How (and why) Nebraska, 1890 built the ‘Big Red Preview’

On Saturday evening, the Nebraska football team will go through its practice routine as normal.

Their stretches won’t change. Neither will the drills or the stations that players run to throughout practice. The quarterbacks will throw passes, whistles will blow and shoulder pads will thump against each other.

With one noticeable difference. Fans will be watching.

Nebraska football and its official NIL collective, the 1890 Initiative, partnered together to create a major fundraising opportunity where fans will be able to purchase $25 tickets to attend the practice. The event, billed as the “Big Red Preview,” begins at 6 p.m. on Saturday with practice set to start at 6:30 p.m.

“I hope that people have the opportunity on Saturday night to come to practice,” head coach Matt Rhule said Tuesday. “Moving forward in this new model we have to find ways to raise revenue and support 1890. They’ve gone above and beyond and this is a great way to do that, support our roster and support our student-athletes.”

In Nebraska’s quest to continue raising funds for its NIL budget, Rhule said he did not want to charge for anything that had previously been free, such as fan days. The Husker coach said everyone in attendance on Saturday — including his wife, Julie, and parents of players — will purchase a ticket with the goal of raising funds for 1890.

According to 1890 CEO Carson Schott, lengthy conversations between the organization and the Huskers Athletic Fund were necessary to plan the event — along with the support of Rhule and the Nebraska Athletic Department.

“It’s difficult to hand out money with nothing in return — we do need that — but we wanted an event fans could take part in to support our NIL initiatives,” Schott told the Journal Star. “Any time you can have something like this open to the public, it means it’s definitely going to be our best-attended fundraising event that we’re going to have all year long.”

Schott said that several speakers, including athletic director Troy Dannen, Rhule and 1890 president Matt Davison will address the crowd at the event, while special video presentations will be shown on the HuskerVision boards within Memorial Stadium.

“It’s going to be a really, really neat event and we’re hoping to make it an annual event,” Schott said. “Hopefully we drive enough attendance where we feel like, ‘Hey, this is worth revisiting every year.’”

In addition to raising funds for Nebraska’s NIL budget, fans will also get an early look at the 2024 Nebraska football team. Rhule said Tuesday that he wanted fans to “see the way that we practice,” referring to the program’s high-energy setup where players sprint from station to station with little idle time.

Schott said he knows attending such an event is a financial commitment for individuals and for families — but he hopes that those in attendance leave Memorial Stadium impressed with what they’ve witnessed.

“To see these guys work and see how the process is done, I think it’s going to enlighten and excite fans,” Schott said. “I know the first time I saw a coach Rhule practice, I was like, ‘Holy smokes, these guys are working hard.’ I think once fans see this, they’re going to be super excited for the season.”