An estimated 92,003 people attended a Nebraska women’s volleyball match on Wednesday, shattering the record for the largest turnout at a women’s sporting event in history.
The crowds packed into Memorial Stadium in Lincoln to watch the five-time NCAA champion team beat their rival of Omaha 3-0 in an event dubbed "Volleyball Day," which was the result of months of planning by school administration. After the Huskers won the first two sets, the attendance record was announced to the audience, who erupted in cheers.
“This is a big statement being made here today by all of the teams in Nebraska that are part of this celebration,” NCAA president Charlie Baker said at the event. “But it’s also a big statement about the growth and the popularity of women’s volleyball, which I think is great.”
The Huskers are considered a powerhouse in women's volleyball, generating $2.12 million in ticket revenue in 2022 — the most of any women’s athletic program apart from UConn basketball. They have also sold out 306 consecutive matches, according to data gather by the Boston Globe. School officials and sports commentators alike have noted how the milestone marks a previously underutilized interest in women's athletics.
"There's a great business case and strategy around women's athletics long term that maybe college athletics hasn't embraced," Nebraska athletic director Trev Alberts told ESPN. "And we think here in Nebraska, long before I became the athletic director, we've significantly invested in women's athletics, and you're seeing the result of that by seeing the success of the volleyball program and the fan base surrounding it."
Nebraska junior Lexi Rodriguez also told the publication that "it's so huge for little girls to get to see a women's sport and volleyball being played on this big of a stage and having so many people invest in it."
"When you're little, you have big dreams and big goals," she said. "Having this to look up to is something that a lot of little girls will keep in the back of their mind when they're pursuing the sport of volleyball."
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