dec. 20, 2002.

In less than one year at the helm, Pederson streamlined the athletic staff and budget, and lowered ticket prices. He declared the 2003-04 season the "Year of the Fan," and has made it clear that preserving Husker traditions and uniting Nebraska’s fans with its programs are crucial elements to the success of the department.

For weather-related updates and additional tour information on all stops of the 2004 Husker Nation Tour, visit Huskers.com.