To spot the Nebraska Coliseum, just look for a grand red-brick building with a Roman-style front, proudly displaying tall columns right across from Bessey Hall-it's almost shouting “I’m historic!” at you from across campus.
Take a deep breath! You’re standing before the Nebraska Coliseum, a place that’s been echoing with cheers, thundering footsteps, and the occasional bad referee call since 1926. Imagine this: It’s right after World War I and the University has big dreams-a million-dollar stadium complex, complete with a gym and museum. But then, the economy hits a bump, and they have to scale back their plans. So, they build Memorial Stadium first, then turn their attention to a stand-alone arena right here. Designed by two university alumni-Ellery Davis and Walter Wilson-the Coliseum took shape using Indiana limestone for those dignified pillars and classic red brick to match its neighbors.
Now, close your eyes for a second and picture workers in the 1920s, shuffling materials, calling out, and building something to last a hundred years. The arena opens in 1926, even before it’s finished, hosting a basketball game where 5,000 fans squeeze onto temporary bleachers. Nebraska faces Kansas, and the Jayhawks snatch the win-an “oops, better luck next time!” kind of night.
Over the years, this place witnessed history of all kinds. It didn’t just house basketball courts; it hosted dances, the smooth crooning of Elvis Presley in 1956, campaign speeches by a young Richard Nixon, and even a rally by Senator Robert F. Kennedy, just weeks before tragedy struck in 1968. You can almost hear the echoing strains of big band music at those early swing dances, the crowd’s laughter rising into the domed ceiling.
For half a century, Nebraska basketball teams battled it out here in front of up to 8,000 rowdy fans. Now, truth be told, the teams weren’t the most successful in the NCAA, but wow, did the Coliseum deliver a showstopper in 1958-beating the mighty Wilt Chamberlain-led Kansas and then top-ranked Kansas State in a single, glorious nine-day stretch. Women’s basketball debuted here too, right before moving out to bigger digs. And for decades, high school athletes from all over the state felt their hearts race on these hardwood floors during championship showdowns.
Then volleyball arrived, and the atmosphere cranked up to eleven. The Coliseum was transformed in 1991 just for the Lady Huskers, becoming one of only a few volleyball-only arenas in the country. The fans were so close to the action, the noise would rattle your bones. For nearly twenty years, Nebraska’s volleyball team almost never lost. They racked up an insane 511-36 home record and set an NCAA record with 90 straight home victories-talk about a home-turf advantage! If you cheered loudly enough, you might help reach the decibel levels of a rocket launch.
Renovations in 1987 and 1991 kept this old giant relevant, fixing pools, adding offices, and even building an overhead jogging track. After volleyball moved out in 2013 to the sparkling Bob Devaney Sports Center, the Coliseum shifted gears-now it’s mostly for recreation and practice, with gymnastics teams flipping and vaulting through the halls.
So, as you stand here, remember-this building has seen everything from breakaway dunks to beehive hairdos at Elvis concerts, political rallies, and championship dreams. It’s a place full of echoes, not just of balls bouncing or bands playing, but of thousands of young people, hearts pounding, feeling larger than life in the Nebraska Coliseum!
