2005 Husker Nation Tour Kicks Off in Kansas City

Lincoln, Neb. ? University of Nebraska Athletic Department officials and First National of Nebraska announced plans Wednesday for the "2005 Husker Nation Tour--Beyond the Borders." The popular event, brought to you by First National of Nebraska, will tip off this year in Kansas City, on Wednesday, March 9, the day before the men’s basketball team opens Big 12 Tournament play at Kemper Arena. The women’s first-round tournament game in Kansas City’s Municipal Stadium will be Tuesday, March 8 (vs. Oklahoma State at 8:30 p.m.), while the men will play Missouri on Thursday, March 10, at 11:30 a.m.

The March 9 kickoff for the Tour will take place at Blue Valley North High School in Overland Park (12200 Lamar Ave.). Athletic Director Steve Pederson will be the featured keynote speaker. He will be joined by several members of the Husker Athletic Department staff including, Executive Associate A.D. Marc Boehm, Associate A.D. for Football Operations Tim Cassidy and Assistant Director of Development Tommie Frazier. All-Pro NFL greats and former Husker All-Americans Will Shields and Neil Smith round out the list of celebrity guests. Cassidy will show a video featuring the 2005 NU football recruiting class, and members of the Husker yell squad, pep band and ?Lil Red will also be on hand for the festivities. The event is co-sponsored by the Kansas City Alumni Chapter (current president is Jen McNamara).

Doors open at 5 p.m. and the program is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. Pizza, breadsticks, pop and dessert will be served following the program. Each ticket costs $10. Fans can still make reservations by emailing McNamara at jennifer.mcnamara@mail.sprint.com. Door prizes, including two tickets to the home opener against Maine, will be given away during the program.

"The University of Nebraska has more than 3,000 alums living in the Kansas City area, and as we discussed plans to bring the Husker Nation Tour to all our fans across the country, this seemed like the perfect place and time to start," Pederson said. "The Husker Nation Tour was designed as a great opportunity for us to personally thank our fans for everything they have done for us and for the Husker Nation to get to know our staff, coaches and players. It has been a tremendous success in the past and we are thrilled to have the support of our First National partners for this exciting event."

Nebraska also intends to build on the previous two Husker Nation Tours that took place within the state boundaries with a Nebraska Tour set for Thursday, June 9. Details of the 2005 Nebraska Husker Nation Tour will be released in the upcoming weeks, however, Pederson, athletic department representatives, head football coach Bill Callahan and his staff as well as Husker football players will take part in the 2005 Nebraska tour.

First National of Nebraska is one of the largest bank holding companies headquartered west of the Mississippi River. First National and its affiliates have $16 billion in managed assets and over 7,000 employees located across the United States. Primary banking offices are located in Nebraska, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, South Dakota and Texas.

The 2003 tour sent five different groups to 15 cities. The Tour nearly doubled in 2004 as five groups hit 26 cities spanning across the state. As the Husker Nation Tour embarks on its third year, it has already reached more than 25,000 people.