Nebraska Regents Approve Memorial Stadium Rebuild
As expected, the Nebraska Board of Regents approved the Big Red Rebuild Project, the $600 million Memorial Stadium renovation that will begin in 2027 or sometime. I did an article about this a few days ago where I called it a “no-brainer” decision. Here’s the video I did, in case you haven’t seen it.
Here are the key points you need to know: – There is no taxpayer money involved in this. $250 million of the money will come from private donations. $350 million will come through bonds.
– This renovation isn’t going to last 10 years. It’s going to last decades. – Realistically expected to cost around $800 million when it’s done because that’s how construction works.
15 to 20 percent cost overruns are typical. – The athletic department projects $95 million in revenue, increasing by 40% over pre-renovation revenue because they’ll be able to host additional events. They’ll likely be charging more for premium seats.
– The plan also includes $200 million in back maintenance to be done to the stadium, which is a good idea because it would be really bad public relations if you had the stadium collapse around you while you were at a football game. – I’ve seen a lot of comments as to why they wouldn’t spend this money on other programs that are winning right now. And I will cycle you back to the point I made earlier that this renovation will be around for decades.