More than a year after initial plans were announced, the renovation of Memorial Stadium is near completion. The modernization project has been approved by the Board of Regents University of Nebraska.

Nebraska stadium faces major investment

Without a doubt, Memorial Stadium, which opened evenly 100 years ago, could not have imagined a better gift to mark such a grand anniversary. The facility used daily by the university's American football team, the Nebraska Cornhuskers, has been refreshed seven times since its inauguration. The next modernisation will be aimed at improving the comfort of following events from the stands and bringing the arena up to current standards.

The investment will not be among the cheapest. The cost of the changes Memorial Stadium will undergo is $450 million. Interestingly, the Board of Regents unanimously passed the project, although it had many doubts before making the decision. Some of its members wondered whether the university would be able to provide adequate financial security for the construction. They also pointed out that many important details were missing from the plans, which is why it took many months to finally pass a resolution on the matter.

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Memorial Stadium will become a modern facility

Renovation work could begin later this year. The first is expected to involve bringing the facility into compliance with the requirements enshrined in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), as well as preparing the land for a new south stand. The old one is expected to be demolished before the league season begins in 2025. This means that the 86,047-seat arena will temporarily be able to accommodate approximately 23,000 fewer people. University authorities are hoping the hindrance will last a year at most. However, they are taking into account the eventuality that the works could extend and also last throughout 2026.

The new south stand will be a multi-level structure with extensive commercial facilities. Inside, there are also to be rooms dedicated to students, who are the largest group of Cornhuskers fans. Sanitary facilities will also undergo renovation. Toilets will be adapted to the needs of the disabled.However, the most important change will undergo seating in the stands. So far, a significant portion is occupied by benches. They are to be replaced by chairs with backrests. University authorities estimate that after the upgrade the number of available seats at Memorial Stadium will decrease by 10 to 12%. The final capacity of the facility is expected to be around 75,000 seats.

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