University of Nebraska—Lincoln Osborne Legacy Complex

The construction of a new training facility symbolizes a renewed commitment to a lasting legacy, reinforcing the idea that greatness is built daily through dedication and hard work. This theme is woven into the program’s messaging, imagery, and, most strikingly, a continuous red line—mirroring the one on their helmets—that runs throughout the facility. Whether integrated into the ceiling as an architectural feature or woven into graphics and environmental design, the red line serves as a striking visual representation of the program’s enduring commitment to excellence.

Agency

Populous

Practice Area

Client

University of Nebraska

Industry

Project Vision

The branding strategy for the Osborne Legacy Complex was rooted in Nebraska’s ethos and history, driving the design process from inception to completion. Through in-depth interviews and research, we identified the core values that define the Cornhuskers — resilience, hard work and community. This understanding informed every decision, ensuring that the facility not only reflects Nebraska’s storied past but also positions the program for future success.

Environmental graphics were developed to enhance the visitor experience, creating a cohesive narrative that guides users through the facility. The striking video board in the lobby serves as a central focal point, reinforcing Nebraska’s legacy while offering a dynamic storytelling platform. Activations celebrating the Blackshirts and tailored meeting rooms further immerse players in their rich heritage, blending history with modern functionality.

Locker Entry, Uniform Media Display, and All-American Legend Wall

Matt Kocourek

All-Americans engraved prisms represents Nebraska’s continued excellence through time, occupying the atrium’s 3-level vertical space with player legends by era on each floor

Matt Kocourek

Design + Execution

The digital experience adapts to different audiences: Football Athletes, All-Sport Athletes, and Husker fans in the Experience Lobby. It offers a dynamic presence daily. For fans, it celebrates passion, history, and the continuing Husker legacy. For All-Athletes, it focuses on daily efforts around nutrition, inter-sport connections, and student-athlete recognition. For Football players, it combines focus with edgy displays of new uniforms and gear, alongside spaces to relax and engage with shareable content.

The Experience Lobby honors Husker legends with interactive displays featuring the Blackshirts, Nebraska’s first-string defenders, and the Walk-On Program. The Blackshirts interactive allows fans to explore different eras of defensive lines, with jerseys on the wall reacting to touchscreen choices, displaying numbers and dynamic player content on a transparent LED screen that hovers over real jerseys. The Walk-On interactive showcases player origins, lighting up acrylic rods based on fan selections.

Additionally, displays honor the Magnificent 8—eight Black football players from Nebraska’s 1964 team who transformed college sports.

In All-Athletes spaces, interactive displays emphasize coordinated efforts around nutrition, sports connections, and recognition of Nebraska’s student-athletes and All-Americans. The dashboard display, a modular grid LED screen, greets student-athletes daily with Husker content, connecting them to fan activity and other sports.

For football, digital displays serve as adaptable tools for coaches to tailor messages to recruits and athletes, fostering connection with the larger Husker community. The Play Fast Wall showcases key player achievements in the weight room and plyometric ramp through a projector on a black metal wall in the player transit corridor. The embedded LED countdown clock tracks time to the Husker’s next game. The NFL Wall seamlessly integrates helmets from all NFL teams alongside Huskers who have made an impact on each, featuring video highlights of Huskers in the NFL and a real-time LED ticker displaying player transfers and signings.

The coaches’ entry corridor showcases the leaders and mentors who have shaped the program over the decades

Matt Kocourek

The locker room features an overhead media band that frames the space, creating a natural focal point for coaches’ speeches to players.

Matt Kocourek

The space combines daily focus and natural light with edgier media integrated displays for recruits showcasing new uniforms and gear.

Matt Kocourek

The Heisman trophies are shown in prismatic cases in the fan experience lobby

Matt Kocourek

The graphic style of the project reinforces the idea of simplicity, timelessness, and focus through the use of a silver color palette with accents of red

Matt Kocourek

  1. The player lounge entry showcases the Nebraska Helmet ‘Iron N,’ designed to align or distort based on the visitor’s perspective

    Matt Kocourek

  2. Locker Entry, Uniform Media Display, and All-American Legend Wall

    Matt Kocourek

  3. All-Americans engraved prisms represents Nebraska’s continued excellence through time, occupying the atrium’s 3-level vertical space with player legends by era on each floor

    Matt Kocourek

  4. The coaches’ entry corridor showcases the leaders and mentors who have shaped the program over the decades

    Matt Kocourek

  5. The locker room features an overhead media band that frames the space, creating a natural focal point for coaches’ speeches to players.

    Matt Kocourek

Project Details
Sports experiences are a rising category of project and there was a lot of competition in this process in that realm. This one stood out, head and shoulders, as a masterclass in how to take just a few design elements and turn them into a riot of fan expression.
Juror 1
A direct and on-brand graphic identity is consistently and seamlessly applied to various features throughout these generous spaces. This project sets a good design precedence for sport-related environments.
Juror 2
Design Team

Francisco Besa (design director)
Jenny O’Grady (designer)
Leo Mangimelli (detailer)
Thomas Jones (3d viz specialist)

Collaborators

Populous (architecture, landscape architecture)
BVH (architecture, landscape architecture)
Dimensional Innovations (physical and digital fabrication)
AVI-SPL (digital fabrication)
Salas O’Brien (formerly Idibri)
ECC

Photo Credits

Matt Kocourek

Open Date

March 2024

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