NU going retro for No. 300

LINCOLN — Bob Brown and some of his 1962 teammates will be coming back in September — and so will the football jerseys Nebraska wore when it started its NCAA-record streak of 297 consecutive home sellouts.

Athletic Director Tom Osborne announced Monday night that the Huskers are planning to wear throwback uniforms, circa 1962, when the streak reaches No. 300 Sept. 26 against Louisiana-Lafayette. NU will auction the jerseys, pants and helmets as full sets on Huskers.com, beginning to take bids in August.

“I think it'll be kind of an interesting event,'' Osborne said on Sports Nightly.

Adidas will design the 1962-style jerseys. NU's home top in those days was all red with white script numbers, and the helmets were white with black numerals and no stripe.

Brown was there when the sellout streak started: Nov. 3, 1962 in a much smaller Memorial Stadium. A crowd of 36,501 watched Nebraska lose 16-7 to Missouri.

So the offensive lineman is excited about being there again when the Huskers reach a major milestone.

“I had no idea of the great things to come,'' Brown said. “The team has always been well-supported, but it just seemed like week-in and week-out back then you would look around and it became more and more a sea of faces.''

Brown said Monday from Oakland, Calif., that he already has spoken with Nebraska officials about coming back as part of a salute to the 1962 team. Osborne said NU also will honor the family of the late Bob Devaney, who started his successful 11-year run as Husker head coach in 1962.

Brown, a member of both the College Football Hall of Fame and NFL Hall of Fame, hasn't returned to Nebraska since his number was retired in 2004.

“I didn't get all the particulars, but it sounds like it will be kind of nice,'' Brown said. “It's something I'd like to do.

“I'd like to get in a line with a bunch of fat old guys and have one more fat old guy like me standing there with them.''

Osborne, a first-year graduate assistant for Devaney in 1962, said tickets and game programs also would have a 1960s touch.

Nebraska is expected to announce more details today of plans for the 300th sellout. The game has been set for a 6 p.m. kickoff with pay-per-view coverage by Fox Sports Net.

Nebraska is 258-39 at home since the sellout streak began. In the 47-year span, Memorial Stadium has used several expansions to reach its current listed capacity of 81,067.

Brown was impressed when he returned in 2004, even though Nebraska was only starting the North Stadium renovation that was completed in 2006.

“Boy, things look different, don't they?” he said.

- •The mimimum bid for the full sets of uniforms (pants, jersey, helmet) auctioned on Huskers.com will be $500. The auction will begin in conjunction with the first week of fall football practice and end the week of Oct. 4. Replica jerseys and helmets will also be available for sale through Huskers Authentic.

---- •All Husker letterwinners and staff who were a part of the 1962 team have been invited to return for the occasion. The 1962 team will be a part of Homecoming festivities and will be honored on game day.

---- •The Devaney family, including son Mike, daughter Patricia and their children, will be in attendance for the 300th sellout and will be a part of the weekend's activities.

---- As a thank you for the fans who've made the sellout streak possible, several activities are planned. Scheduled so far:

---- •A commemorative logo, exclusive to adidas, will be used in official 300th sellout apparel and be available at the Huskers Authentic Team Store and other Husker retail shops.

---- •Game tickets and programs will be designed to look like those printed in the early 1960s.

---- •A commemorative ticket will be sold at Huskers Authentic for $5 each. Each of the 300 ticket stubs were donated to the athletic department by Willis and Fran Regier of Omaha.

---- •The commission of a Mike Sullivan painting for display in the Osborne Athletic Complex lobby. The painting by the nationally known artist is part of a salute to Husker fans and is planned to be complete the week of the game.

---- •The game will be designated as Homecoming, as chosen by NU student leaders, providing an appropriate theme for “throwback” floats and other displays.

---- •The Homecoming parade will feature members of the 1962 team and will end at the Wick Alumni Center, where the 1962 team will be recognized at a reception.

---- •An on-site display is planned for the fall featuring memorabilia from the 1960s.

Contact the writer:
444-1042, rich.kaipust@owh.com