Ad Disclosure
Nebraska spring game draws smallest crowd since 2000
By David Wasson
Published:
Spring football games arguably reached their peak in the late-90s, when programs like Alabama and Oklahoma packed their stadiums with fans to watch glorified practices.
Although attendance at spring games have waned in recent years due to declining interest and coaches prioritizing player health, the downturn at Nebraska has been particularly notable – as the Cornhuskers held their 2026 spring practice Saturday in a Memorial Stadium less than one-third full.
Nebraska announced an attendance for their annual Red-White spring game of 27,188 – the lowest total for a spring game in Lincoln since 2000 (22,415).
The Cornhuskers are set to enter their fourth season under coach Matt Rhule after a second straight 7-6 record in 2025 that included four losses in their final five games with a Las Vegas Bowl loss to Utah.
Nebraska hasn’t experienced a 10-win season since Bo Pelini’s Huskers went 10-4 in 2012. No head football coach in Lincoln has compiled a winning overall record since Pelini was fired in 2014, either, as Mike Riley went 19-19 in three seasons, Scott Frost was 16-31 in four-plus seasons and Rhule is currently 19-19 through three seasons.
Nebraska begins the 2026 season Sept. 5 at home against Ohio and plays non-conference home games against Bowling Green and North Dakota before opening Big 10 play at Michigan State on Sept. 26.
An APSE national award-winning writer and page designer, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.