Campus Alert Archive
UNL

The Third Weather Delay Since World War II: Lightning Empties Memorial Stadium in the Fourth Quarter

NEsevere stormemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

On the evening of September 23, 2023, lightning detected near Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska forced a 56-minute suspension of the Cornhuskers' game against Louisiana Tech. Nebraska was leading 28-7 with 8:39 remaining in the fourth quarter when officials cleared the field. The PA system directed roughly 87,000 fans to leave the seating bowl and shelter in the concourse or in their vehicles. The delay was unofficially only the third in Nebraska football history since World War II; the previous one was a 19-minute lightning suspension against Utah State in September 1991.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
—
Injured
—
Institution
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Public R1 · NE
~23,805 studentsUNL Alert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTPA System
Approximate reconstruction175 chars
Due to lightning in the area, play has been suspended. For your safety, please exit the seating area and seek shelter in the concourse or in your vehicle. Updates will follow.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed PA announcement consistent with Memorial Stadium severe-weather protocol; the Lincoln Journal Star reported the delay began with 8:39 left in the fourth quarter
[NCAA rules](https://www.profootballnetwork.com/cfb/what-are-college-football-weather-delay-rules/) require a 30-minute wait after the last lightning strike within an 8-mile radius before play can resume
Many Husker fans had already begun leaving the stadium before the delay because of the lopsided score; reporting after the game noted that not all fans returned
ALL CLEARPA System
Approximate reconstruction83 chars
Play will resume shortly. Please return to your seats. Thank you for your patience.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed restart announcement; the Lincoln Journal Star and On3 logged the total delay at 56 minutes
Per the Star-Herald, this was unofficially Nebraska's third weather delay since at least World War II — the others were the September 1991 Utah State lightning delay (19 minutes) and the 2018 Akron postponement (which was ultimately canceled)
Final score after restart: Nebraska 28, Louisiana Tech 14
Context

Background

Memorial Stadium in Lincoln has hosted Nebraska football continuously since 1923 and has earned a reputation for one of the most stable game-day environments in college sports — the home-game sellout streak) stretches back to 1962. Against that backdrop, the September 23, 2023 lightning delay against Louisiana Tech stands out: only the third weather suspension of a Nebraska home game since at least World War II, and the first since the 19-minute Utah State lightning delay of September 1991. The previous formal cancellation came in 2018 against Akron, when a 2-hour-40-minute delay ultimately ended in postponement. The 2023 incident lasted 56 minutes and was triggered by lightning strikes west of the stadium during the fourth quarter, with Nebraska leading 28-7. Husker fans were instructed via the PA system to leave the seating bowl; many of those who had already begun heading home in the comfortable lead never came back. Nebraska won 28-14 after play resumed. The case illustrates how an unusually rare event (a Husker weather delay) plus a runaway score (a three-touchdown lead) interact to produce mass voluntary non-return — a phenomenon that complicates capacity planning for any post-delay resumption.
Analysis

Key Findings

The September 23, 2023 delay was unofficially only Nebraska's third home-game weather suspension since World War II — the others were September 1991 (19 minutes vs. Utah State) and September 2018 (postponed vs. Akron)
Late-game weather delays with a lopsided score produce predictable mass non-return: many fans choose not to come back through the gates after sheltering
PA system, not UNL Alert SMS, was the primary delivery channel — game-day emergency communications for visiting fans rely on in-venue announcements
The 30-minute NCAA reset rule produced a 56-minute total delay despite a single brief storm passage — exactly the design intent of the rule
Outcome
Nebraska won 28-14 after play resumed. No injuries reported. Many fans left during the delay and did not return — a recurring pattern in late-game weather suspensions at large venues.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    Nebraska and Louisiana Tech in lightning delay during fourth quarter play (Lincoln Journal Star)
    journalstar.com
  2. News
    Restart time announced for Nebraska-Louisiana Tech game following lightning delay (On3)
    on3.com
  3. News
    Nebraska's win over Louisiana Tech joins short list of Husker games delayed by weather (Star-Herald)
    starherald.com
  4. News
    LIVE UPDATES: Game delayed due to lightning as Nebraska leads Louisiana Tech (KLKN-TV)
    klkntv.com
  5. News
    Nebraska 28-14 Louisiana Tech Game Recap (ESPN)
    espn.com
Tags
severe-stormlightningstadium-evacuationmemorial-stadiumfootballnebraskabig-tenncaaweather-delaygame-daynon-violentpublic-r1
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion