ESPN: Sold-out spring games and a 'rock star' coach

Saunders

Saunders

Heisman Trophy Winner
Nebraska never lost its pride for football or, of course, its storied tradition.

But as the years mounted in the wait for a first conference title since 1999, chatter about a return to greatness in Lincoln drew dismissive looks from outside the borders of this state.

Then somewhere over the past decade, the talk all but stopped in every corner of Nebraska.

A return to the 1990s, when the Cornhuskers won 60 of 63 games over five seasons and a share of three national titles? They would be advised to first avoid embarrassing home losses and join the 42 Power 5 programs that have won 11 games in a season since 2001 -- incidentally also the last year Nebraska beat a top-five foe.

The ‘90s became something of a sore subject, a source of discontent even among the people who work in the football and administrative offices of the building named after Tom Osborne on the north end of Memorial Stadium.

That is, until a big piece of a bygone era marched back into their lives.

http://www.espn.com/blog/ncfnation/post/_/id/140500/how-scott-frost-made-it-cool-again-to-talk-about-nebraskas-glory-years
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Some have connected the energy around Frost’s return with the success of the basketball programs this winter. After struggling last year, the Nebraska men sit fourth in the Big Ten at 10-4; the women are third at 9-3.
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Most of us were (too) excited about Frost way before we started paying attention to basketball.

Also, it's kind of annoying they didn't mention volleyball.

 
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Moiraine said:
Most of us were (too) excited about Frost way before we started paying attention to basketball.

Also, it's kind of annoying they didn't mention volleyball.
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jsneb83 said:
Frost was coach for two weeks and we won a national title
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And people think it's ridiculous that Frost won't deliver on a national championship in year one. 

And let's not forget our Women's Gymnastics team being off to a great start. 

 
Landlord said:
It's weird to me how everyone has collectively forgotten we sold out our spring game in 2008.
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How's that now?

Seating capacity from 2006 through the 2012 season was 81,067. Spring game 2008 was 80,149

Or are you just saying because we sold "all" of the tickets? Because I don't remember that, but it has been 10 years

 
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Landlord said:
It's weird to me how everyone has collectively forgotten we sold out our spring game in 2008.
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We didn't. I explained why in the Spring Game tickets sales thread.  The stadium wasn't even at game-day capacity for the average of the two seasons sandwiching that Spring Game.

 
knapplc said:
We didn't. I explained why in the Spring Game tickets sales thread.  The stadium wasn't even at game-day capacity for the average of the two seasons sandwiching that Spring Game.
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Our average gameday capacity now is just under 90,000, but we haven't sold that many tickets for this year's spring game either. It was described as a sellout by the university and the media, and nothing is different other than the stadium is a little bit bigger. As far as I know they still do the thing where kids 8th grade and under get in for free.

The biggest 'proof' of that being a sellout was the secondary market, just like this year. People were selling tickets for hundreds of dollars - I sold 3 of them outside the stadium for $40 each which undercut scalper prices.

 
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Landlord said:
Our average gameday capacity now is just under 90,000, but we haven't sold that many tickets for this year's spring game either. It was advertised as a sellout by the university, and nothing is different other than the stadium is a little bit bigger. As far as I know they still do the thing where kids 8th grade and under get in for free.
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To the bold - they don't.  They held more than 20,000 tickets in reserve for kids taking the anti-drug pledge on the field at halftime for the 2008 game. Those kids got in free for the Spring Game.  They don't do that anymore, and every person attending the game the last several years - including this year - has to buy a ticket.  Yes, there's the caveat that recruits and sundry other people get free passes, but that's no different than any other Spring Game. 

The free attendance for those kids is why I said it's a semantic difference in the other thread. It's possible they could have sold every seat in the stadium for Bo in 2008.  The fan giddiness for Bo wasn't dissimilar then than it's been for Frost. 

 
Huskers.com says "Nebraska will again conduct the Drug Free Pledge at this year’s game, and for the third year youth taking the pledge will do so from their seats. Youth eighth grade or younger taking the Drug Free Pledge will be admitted for free, but must secure a complimentary ticket."

Is that a different way of going about it from past years?

Anyways, the point I'm making is that everyone called 2008 a sellout, and now everyone's saying we haven't ever sold out the spring game. Just seems weird.

"Spring Game Sold Out"

http://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=1436470

"Tickets to the sold-out spring game are going for $95 on the secondary market and are hard to come by. General admission starts at $32."

https://www.huskermax.com/games/2008/spring_game08pre.html

"Husker spring games saw a resurgence during the Callahan/Pederson era, but this was the first sell out in school history."

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/20373-2008-college-football-spring-game-attendance

"For Saturday’s sold-out Nebraska spring game, that broker is getting $95 per reserved ticket."

https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/college/college-football-nebraska-spring-game-is-hot-ticket/

"The Huskers played to a sell out crowd at Memorial Stadium for a glorified scrimmage, otherwise known as a spring game, to over 80,000 f..."

https://scout.com/college/nebraska/Article/Burkhead-enjoys-Nebraska-visit-104512623

"Lincoln - For the first time, Nebraska's Red-White Spring Game is sold out for April 19"

http://news.bayareahuskers.org/2008/04/

 
Landlord said:
Huskers.com says "Nebraska will again conduct the Drug Free Pledge at this year’s game, and for the third year youth taking the pledge will do so from their seats. Youth eighth grade or younger taking the Drug Free Pledge will be admitted for free, but must secure a complimentary ticket."

Is that a different way of going about it from past years?
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Huh. Well. I don't know what to say about that. I see what you're talking about, it's right there on their website.  I was operating under a false belief, apparently. 

 
Pretty sure it didn't sell out in 36 hours in 2008, but I don't really care if it is the first or second or 100th sold out spring game.

Something just feels different right now.  I haven't bee this excited for a spring game for 20-some years.

 
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