LINCOLN, Neb. – Historic Memorial Stadium didn’t seem too intimidating Friday afternoon.

The hot, late-summer sun beamed through powder-blue skies onto the brand-new, two-tone green FieldTurf. There, coach Jack Cosgrove put his players through a light, 90-minute run-through on the eve of the most formidable challenge a University of Maine football team has ever faced.

Tonight at 7 o’clock, the Division I-AA Black Bears open their 2005 season against I-A icon Nebraska on its home field. That’s the same program that has won five national championships and appeared in 42 bowl games.

“It’s uncharted waters for Maine football,” Cosgrove said. “I doubt any program, in any sport, at Maine has ever taken on such a colossal challenge.”

Memorial Stadium, which is surprisingly cozy for one that holds nearly 74,000 fans, was quiet and largely empty Friday, save for a handful of workers making final preparations and the crew working on a new 6,400-seat addition at one end.

Tonight, the 82-year-old facility will be flooded by a sea of 73,918 red-clad fans, marking Nebraska’s NCAA-best 269th consecutive sellout dating back to 1962. The game-day influx temporarily makes the stadium the state’s third-largest city.

“I think it’s guaranteed to be one of the most exciting days of my football career, because it doesn’t get much better than Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska,” said senior co-captain Ben Lazarski.

The Huskers’ home is one of the most storied venues in the history of college football. Nebraska boasts a 105-8 record (.929 winning percentage) there since 1981.

“I think when you talk about the premier programs in the country historically, there aren’t too many people that wouldn’t mention Nebraska,” said Cosgrove, who has indicated he wasn’t thrilled interim athletic director Blake James had scheduled the ‘Huskers.

“This is a really huge step,” Cosgrove said. “I don’t know if it’s comprehended as well as it should be.”

However, UMaine is receiving $350,000 for the privilege of playing here, which will give a significant boost to the athletic budget while providing the entire program with a memorable experience.

“We’re going into an environment, an atmosphere, that’s going to be electric, exciting,” Cosgrove added. “It’s so much outside of the norm from what we usually see that it’s hard to put a finger on exactly what to expect and how we’ll react.”

Nebraska is the fourth-winningest program in the history of college football with 786 victories in 115 seasons.

UMaine players are painfully aware of the Cornhuskers’ tradition of excellence. Still, some are quick to point out the Bears aren’t playing either Memorial Stadium or Nebraska’s tradition, but its football team.

“It’s another game,” said senior tailback Montell Owens. “They tie their shoes and put on their pants the same way we do. They’re men like we’re men.”

Memorial Stadium, which features a seven-level facility with luxury boxes and press facilities, is connected to its student-athlete academic center, compliance office, Hall of Fame gallery, weight training facility and other offices.

Aside from its success on the football field, Cosgrove also called Nebraska an icon in terms of its tradition of recruiting instate players and its groundbreaking strength and conditioning program.

“Nebraska’s one of the premier programs in the country,” Cosgrove said. “Always has been; always will be.”

Game to be shown in Orono

The University of Maine-University of Nebraska football game tonight will he shown at the Bears Den inside Maine’s Memorial Union. The broadcast will begin at 7.

The University of Maine Auxiliary Services secured the rights to the Fox Sports Net Midwest pay-per-view broadcast on Friday.

Nebraska’s Memorial Stadium holds 73,918 and the game is expected to be sold out. It will be the largest crowd to ever witness a Black Bear athletic contest.