Football, Men's Athletics Records

Creator: Athletic Department, Football, 1890-

Quantity: 60 boxes (40 linear feet)

Language: English

Restrictions: None

Access and Use: For information on access or copyright, please see our guidelines or email archives@unl.edu.

Historical Records Statement: Please see our statement on historical records and materials.

Preferred Citation: Football, Men's Athletics Records (RG 39-05-00). Archives & Special Collections, University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries.

The University of Nebraska football program officially began in 1890, although there has been interest in the sport on campus as far back as 1883. Nebraska's first game was played on November 27, 1890 in Omaha, NE., against the Omaha Young Men's Christian Association (Y.M.C.A.). Nebraska prevailed 10-0. The leader of that team and the first football coach at the University of Nebraska was faculty member Dr. Langdon Frothingham. Frank Crawford was the first paid football coach. He arrived in 1893 following two seasons when the team was lead by volunteers or the players themselves.

Through the years the program has been a member of several athletic conferences including: the Western Inter-State University Foot Ball Association, the Missouri Valley Conference, the Big Six Conference, the Big Seven Conference, the Big Eight Conference, and the Big Twelve Conference.

Most people know the Nebraska athletic programs as the Cornhuskers or Huskers, but before that nickname stuck the team went by some lesser known names such as the Nebraskans, the Old Gold Knights, the Antelopes, the Tree Planters, the Rattlesnake Boys, and the Bugeaters.

The first football game played at Nebraska's current venue, Memorial Stadium, was against Oklahoma on October 13, 1923. The stadium was dedicated the following week before the Kansas game on October 20, 1923. Before Memorial Stadium, games were played at a few different locations. Prior to 1908 the northwest corner of the "old campus" served as the athletic field. In 1908 land for a new athletic field was acquired just north of the "old campus," around 10th and T streets. The "new" Nebraska Athletic Field would be ready for the 1909-1910 season. In the interim, the 1908-1909 season's games were played at the Antelope Baseball Park in Lincoln.

For more detailed online histories of the Football program, see the University of Nebraska Athletic Department's Football History (available through the Site Map) and Nebraska Educational Telecommunication's Husker Century 1890-1972 The First 82 Years .

Scope and Content:

The football records include photographs, records, memoirs, publications, audio, film, and video recordings. Scrapbooks that document the history and development of the football program are also included. The bulk of the photographs are of the early teams and players spanning the 1890s through the 1950s. Among the publications are gameday programs dating back to 1907, media guides dating back to 1951, and others such as Huskers Illustrated. Also included in the football records are the Bob Devaney Scrapbooks and the memoirs of Fred Dawson, who was the coach from 1921 to 1924.

Subjects:

Football

Football -- Nebraska

Football -- Nebraska -- History

University of Nebraska (Lincoln campus) -- Football -- History

Football players -- Nebraska

University of Nebraska -- Lincoln -- Football -- History

University of Nebraska (Lincoln campus) -- History

Intercollegiate Athletics

Big Eight Conference

Big 12 Conference

Football -- Coaches

Football -- Coaching -- History