Memorial Stadium to Host Sporting Sensation During World Tour, Proving Troy Dannen's Special Events Vision

One of the most iconic stadiums in the United States will host one of the most popular sports and entertainment attractions next summer.

The Savannah Bananas will play a game in Memorial Stadium on June 13, 2026. The stop in Lincoln will be one of more than 70 as part of the 2026 Banana Ball World Tour.

First pitch between the Bananas and the Firefighters will take place at 7 p.m. CDT. There will actually be two games played in Lincoln that week, with a June 11 contest taking place at Haymarket Park.

Firefighter Stephen Cullen bats during the first game of the Banana Ball Championship series. | Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“This is an exciting day for Nebraska Athletics and the City of Lincoln,” Nebraska Director of Athletics Troy Dannen said. “Since we have begun pursuit of large stadium-type shows for Memorial Stadium, the Savannah Bananas have been consistently mentioned as an event Nebraskans were excited to see in person. This will be a great event for families to enjoy as summer 2026 kicks off in Lincoln.”

Other World Tour stops at college stadiums include Texas A&M's Kyle Field, Oregon's Autzen Stadium, Florida State's Doak Campbell Stadium, North Carolina's Kenan Stadium, and Iowa's Kinnick Stadium.

Former Husker pitcher Kyle Perry played for the Bananas this year.

#GBR https://t.co/wzYRhZNKs2 pic.twitter.com/vGJx00H7lC
— Matt Rhule (@CoachMattRhule) October 10, 2025

Banana Ball

As opposed to regular baseball, Banana Ball includes fast-paced rules and an emphasis on continuous play. Banana Ball has 11 unique rules. The most notorious rule is that if a fan catches a foul ball, it counts as an out. The Bananas roster is comprised primarily of former minor league and college baseball players.

Other rules of note:

Get a point for winning an inning instead of traditional runs across nine innings.
A two-hour time limit.
No bunting.
Batters can steal first base.
No walks or mound visits.

Troy Dannen's Revenue-Driving Strategy

With the implementation of revenue sharing earlier this year, Dannen noted that Nebraska would need to start using the university's venues for more than just Husker games.

“We have to use our venues,” Dannen said in August. “We have to start thinking entrepreneurially. The days are past when we can just rely on, ‘Hey, there’s seven home games and we’re going to shutter the stadium.’ We have to find ways to generate revenue.”

Nebraska AD Troy Dannen and football coach Matt Rhule continue to be among the forefront of thinkers in the new age of collegiate athletics. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

As Memorial Stadium renovations are put on hold*, making use of what the current setup can handle helps drive current revenues and could help with the decisions for what future renovations need to look like and the type of events that the stadium should accommodate.

*The field got a major upgrade during the offseason with new turf that has allowed Nebraska to switch sidelines. Natural grass is also expected to replace the turf in the near future.

How to Get Tickets

A lottery system is in place for Savannah Bananas tickets. A random drawing will take place ahead of the event for the chance to purchase tickets. Those who are drawn will have an opportunity to continue through the verification process.

The deadline to join the ticket lottery list is Oct. 31, 2025. The lottery list can be found at bananaball.com/tickets.

As for the cost of the tickets, the release states that the typical prices for large venues and MLB stadiums begin at $40, with meet and greets starting at $125.

Major Events Held at Memorial Stadium

Besides more than 400 consecutive sellouts for the football program, which has used the same site for more than 100 seasons, Memorial Stadium has held a number of major events.

1. Volleyball Day in Nebraska, 2023

Fans hold up cell phone lights before the third set between the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Omaha Mavericks. — Fans hold up cell phone lights before the third set between the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Omaha Mavericks at Memorial Stadium. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

A world record for a women's sporting event, 92,003 fans were on hand for Nebraska vs. Omaha under the lights of the Old Grey Lady. This event is the reason that so many record crowds since have needed to include the word "indoors".

2. Garth Brooks Concert, 2021

Garth Brooks sold out Memorial Stadium in 2021. | Kelsey Kremer/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Nearly 90,000 fans packed Memorial Stadium to see Garth Brooks in 2021. This event proved to be a precursor to multiple changes at the venue: Volleyball Day two years later and the eventual addition of alcohol sales to Husker football games.

3. Farm Aid III, 1987

Featuring artists like John Denver, Emmylou Harris, Steppenwolf, and the Grateful Dead via a satellite feed, 69,000 attendees overran Memorial Stadium for the benefit concert for American family farmers.

That concert was held while the stadium held a football capacity of 73,650. The stadium was expanded in 1994 to 72,700, seeing more capacity changes come in 1999 (74,056), 2000 (73,918), 2004 (81,067), 2013 (87,147), 2015 (86,047), and 2017 (85,458).

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