Regents approve planning next steps at Memorial Stadium, naming ‘Osborne Legacy Complex’

The board agreed to spend $5 million with HDR for “conceptual design work,” what interim NU President Chris Kabourek called the “typical next step” ahead of the project’s next phase.

That money will be drawn from the $45 million approved last October for Phase 1 of the project, which included basic upgrades in accessibility and safety at the 100-year-old facility.

Kabourek also gave his assurance to regents that no work on Phase 2 would be authorized until a detailed construction and financing plan was brought to the board for its approval.

The ambitious $450 million redesign of the home of Husker football was unveiled by former Athletic Director Trev Alberts last fall, complete with a brand new South Stadium, new seats and amenities, as well as a concourse that will allow for greater mobility through the facility.

While regents signed off on the plan’s concept last fall, several members said they wanted to be able to approve the project at multiple points depending on fundraising levels.

Following Alberts’ departure to Texas A&M last month, as well as the hiring of Troy Dannen to lead Nebraska Athletics a week later, Kabourek said NU has fielded several questions about the future of the Memorial Stadium project.

The interim president, who is also NU’s vice president for business and finance, said it was important to give Dannen “the time and space to do his due diligence and get fully up to speed on the project.

“I know he’s looking at this every day from the lens of what makes sense for Nebraska and, to quote Troy, ‘Is this going to help us win?'” Kabourek added. “And is it the very best use of resources at Husker Athletics?”

Kabourek said Dannen was taking “the right approach” to reviewing the project, and suggested the plan could be altered to better fit the current needs.

The home for Husker football now bears the name of its most successful coach.

The University of Nebraska Board of Regents unanimously approved a plan to rename the “Go Big” facility after former coach and athletic director Tom Osborne on Friday.

The “Osborne Legacy Complex,” which connects to the northeast corner of Memorial Stadium, features outdoor practice fields, a new weight room, training table and offices for the Nebraska Athletic Performance Lab.

The $165 million, 315,000-square-foot facility first proposed in 2019 also has offices for sports psychology and sports medicine, academic resources for student-athletes, and the Huskers’ training table.

Kabourek said naming the facility after Osborne recognizes the impact he had on Husker football, the athletic department and university as a whole.

“This is a fitting honor,” Kabourek said.

Regents also approved naming the ice rink at Baxter Arena in Omaha after longtime University of Nebraska at Omaha hockey coach Mike Kemp.

Now the executive associate athletic director for the Mavericks, Kemp is considered “the godfather” of UNO hockey, according to Kabourek.

Kemp started at UNO in 1996 and served as head coach until 2009 before transitioning into an administrative role. He announced his retirement earlier this year.

The Mavericks’ home venue will now bear the name of the Michael Kemp Ice Rink at the request of donors.

UNO Chancellor Joanne Li called Kemp “a legend” whose reputation extended beyond Omaha and Nebraska, while UNO Athletic Director Adrian Dowell said Kemp was “one of the most influential figures in the history of college athletics.”

Omaha Regent Jack Stark said approval of the names honors two people who had an outsized impact on NU.

* Regents recognized the service of student regents Paul Pechous of UNL, Temo Molina of UNK, Hakim Lotaro of UNO, and Katie Schultis of UNMC during their final meeting of the year.

* The board accepted a $5 million donation to help pay for the construction of a courtyard, terrace, and “deployable wall” at UNL’s Architecture Hall, and also approved naming a new wing on the north side of the building the “HDR Pavilion.”