February 12, 2026
How well do you know Nebraska? In celebration of Charter Day, here are a few facts you may or may not know about Dear Old Nebraska U.
The University of Nebraska was founded on February 15, 1869, and stands as the oldest university in the state of Nebraska.
The university opened its doors to 130 students in 1871. At the time, tuition was free, and all classes were held in University Hall.
The College of Arts and Sciences, then known as the “College of Ancient and Modern Literature, Mathematics and Natural Sciences,” was the original academic area of study at Nebraska.
The first band was formed in 1879 with 12 members and a goal to provoke military drill. In November of 1892, the band began marching and performing during halftime of Nebraska football games, a valued tradition today as the “Pride of All Nebraska.”
Husker baseball is the university’s first collegiate sport, with the first teams formed in 1884. 11 years later, the Husker women’s basketball team became the first female sporting group at the university.
Phi Delta Theta was the first fraternity at Nebraska, joining in March of 1875. Years later, Kappa Kappa Gamma joined in 1884 with 6 charter members.
The Old Golden Knights — now the Huskers — took the football field in 1890 in Omaha, Nebraska against the Omaha YMCA.
“Old gold” was the first school color. It wasn’t until 1892 that scarlet and cream became the official colors of the university.
The first library on campus was built in 1895 and now stands as the oldest extant building, Architecture Hall.
In the fall of 1900, the term “cornhuskers” was used after a win over Ames (now Iowa State) and quickly gained attention. In 1901, the Nebraska football team would be rebranded and renamed to the “Cornhuskers” thanks to sportswriter Cy Sherman.
