When the University of Nebraska Board of Regents meets Friday, they’ll consider a proposal to name the new $165-million dollar Go Big Red building at Memorial Stadium after Hall of Fame coach and former athletic director Tom Osborne.
The Regents will also consider a proposal to allow alcohol sales at baseball and softball games at Haymarket Park, which the university jointly owns and which is also used by the minor league baseball Lincoln Salt Dogs, who allow alcohol sales.
Interim University President Chris Kabourek and new UNL AD Tony Dannen both recommended the “Osborne Legacy Complex” name in honor of his “immense impact on Husker Football, Nebraska Athletics and the University of Nebraska.”
The new facility will be the headquarters for Husker football and have the training table as well as areas for life skills and performance improvement – all of which were significantly advanced by Osborne as head coach and athletic director,
As for Haymarket Park, Kabourek and Dannen say a new revenue sharing agreement will reinvest sales back into the baseball-softball complex, which is over 20 years old and, they feel, is in need of capital improvements.
Kabourek says it’s about improving the fan experience, and he believes the limited experience Nebraska has in allowing alcohol at Husker athletic events shows it can “responsibly provide this amenity that our fans have been asking for and that almost all of our peers offer.”
Dannen calls allowing alcohol sales a “win for our fans, Husker Athletics and the University” because not only does it “bring Nebraska in line with national trends, it gives us an opportunity to make much-needed investments that will make our facilities more competitive.”
If the regents vote for alcohol, sales at Husker events at Haymarket Park would begin immediately.