New Lights, Concourse Among Stadium Changes

New, state-of-the-art LED lights will hover over Memorial Stadium beginning this fall, keeping Nebraska on the cutting edge of technology in football stadiums.

John Ingram, Nebraska Associate Athletic Director for capital planning and construction, said the high-tech lighting will not only provide better, brighter lighting but also allow for some creativity with in-stadium productions.

“As we create shows for fan experience, this is really going to play into that now,” Ingram said. “We can integrate our new lighting system into the sound, into the Tunnel Walk, into other shows, where we couldn’t do that before.”

The LED lights are also more energy efficient and cost effective, with the ability to turn on instantly instead of slowly returning to full function over 15 minutes.  

The lighting project will cost $1.75 million, with construction of the 22 light fixtures on each of the eight poles to begin after Saturday’s Red-White Spring Game and be completed by the end of July.

Ingram said only a handful of college stadiums, including Michigan State, currently has LED lights, with new stadiums in Phoenix and Minneapolis using them among professional football teams. Nebraska has already installed LED lights in the Hawks Championship Center and hopes to make the same conversion at the Devaney Sports Center in future years.

Nebraska initially used portable lights for night football games beginning in 1986, when the Huskers defeated Florida State in the season opener in the first night game in Memorial Stadium history. The first permanent lights were installed in 1999 and haven’t been changed since.

Ingram said Nebraska began looking at new lighting systems a couple of years ago when its lighting company said it would soon cease supporting the current technology and no longer sell necessary parts. Nebraska purchased as many remaining parts as were available and was able to get through the 2017 season with no problems.

Also, fans in North Stadium on Saturday will notice construction that will expand the third-floor concourse. Ingram said the $1.8 million project should address fans’ No. 1 concern in that part of the stadium – access to restrooms and concessions.

North Stadium restrooms will increase by 33 percent – with the standard 3-to-1 women-to-men ratio – and will be located on the third floor of North Stadium, making the trip closer for thousands of fans.

Concessions will also be sold on the third floor of North Stadium.

“We’re continually trying to improve that, and I think this should take some of the pressure off the concourse,” Ingram said.

Construction will be complete before fall.

Workers will also begin repairing storm damage by replacing about a third of each of the roofs on the west and north sides of Memorial Stadium.

Also on Monday, construction will begin to install new FieldTurf on an outdoor practice field, replacing the current 10-year-old turf.

Reach Brian at brosenthal@huskers.com or follow him on Twitter @GBRosenthal.