Huskers bringing back balloon release for Nebraska-Colorado game?

A beloved tradition at Nebraska football games may be coming back this weekend.

Thursday afternoon, the Huskers posted a video on social media with the caption, “Touchdown, Nebraska,” followed by a balloon emoji.

The 48-second video featured Athletic Director Troy Dannen’s post from this past weekend of a red balloon with several responses by fans urging him to bring the balloon release back.

Dannen later retweeted the Huskers' video on Thursday, saying, "GBR! (About 6,000 of ‘em)."

The Huskers ended the tradition in 2022, with Trev Alberts, the athletic director at the time, citing a global helium shortage as the reason for ending the tradition, although he also acknowledged the environmental concerns some have had for years.

The tradition dates back to the 1960s and could return for this weekend's rivalry game. The Nebraska-Colorado rivalry dates back to 1898, well before the balloons, but it would still be a fitting time to bring back the balloon release, if it is indeed returning.

Saturday's game, in primetime, under the lights at Memorial Stadium, will be the 73rd meeting between the two programs. The Huskers hold a 49-21-2 all-time lead in the series, but the Buffaloes have won three straight matchups against the Big Red, all since 2018.

The Huskers will look to get back in the win column against Colorado and move to 2-0 this season on Saturday night, possibly with a sea of red balloons floating to the sky when they score. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m.