In the early 1920s, support began to build a new stadium for the Nebraska football program, and the first game was played Oct. 20, 1923 against Kansas, in the new Memorial Stadium.
The stadium was named in honor of the citizens of Nebraska that fought the Civil War, Spanish-American War, and World Wars I & II.
The stadium holds the ongoing NCAA record of 288 consecutive sellouts. The streak began in 1962. When full, Memorial stadium holds more people than any city in Nebraska, other than Omaha or Lincoln.
Memorial Stadium has undergone several phases of expansion and renovation since its original construction. In its original configuration, the stadium was modeled after Ohio State University's Ohio Stadium and had a seating capacity of around 31,000.
A series of four additions between 1964 and 1972 enclosed the stadium by adding seats above the north and south end zones, more than doubling Memorial Stadium's seating capacity to nearly 74,000. A major renovation in 1999 added 42 luxury boxes above the west stands.
The stadium was rededicated and the playing surface was renamed after retiring coach Tom Osborne.
In 2004, construction began to renovate and expand the north end-zone stands. Memorial Stadium now features an additional 13 luxury boxes above the north stands, called the "Skyline Suites" and an additional 6,000 seats, increasing seating capacity to 81,067.
In 1987, Memorial Stadium hosted Farm Aid III.
9. Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, University of Oklahoma
Capacity: 82,112; Surface: Grass; Opened: 1925
The first game played at the current stadium site was in 1923, with the Sooners prevailing over Washington University.
When 16,000 permanent seats were built on the west side of the site in 1925, the new stadium was named Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, in honor of university students and personnel that died during World War I.
The facility was constructed at an approximate cost of $293,000, and coach Bennie Owen himself helped raise the money. To honor Owen, the playing surface was named Owen Field during the 1920s.
Expansions to Memorial Stadium took place in 1949, when capacity was raised to 55,000, in 1967 (62,000), in 1970 (71,1870), and in 2004, the entire stadium was renovated and expanded to its current capacity.
8. Beaver Stadium, Pennsylvania State University
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