Nebraska volleyball match at Memorial Stadium sells out

When the Nebraska volleyball program announced in February it would take its show to the 85,000-seat Memorial Stadium, a question popped into mind.

Just how big of a crowd would the first-of-its-kind outdoor match attract?

The answer came three days into ticket sales and four months before the Aug. 30 match.

The Huskers are going to play a volleyball match in front of more than 85,000 spectators (weather permitting, of course).

That will make “Volleyball Day in Nebraska” one of the largest crowds ever for a women’s sporting event.

On Thursday, the Nebraska Athletic Department announced a sellout, and that 82,900 tickets have been sold. That number does not include field-level seating, indoor club seating, media or event staff.

And Nebraska Athletic Director Trev Alberts has asked the athletic ticket office to keep trying to see if they can get a few more people in.

Most of the tickets were sold on Tuesday and Wednesday, but Thursday was the first chance for UNL students and some other groups to get their tickets.

In a video with Nebraska coach John Cook and Alberts shot on the 50-yard line at Memorial Stadium, Cook said he was stunned by what had happened.

“Right now we’re all having an out-of-body experience,” Cook said. “It’s overwhelming to see what’s happened the last two days. As you know, I was doubtful. But when (University of Nebraska President Ted Carter) got up there and said, ‘We’re selling this thing out,’ I started believing then.”

Approximately 17,900 of the tickets were claimed on Tuesday by volleyball season-ticket holders.

Alberts asked the ticket staff to keep working.

“Let’s look at every possible area we can open up,” he said. “Let’s bring in as many fans as we can. This has blown us away. We’re going to do everything we can to allow anybody who wants to be a part of this special day to be a part of it.”

The crowd will be at least four times the current attendance record for a college match — 18,755 attended the Nebraska vs. Wisconsin national championship match in Columbus, Ohio, in 2021.

Last season, Wisconsin set the record for a regular-season match when 16,833 watched the Badgers play at their basketball arena, the Kohl Center.

Alberts saw a basketball arena, and raised with a football stadium. As of now, the outdoor match is a one-time event.

The Memorial Stadium match will include more than just the Huskers. At 4:30 p.m., Nebraska-Kearney and Wayne State will play an exhibition match (Aug. 30 falls before the NCAA Division II regular season begins).

And after Nebraska’s 7 p.m. match, there will be a concert featuring a yet-to-be-announced national recording artist. If approved by the NU Board of Regents, there will be alcohol sales, similar to the Garth Brooks concert at the stadium in 2021.

When discussions began about an outdoor match, Cook was hesitant. He asked assistant Jaylen Reyes if he thought they could get 20,000 fans. Reyes told him they would get 40,000-plus. It turns out that was underestimating Nebraska fans, too.

As Cook traveled the nation the past two months for recruiting and the beach volleyball season, he got the feeling this was going to be bigger than he imagined.

“I think this is an event where everyone wants to say, ‘Hey, I was there,’” Cook said.

The largest crowd to attend a women’s sporting event in the U.S. was 90,185 for the 1999 Women’s World Cup Final between the U.S. and China at Rose Bowl Stadium. That remained a world record until 91,553 surpassed it when Barcelona played Real Madrid in Spain in 2022.