Those guys wearing Runza hats at Nebraska football games? They’re being paid

Among the sea of red in Memorial Stadium this fall, a group of Husker fans in the student section have garnered attention for their infamous red and white overalls topped with Runza gear.

Around 30 guys get together each home game to cover themselves in red paint and overalls and top it off with ball caps from their sponsor, Runza. The most notable gear among the group are rare foam Runza sandwich hats — only four were ever created.

It all began in 2021 when Broc Homeyer and a handful of other guys bought their first pairs of red-and-white-striped overalls. Growing up in Lincoln, Homeyer, a senior at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, was familiar with older men pulling out the striped outfits each gameday and knew that someday, he wanted to have his own Husker jumpsuit.

The crew arrives early each game day to claim their spots in the front of Section 11, the designated Nebraska student zone.

“I’m pretty tired by the end of the day, but it’s so much fun and we have nothing else going on on a Saturday, so might as well just be outside and get ready for the game,” Homeyer said.

As a resident advisor at UNL, Homeyer is sharing that Cornhusker fan spirit with the incoming freshmen.

“The guys really latch on to doing it,” Homeyer said.

Out of the nearly three dozen overall guys sharing their love for the Huskers, 20 of them reside on the same floor of UNL’s Smith Hall. The idea was presented to the group to purchase the same overalls to cheer on the scarlet and cream.

On game days, the group wakes up early to paint themselves in Husker red, listen to music and kick off the gameday hype. They arrive nearly four hours before kickoff to secure prime seats in the student section.

“Depending on the game, you get there earlier,” Homeyer said. “The Colorado game, we got there eight hours early. We stand in line and bring a football and people take pictures. It’s just a fun time.”

What they didn’t expect was to get sponsored by a Nebraska favorite fast-food chain. In the years prior, Homeyer had reached out to various companies for support, but no one jumped on board. This year, he decided to take a chance and emailed Runza.

“I knew their marketing team was really good because they’re all over Twitter,” Homeyer said. “They’re just very good about local Nebraska.”

Runza responded with open arms and quickly embraced the Husker fans.

“We always feel honored when people think of us and actually take the time to reach out,” said Becky Perrett, Runza’s director of marketing.

While Perrett said the company can’t say yes to every sponsorship pitch, it was eager to work with the overall guys.

“These guys have been wonderful to work with,” Perrett said. “It’s really about them and the dedication behind it and their inspiration to reach out, and we just are having fun tagging along with them and supporting them.”

The partnership began with custom “Craving Runza” caps and expanded to the foam Runza sandwich hats. Three were given to Homeyer to take care of and the fourth resides at the Bob Devaney Sports Center for Nebraska volleyball games.

“We have a very limited supply, and the company we got them from is out of business, so there’s no reorder,” Perrett said.

The students also receive monetary compensation, but Runza declined to disclose the amount.

Runza has deep roots in Nebraska, having been founded in Lincoln in 1949. By the early 1980s, Runzas were being sold outside Memorial Stadium, and a formal partnership with Nebraska athletics began in 2000, ensuring that thousands of sandwiches are served at home games.

“We just love the fact that not only has this season been great for the team, it’s been great for the fans,” Perrett said. “You can tell everybody is having so much fun enjoying Memorial Stadium and all the excitement and whatnot. And we love to see these guys on TV. We’re their number one fans, that’s for sure.”

Freshman Toby Ekdale, 18, already had football season tickets and decided he might as well join in on the fun when Homeyer presented the idea. He was one of the first to wear a foam hat despite not being from Nebraska.

The Illinois native got to try his first Runza sandwich this year, and two games into the year, Ekdale was in Memorial Stadium with the Runza logo painted on his chest.

“Despite being an out-of-state student, he understands us very, very well,” Perrett said.

Beyond the games, the camaraderie extends to shared meals and regular check-ins throughout the week, as the guys have become close friends.

As Homeyer approaches his graduation in May, he said it’s been fun to see the guys become fire starters of this tradition.

“We have a rowdy group. Although I lose a little bit of sleep, it’s so worth it to see them have fun,” Homeyer said. “There’s guys that didn’t even know what Nebraska football was before they came here, and now they’re just like, ‘I’m in love.’”

Looking ahead, while Homeyer knows it’ll be hard to leave this part of his life behind, he’s looking forward to seeing the guys during future games.

“I’ve been so lucky just to have these guys, so I’m super happy to leave it like this,” he said. “We have a good brotherhood, which is really fun to be part of and lead.”