The Nebraska State Patrol is once again teaming up with the University of Nebraska to promote safe travel ahead of Husker home games. The second annual Husker Game Day Ball Relay is underway, with state troopers transporting an official Husker game ball across Nebraska before delivering it to Memorial Stadium for next Saturday’s season opener.
Trooper Brett, who provides traffic reports on KLIN during Husker home games, started the relay Thursday at Memorial Stadium. This year’s route will travel clockwise around the state, with stops planned at the Nebraska State Fair, schools, high school practices, volleyball games and other community events.
Nebraska State Patrol spokesperson Cody Thomas says the relay is designed to connect with communities while reminding fans about safe travel. “Our troopers will be relaying a Husker game ball across the entire state basically over the next week.”
The ball will be at the Nebraska State Patrol booth at the State Fair all day Saturday before continuing west to the Panhandle. It will then head north through Nebraska and back toward the Omaha area before returning to Lincoln Saturday morning for the game.
Thomas says the ball is riding “shotgun” in state patrol cruisers, with troopers handing it off to one another as it makes its way across Nebraska. The ball relay was launched last year and was popular enough that the State Patrol and University of Nebraska decided to bring it back for another season.