LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska athletic director Trev Alberts introduced on Monday that the college wouldn’t present balloons to launch at Husker soccer video games this fall due to a helium scarcity.
“Whereas we’re nonetheless involved in regards to the environmental affect of the balloons, the truth is buying helium in in the present day’s day and age has given among the challenges, and among the manufacturing of it’s actually challenged, and it has been arduous to get,” Alberts mentioned on his month-to-month radio present. “And so we have been requested by the college that the helium we’re getting as a college we have to use for medical functions at UNMC in Omaha. And so, we’re this 12 months not going to be offering the crimson balloons for the primary time at Memorial Stadium.”
For many years, the Huskers have had the custom of releasing crimson balloons into the sky when Nebraska scores its first factors of each house soccer sport.
“We will work with Brandon Meier and our advertising division to attempt to develop one thing, whether or not it is digitally or one thing, to form of designate and maintain it alive,” mentioned Alberts. “We’re working arduous on some alternate options sooner or later, however I simply need to be upfront with our followers.”
NU’s house opener is Sept. 3 towards North Dakota.
“As we regarded into it as an athletic division, it turned fairly clear that there is a very restricted provide of helium and was going to be arduous to get,” Alberts mentioned. “So we determined to finish that custom this 12 months.”
Adam Krueger at KMTV first reported this story.