Sea of Red

I know the when, but not the why.

The year was 1982, and I was in fourth grade at Live Oak Elementary in San Antonio, Texas. Maybe it was because of a friend or a classmate. Maybe it was because of a newspaper article I read or a TV sports segment I watched.

Whatever the reason, that year I become a Nebraska Cornhuskers fan.

Over the next 30-plus years, I'd follow "Big Red Nation" faithfully: online, in the media and in person. I celebrated their national championships of the '90s, was crestfallen when legendary head coach Tom Osborne retired, and was angry when the Bill Callahan regime wiped out decades of progress and national prominence. Following Bo Pelini, the Mike Riley era has begun.

I'd seen the Cornhuskers in person several times throughout Texas and Oklahoma. But I'd never been to "Ground Zero" - Lincoln and Memorial Stadium.

Until Sept. 12, 2015.

After years of thinking about the trip, even drafting initial plans, I finally committed this past spring, bringing my wife Erica along for the ride. It's one thing to plan a vacation to tourist destinations like the Grand Canyon or Disneyland, to cities like New York, New Orleans and here in San Francisco.

But a trip to Lincoln, Neb., to watch a football game? That gets a lot of double takes. True sports lovers know, though, what it means to watch your favorite team play at home, surrounded by thousands of screaming fans - your new "family" - and all the pomp and circumstance before, during and after the game.

So the day before kickoff, we flew from San Francisco to Omaha, then took a shuttle to Lincoln in preparation for a night game against the South Alabama Jaguars.

Preparing to descend into Omaha

With a population of 269,000, Lincoln is not a major metropolitan city, and Nebraska is not a populous state (1.9 million). In fact, Memorial Stadium becomes the state's third-largest city on game day.

Arriving in "Big Red Country," I was curious about the mood coming off a disappointing last-second loss to BYU on a "Hail Mary" just six days earlier. After we settled in at our hotel on the edge of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, it was lunch at Barry's Bar and Grill and a visit to the campus.

Barry's Bar and Grill

On the day before home games, the Nebraska Alumni Association hosts family-friendly "Football Fridays." Erica and I took the opportunity to connect with fellow Husker fans and enjoy some entertainment, then finished the night with a medium steak at Misty's Steakhouse.

An entrance gate outside Memorial Stadium

Players' entrance onto Tom Osborne Field

Privileged to stand on Tom Osborne Field in Memorial Stadium

Saturday was Game Day. The beautiful 622-acre campus. The team store that bugged out my eyes (and wallet). The tailgaters. The food. The game.

Which hat will I add to my collection?

No visit to Nebraska is complete without a Runza and Valentino's Pizza.

Erica and I next to Nebraska's five national championship trophies

Yes, the game. Entering Memorial Stadium for the first time, I was teary-eyed and speechless. It didn't matter the opponent, time of day or the weather. I was in my shrine - I was home.

Erica and I ready for kickoff

The Nebraska band performs prior to kickoff

Even after the previous week's loss, the stadium was upbeat. The excitement continued throughout the game and late into the night, as the Huskers easily dispatched the Jaguars, 48-9. The evening also featured the induction of the 2015 class of the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame and reunion of the 1965 team, which went 10-0 in the regular season before losing to Alabama in the Orange Bowl.

Fourth quarter under the lights of Memorial Stadium

There wasn't much sleep to be had Saturday night. An early morning rise, and it was off to Omaha. I wanted to catch the Miami Dolphins' season opener at the Washington Redskins, and I did - in our hotel room complete with jacuzzi. After enjoying the 17-10 Miami win, Erica and I toured the surrounding area, including a brief trip into Council Bluffs, Iowa, for some gambling and Upstream Brewing Company and Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery in Old Market.

Horseshoe Council Bluffs Casino

As usual, the casinos took all my money.

Another full day gone. A quick look at the clock, and it already was time to head back home.

Watching the Nebraska Cornhuskers play up close and personal with more than 90,000 friends is an experience I always will cherish - a mark off the bucket list.

Another sports item on that bucket list? To watch the Miami Dolphins play in the Super Bowl, something they haven't done since 1985.

Where is Super Bowl 50 on Feb. 7, 2016?

Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, 45 miles from our apartment here in San Francisco.

Levi's Stadium, site of Super Bowl 50

Uh, honey?!

Til the next time...