LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — It took a long time for Frank Solich to put aside the bitterness he felt toward Nebraska following his controversial firing.

Twenty years and some prodding by athletic director Trev Alberts later, Solich was back at Memorial Stadium on Friday to begin a weekend of events honoring him for his contributions as a player, assistant and head coach.

After he left Nebraska, Solich became the Mid-American Conference's all-time wins leader at Ohio. And he remained mostly estranged with the Lincoln school since some of the decision-makers responsible for his firing were still around — despite his strong ties to the state and friendship with his predecessor, Hall of Fame coach Tom Osborne.

“At first, I felt it was best for me just to stay completely away,” Solich said at a news conference, "and then it got to the point I felt like, hey, maybe it’s time to look at this through a different lens and look at all the great people that are here, people I know and worked with, the fans. I was in some ways only hurting myself in continuing to stay away, so I’m glad to be back.”

Solich went 58-19 over six seasons at Nebraska. The Cornhuskers won the Big 12 championship and finished No. 2 in the polls in 1999, and they played in the 2001 Bowl Championship Series title game against Miami despite a 62-36 loss to Colorado in the regular-season finale.

The Huskers lost three straight to end 2002 and finished 7-7, the first time since 1968 they hadn’t won at least nine games. Solich fired three assistants and gave up offensive play-calling duties, and the Huskers won nine games the following regular season.

But a 16-12 record over his last 28 games prompted then-athletic director Steve Pederson, with ex-chancellor Harvey Perlman's blessing, to fire him. In explaining his decision, Pederson famously said, “I refuse to let the program gravitate into mediocrity.”

Some fans agreed the program was showing signs of slippage, others argued Solich deserved more time with his restructured staff. Solich was gutted.

“Coaching is very hard on families, and it was very difficult on our family in a lot of different ways," he said.

The 78-year-old native of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, went to high school in Cleveland and came to Nebraska to play fullback for Bob Devaney from 1963-65. Solich coached high school football in the state for a decade before returning to the Huskers as an assistant for 19 years under Osborne.

Nebraska was coming off national championships three of the previous four years when he became head coach in 1998.

Solich's daughter, Cindy, still lives in Lincoln, so he has been back in town many times. But he hasn't been to a Nebraska game since 2003, and coaching at Ohio didn't allow him many opportunities to watch the Huskers on television, though he has made it a point to do that since he retired in 2021 and moved to Boise, Idaho.

“Obviously, deep down inside I was actually pulling for Nebraska,” he said, “so it was tough to see what had really transpired in terms of wins and losses as things unfolded over the years.”

New coach Matt Rhule is the fifth to follow Solich at Nebraska. There has been no conference championship since the 1999 title, no bowl since 2016 under Mike Riley and six straight losing seasons.

Solich and his family will be introduced Saturday at halftime of the annual Red-White spring game, which Solich says will mark the restart of his association with the program.

“It makes a lot of sense to be back," he said. "I spent a lot of time on that field out there. Family spent a lot of time here. We consider it our home, so it’s great to be back.”

Red-White Spring Game Fan Information

Nebraska will welcome fans to Memorial Stadium on Saturday afternoon for the annual Red-White Spring Game presented by FNBO. Approximately 60,000 tickets have been sold for the spring game as of Wednesday morning with tickets still available at Huskers.com. Below is information for fans attending Saturday's Red-White contest, with kickoff set for 1:05 p.m.
 
Tickets & Gate Information

• Fans are encouraged to purchase mobile tickets in advance of Saturday's game. Tickets are $10 each and are available at Huskers.com.
• On game day, tickets may still be purchased for $10 when purchased through Huskers.com and choosing mobile delivery. Tickets purchased in person at ticket windows on game day will be $20 each.
• The Athletic Ticket Office on Stadium Drive will open at 9 a.m. on Saturday, and tickets may be purchased using credit/debit cards or cash.  Tickets can also be purchased at Gate 21 beginning at 10:30 a.m.
• Fans should access their mobile tickets to the game prior to reaching the stadium gates. In order to make the process of entering Memorial Stadium as efficient as possible fans are encouraged to access their ticket account and save their digital tickets to their Apple or Google Wallet apps prior to arrival.
• Stadium gates will open at 11:30 a.m. Gates 1, 6 and 17 will be closed for entry. Gates 18, 19 and 21 will close shortly after kickoff.
• Re-entry will be allowed through the end of the third quarter. After that point, there will be no entry to Memorial Stadium.
• Fans are encouraged to travel light and that all bags, purses or carry items must conform to Memorial Stadium's clear bag policy. For more information on clear bags and other game day policies and procedures, please visit Huskers.com/operations.   

