Nebraska athletic director Trev Alberts said Wednesday that, while the modernization of Memorial Stadium will occur over several years, one change is going to be implemented before the 2022 season begins.Â
Some of the seats in the stadium are getting wider.Â
Alberts, during his hourlong appearance on the "Sports Nightly" radio program, said that many of the bleacher seats in the end zones at Memorial Stadium will be widened from 18 inches to 20 this offseason.Â
"Seat comfort is very obvious and important," Alberts said of changes that can be made quickly. "… In the end zones, the average width is 18 inches. We'll immediately expand those to at least 20 inches or more. What we're going to have to do is, we've got a lot of rows with 27 seats. We might reduce them to 24."Â
"Of course, that will impact our capacity a little bit. We're going to lose some seats."Â
That news comes as NU begins the process of sifting through the data it received from the extensive Memorial Stadium modernization survey sent out over the past two weeks to more than 200,000 people. On Wednesday, the department opened up the survey to the general public, too.Â
Alberts said that nearly 20,000 people have taken the survey and provided input already.Â
"Typically you're looking at a response rate that is, I don't know, it's not a high rate," Alberts said. "Husker Nation, as they always do, is just a little bit different."Â
Alberts said it's "really, really important to us" that people have taken the survey.Â
"I can't believe that all of them are just filling it out for the donation points that they get. I think the reality is that they're genuinely interested in giving us constructive feedback. The feedback has been really, really good. We're going to need some time now to sort through all the data.Â
"It is so much data. So much more than you'd imagine. But some general themes emerge early."Â
Alberts said that eventually all of the results will be made public.Â
Two things that are not immediately on the docket: selling alcohol in the stadium and moving from a turf playing surface to natural grass.Â
"The reality is this is a tough one. It's a challenge," Alberts said of the alcohol conversation, noting that he hadn't seen all the data from the survey yet.Â
"You probably have some fairly strong opinions on both sides of the aisle. It's a challenging thing for leadership. It's a challenging thing for me. We'll see where it goes. We do not have a definitive, laid-out plan about it. I do think that ultimately this is not just Trev Alberts and the Athletic Department. It's the University of Nebraska and other stakeholders certainly have an important part of the conversation."Â
Alberts also added that alcohol at the college level "must be considered one thing: a fan amenity."
"It will not drive attendance and it's not — I'm not suggesting there's not revenue there and I'm not suggesting it's immaterial to our business model — I'm just suggesting that I think there's a lot of misinformation about how substantial that revenue is."Â
Alberts said the department studied moving to natural grass, but that the lighting and growing technology needed helped propel the projected investment needed to $8 million.Â
New field turf is being installed at the stadium after the Red-White Spring Game on April 9.Â
COVID-19 update: Alberts fielded a question about whether the men's and women's basketball players who recently tested positive for COVID-19 but are eligible to be back on the court Thursday will have to wear masks during the game.Â
The university guidelines on returning to activities says that after a five-day isolation period, a person who tested positive must then wear a mask around other people for five more days.Â
"I don't have a definitive answer for you today," Alberts said. "We're still working on figuring that out. But we will always do the very best that we can to be compliant with local policies but also protect the health of our student-athletes."Â
Alberts said it's been a challenge not only keeping NU's teams in a position to compete, but also to keep up with the latest health guidelines as they change locally and around the country.Â
"Nobody's at fault here. Nobody's doing anything nefarious," he said. "The CDC, when they alter and change some of their recommendations and policies, it's really up to the local health departments to identify, recognize and make their own recommendations. That's been part of the challenge, that each of the local health departments within the Big Ten may interpret or choose to follow those recommendations or they may not. So there's a little bit of confusion and a lack of consistency."Â
Alberts, though, lauded the working relationship his department has with local health officials here. Â
"We have a great relationship with Pat Lopez and the Lincoln/Lancaster County Health Department and of course we work day in and day out with the great folks at UNMC," he said. "We have so many great resources there."Â
The turning point in every Nebraska football game in 2021