Breaking records has become a habit for the Nebraska Huskers, especially when it comes to attendance and viewership records. So when the NCAA announced that the Nebraska Huskers vs. Penn State Nittany Lions match set a new “National Semifinals attendance record!” the volleyball community rejoiced. “Another attendance record SHATTERED!!!!” wrote Emily Ehman.

“There are 21,726 fans in attendance tonight,” the former college volleyball star revealed. “Beats the previous record, set last season in Tampa, by nearly 2,000,” added the player-turned-volleyball analyst. The fans were equally delighted to see the brand-new record and were quick to credit the Huskers for the numbers.

“Not surprised to see Husker Nation be a part of another attendance record… GBR!” the Go Big Redcast page reposted on X. This wasn’t the only comment of its kind, as it seems the Nebraska Huskers fans have become quite accustomed to their team breaking attendance records. The team made a massive splash last year when they played in front of 92,003 spectators.

Since then, the volleyball team has continued to smash attendance and viewership records. After their historic achievement on Volleyball Day, 1.7 million people tuned in to watch the Huskers take on the Texas Longhorns in the 2023 NCAA Championship final. So maybe that’s why the fans have grown confident that wherever the Huskers go, records will follow.

“@HuskerVB breaking records every d**n time,” commented another proud fan. The X-user wasn’t wrong, either, as the Nebraska volleyball team has done this the first time. Their presence has helped other teams break attendance records on their own home courts.

In October, Nebraska helped Ohio State achieve a new home venue attendance record when 4,156 spectators packed Covelli Center to watch the two teams clash. In fact, many think NU’s prowess in drawing crowds is boosting women’s volleyball to new heights.

Are the Nebraska Huskers and their fans setting the benchmark for the sport?

After helping draw a 21,726-strong crowd alongside the Penn State Nittany Lions, many fans believe Nebraska volleyball is leading the way for college volleyball. “#HuskerNation just helping setting the bar in College Volleyball,” commented one Huskers fan on X. However, it’s difficult to argue the point as Nebraska volleyball is rivaling men’s college sports.

After filling out Memorial Stadium in August, a regular-season match between Nebraska and rivals Wisconsin averaged 612,000 viewers. It became the most watched in Big Ten Network history in 2023 and surpassed 560,000 average viewers who tuned in for an NU football match around the same time. However, that trend hasn’t stopped.

In September 2024, another regular season match between Nebraska and Stanford averaged 325,000 views on BTN. The match beat out the men’s basketball, which had 248K average viewers on BTN. It’s the Nebraska Huskers’ continued success that led one fan to write the famous slogan, “Everybody watches women’s sports,” in the comments.

However, Louisville fans weren’t ready to give all the credit to Nebraska. After all, the Cardinals are hosting the 2024 NCAA Championship finals at the KFC Yum! Center and volleyball have also exploded in popularity in the state in recent years. “Bring big sporting events to Louisville. This city loves sports,” commented a fan.

The volleyball enthusiast implied how the Louisville vs. Pittsburgh clash before the Husker’s game was also responsible for the record-breaking crowd. However, while it’s natural that fans will be loyal to their teams, the fact remains that the Nebraska Huskers are among the ones driving the sport’s popularity upward.