 
Parking & Transportation Information

• There will be several cashiered lots around Memorial Stadium for fans. Lots on the UNL Campus, at Haymarket Park and Pinnacle Bank Arena will all cost $10 each.
  • All campus lots will open at 6 a.m. and payment for those lots will be credit or debit card only. (No Cash)
  • All Pinnacle Bank Arena controlled lots (Festival Parking, PBA Garage) open at 7 a.m. and are Cash Only.
  • All Haymarket Park Lots (19, 20, 21) open at 8 a.m. and are Cash Only.
    • Fans holding a ticket to the 3 p.m. Nebraska softball game with Wisconsin will be able to park for free by showing the lot attendants their pre-purchased game ticket.
• All parking is general admission.
• Responsible tailgating will be enforced by lot attendants.
• The city's Big Red Express (StarTran) will not be operating for the spring game.
• Rideshare services such as Uber and Lyft have a designated drop off/pickup area on Vine Street just east of 14^th Street. 
• Reserved, pre-paid parking is available for the spring game at City of Lincoln garages designated with "Park & Go" signs. Visit parkandgo.org to find locations and rates and to reserve parking. All-day parking at on-street parking meters is available through the Passport application. Downtown parking meters are enforced Saturday's from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Download at the App Store, passportparking.com. When creating a new session, use Zone 90. Parking meters are enforced Monday-Saturday, from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
• To avoid gameday traffic and parking challenges, fans are urged to visit lincoln.ne.gov/closures or use the Waze mobile app.
• There are numerous lane closures in downtown Lincoln near Memorial Stadium. Fans should plan for congestion on those streets and allow ample time to arrive for the spring game.

 
On-Field Recognitions and Pre-Game Events

• Similar to regular season games, the Nebraska football team will take part in the Unity Walk before Saturday's games.  Fans are encouraged to gather on the East Stadium plaza (outside of Gate 20) to welcome the team to the stadium, with the team's arrival expected shortly after 10:30 a.m.
• FNBO will host an autograph zone outside of Memorial Stadium before Saturday's game featuring four members of the Nebraska volleyball team. Current Huskers Bekka Allick, Lindsay Krause and Lexi Rodriguez and 2022 senior Nicklin Hames will be signing autographs outside of the East Stadium from 10 a.m. to Noon. 
• The Husker Nation Pavilion will be staged on Stadium Drive on Saturday, beginning at 11 a.m. The Husker Nation Pavilion will include food vendors, inflatables and other interactive activities for fans of all ages. All activities on Stadium Drive will shut down at kickoff.
• Nebraska will be honoring former head football coach Frank Solich at Saturday's game.  Solich and his family will be recognized on the field at halftime of Saturday's Red-White game.
• Nebraska Athletics will unveil the updated Herbie Husker before kickoff of Saturday's game. New Herbie Husker merchandise will be available for sale throughout Memorial Stadium on Saturday.

 
Rosters & Media Coverage

• Rosters will be sold at Memorial Stadium concession stands for $1.
• Rosters for the spring game will also be available on-line at Huskers.com later this week, available to download on the official Huskers mobile app, and QR codes will be placed in the Memorial Stadium concourses to download the roster.
• The Huskers Radio Network will provide radio coverage of the Red-White game statewide and around the world through Huskers.com, and the official Huskers App. Husker Sports Network coverage begins at 11 a.m. on Saturday. Greg Sharpe, Damon Benning and Jessica will provide the coverage of the Red-White game on the Huskers Radio Network.
• The game can be seen live on BTN beginning at 1 p.m. Larry Punteney, Jeremiah Sirles and Meghan McKeown will be on the call for BTN.

Other Husker Events this Weekend

• Nebraska softball will host a three-game series over the weekend with Wisconsin. First pitch for Saturday's game is at 3 p.m. Husker fans can secure a free ticket to the softball game on Saturday afternoon (while supplies last) by showing their spring game ticket at the Bowlin Stadium box office or the adjacent kiosk located between baseball and softball.