Memorial Stadium Construction Update

Tom and Nancy Osborne Athletic Complex
Sampson crews are pouring concrete on all floors of the Tom and Nancy Osborne Athletic Complex. The floors are 70 percent completed at this time. Three cranes are working to bring the Osborne Complex along on schedule. The tallest one is used to place the steel columns which are nearly all placed. The middle sized one is placing the pre cast panels on the face of the building. The pre cast from third floor up to the seventh floor is expected to be installed next week. The smaller crane is being used to move supplies and tools for the workers. Only four more raker beams are left to be installed to support the new seats. The seats will appear to be ready but won’t be available for use this year because the exits are not in place. Once the last home game is played the ramps will be torn down and the new exiting will be put into place. Interior walls are beginning to go up on level two for football offices and on level three for administrative offices. The parking lot north of the Osborne Complex will be resurfaced just in time for the start of the fall semester.

Howard and Rhonda Hawks Championship Center
The state fire marshal has inspected and approved the fire alarm system clearing the way for limited use of the field for practice while the remainder of the building is still under construction. Eight-foot high padding needs to be installed around the edge of the building before the players will be allowed to practice inside. This should be completed by mid-August. FieldTurf is being installed in the Howard and Rhonda Hawks Championship Center which identical to the new FieldTurf in Memorial Stadium. Crews are installing air handling units to allow air movement and a temporary path of crushed rock in the southeast corner will allow the team to move from the outdoor field to the indoor field.

The Howard and Rhonda Hawks Championship Center field will soon be ready for the Huskers as needed.  Taking great pride in their work and meeting and exceeding established deadlines, Sampson Construction accelerated this portion of the project for the benefit of the football program.  This allows for occupation of the indoor field nearly a year earlier than what was required by contract.

FieldTurf is also putting the finishing touches on the Memorial Stadium turf.  The athletic department goal was to honor the tradition of Memorial Stadium in the early years of Coach Bob Devaney.  Pictures of Memorial Stadium in the 1960s, prior to the turf being installed in 1970 showed that the grass was often moved in the traditional way that created an alternating pattern.  Associate Athletic Director Boyd Epley asked FieldTurf to emulate that natural grass look and that is exactly what FieldTurf accomplished.  Nebraska is the only school in the country with this exact pattern of FieldTurf.  There is no paint on the field, instead, the numbers, red N in the middle, and letters in the end zone, are sewn in place.