Records were made to be broken by Nebraska volleyball.
The Huskers, one of the most decorated teams in college volleyball, hosted the first-ever NCAA outdoor match at Memorial Stadium with their sights set on breaking the women's sporting event attendance record.
Volleyball Day in Nebraska, as Wednesday was called, was inspired by Wisconsin. Head coach John Cook, who previously coached at Wisconsin, wanted the attendance record to return to the Huskers.
The Badgers broke the regular-season attendance mark in September 2022 when 16,833 people watched their match against Florida in Madison's Kohl Center. Nebraska and Creighton had broken the record the week prior with 15,797 fans at CHI Health Center in Omaha.
On Wednesday, the Huskers took on Omaha in prime time after Nebraska-Kearny and Wayne State opened the festivities with an exhibition match.
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In a state that loves volleyball like no other, it's no surprise that Nebraska, Kearny and Wayne State are three of the programs with the most-attended games.
The Huskers have led the NCAA in average attendance every year since 2013 and have recorded 306 consecutive regular-season sellouts. Kearny and Wayne State rank among the top 10 in Division II volleyball attendance.
Nebraska volleyball attendance record
Before Wednesday, the record crowd for a college volleyball match came on Dec. 18, 2021, when Nebraska played Wisconsin before 18,755 in Columbus, Ohio, in the NCAA tournament championship match.
Attendance for Volleyball Day in Nebraska easily surpassed that mark, with an official attendance of 92,003.
Husker Nation, you’ve done it.
— Nebraska Volleyball (@HuskerVB) August 31, 2023
The WORLD RECORD for a Women’s Sporting Event lives in Lincoln.
Today’s attendance: 9️⃣2️⃣,0️⃣0️⃣3️⃣
There is NO PLACE like Nebraska. pic.twitter.com/lQFguWHyp8
That total has implications far beyond volleyball, breaking the recognized attendance mark for a women's sporting event anywhere in the world.
Biggest crowds in women's sports history
| Date | Event | Attendance |
| Aug. 30, 2023 | Nebraska vs. Omaha volleyball at Memorial Stadium | 92,003 |
| April 22, 2022 | UEFA Women's Champions League Semifinal - Barcelona vs. Wolfsburg | 91,648 |
| March 30, 2022 | UEFA Women's Champions League Quarterfinal - Barcelona vs. Real Madrid | 91,553 |
| July 10, 1999 | FIFA Women's World Cup Final - USA vs. China | 90,185 |
| July 31, 2022 | UEFA Women's Euros Final - England vs. Germany | 87,192 |
Nebraska football stadium capacity
Memorial Stadium's official capacity sits around 85,000, but past attendance numbers have exceeded 90,000.
The stadium saw the most fans in 2014 when 91,585 fans packed inside to watch Husker football take on Miami.
How many tickets did Nebraska sell for volleyball?
From the season-ticket holder sale and general sale in April, about 82,900 tickets were sold. That number does not include indoor club seating or field-level seating, where 4,000 seats are reserved for students.
Standing-room-only tickets, which sold out during the summer, account for an additional 7,000 fans.
By the time everything was tallied up Wednesday night, the Huskers had their record.
Today we make history. pic.twitter.com/ouZkUWfpi3
— Nebraska Volleyball (@HuskerVB) August 30, 2023
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Memorial Stadium transformation timeline
Commencement in May made it easy for Nebraska staff to test court materials early. Beneath the Taraflex court, an elevated stage was made to account for the field's slope for drainage.
Assistant coaches and practice players tested the durability of the court with game-like movements. Learning it would need structural reinforcement, plywood would be added to the stage beneath the court.
A week was needed between build and teardown, so set-up on the field began on Thursday, Aug. 24 after the football team's final stadium practice before its season opener at Minnesota.
The Huskers, along with Omaha and Wayne State, had their first practice on the Memorial Stadium court Tuesday evening.
Ready for tomorrow 😆#NCAAWVB pic.twitter.com/O2U0xgslFs
— NCAA Women's Volleyball (@NCAAVolleyball) August 30, 2023
How much did it cost to convert Memorial Stadium?
Expenses for the University of Nebraska will roughly equate to $1.3 million. The field covering will cost about $134,000 and the staging will cost about $280,000. That leaves a cost of around $886,000 for event setup, staffing and fan experience.
In addition to setup costs, the visiting teams, Omaha, Kearny and Wayne State, will receive $50,000 each for traveling to Lincoln.
Article by Emily Dozier of The Sporting News