U of Nebraska football team brings back beloved balloon release tradition, triggering outrage from climate activists
UNL’s then-Athletics Director Trev Alberts stopped the tradition in 2022, blaming a helium shortage.
Despite some environmentalists' anger at the balloons’ return, many students expressed joy at the restoration of the much-loved tradition.
The University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s football team, the Huskers, brought back a tradition of giving audience members red balloons to release after the team scores its first touchdown during a game, provoking opposition from certain climate activists.
The balloon-release tradition was stopped in 2022, with the school’s athletic director at the time, Trev Alberts, blaming a helium shortage caused partially by U.S. economic sanctions against Russia after the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine War.
“While we’re still concerned about the environmental impact of the balloons, the reality is acquiring helium in today’s day and age given some of the challenge and some of the production of it is really challenged and it’s been hard to get,” Alberts said at the time.
The announcement of the tradition’s return was made by Nebraska Athletics, which stated that red balloons would be handed out and released during the Huskers Sept. 7 game against the Colorado Buffaloes.
“Saturday’s football game with Colorado and the events surrounding the weekend have been anticipated by Husker fans for months. As we celebrate the rich tradition between the two schools and honor our 1994 national championship team, Nebraska Athletics will bring back a Memorial Stadium tradition of releasing balloons after the Huskers’ first touchdown. Red balloons will be distributed at no cost in and around Memorial Stadium by Husker Athletics staff,” the announcement clarified.
It continued, saying that “[g]oing forward, we will consider bringing back the balloons for select special occasions.”
More specifically, current Athletic Director Troy Dannen said the university is planning to continue the balloon-release for two games per year, including the school’s homecoming game. The second balloon release this year will take place on Oct. 5, for a homecoming match against Rutgers University.
Climate activists were quick to express anger at the tradition’s return.
UNL Director of Environmental and Sustainability Studies Dave Gosselin said he was “disappointed” and questioned the school’s “commitment to its N2025 and Environment, Sustainability and Resilience master plans.”
One student, Thomas Hakonson, said he is “concerned about the impact of losing helium.”
UNL Student Body President Elizabeth Herbin told Campus Reform she thought the restoration of the Huskers’ tradition “is a harmful step backward in efforts at UNL to protect the environment,” and claimed the student government “sincerely hopes that this does not continue.” She continued, stating that she plans to “meet with Athletics Director Troy Dannen regarding this decision and advocate against any plans to continue the use of balloons.”
[RELATED: Bentley U students host ‘festival’ to make climate change activism more ‘inclusive’]
Others, however, have expressed joy at the return of the beloved tradition.
Brooke McDonald, a senior, said: “People use balloons for everything else, like birthday parties . . . I don’t really see the harm in it for the environment . . . I think it makes it kind of unique to our games.”
Another student stated: “I think the balloons are super cool. It just adds some more intensity to the games, it’s a fun tradition. I’m glad they brought it back.”
Samantha Pitts, a freshman, recalled past experiences with the classic UNL tradition, saying: “I loved it so much. I always made sure I got the balloons, and then we’d always be sitting. And normally, our seats are like under like a little overpassing. So we had to run all the way up and then let them go, and it was so fun.”
Campus Reform has reached out to the University of Nebraska for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
